PATRIOTIC Front [PF] deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri says it is unfair for Roan PF member of parliament Chishimba Kambwili to raise suspicion on President Edgar Lungu’s Memorial Park house when even him has a plot there.

And Mumbi says she will not adopt the old political system of telling lies to get what she wants.
Mumbi, who was the guest on Let the People Talk programme on Radio Phoenix today, contextualised her ‘defence’ of the Head of State’s house which, according to Kambwili, was built out of corruption proceeds.

“I’m sorry to say that like you saw yesterday (Thursday), Honourable Kambwili was mentioning me – it was there in The Mast that I ‘say yes to everything that President says’. Let me say this; I’ll not agree to a lie. I always stand to the truth, I’m a Christian and the Bible is very clear – it tells us that the truth shall set you free. Does Honourable Kambwili want me to agree with him when he is disparaging others? When he is insulting people? When he is telling lies? I’ll not do that! This goes without saying [that] even when somebody… because Kambwili now is not in my party, if somebody says a lie I should agree because they are talking about Kambwili who is not in my party? Let us have a face; we call Zambia as a Christian nation. Let us portray that,” Mumbi said.

“Let me give you an example of why Kambwili thinks I say yes to everything; Kambwili has been on record, he had a press briefing where he said these people in government niba pompwe (they are thieves), they are building everywhere. He was very specific! He mentioned that President Edgar Lungu has built a house opposite Memorial Park. Kambwili has forgotten that the plots…In fact, those plots were given out when I was out (of the country), I was in foreign service. It’s not only President Edgar Lungu who has a plot at that place! There is a road, and if you want I can take you (programme host) there because I believe in speaking the truth, where Kambwili also has a plot. At a corner [of] that plot, there is a house which belongs to the former PS (permanent secretary) Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The next plot is Honourable Chishimba Kambwili’s plot, from Chishimba Kambwili’s plot – they are neighbours with Honourable Mukanga…After that, there is another lady who has built up-staired houses who was in foreign service in Tanzania. You go back, you’ll find [that] there is a plot for Honourable Kabimba, who is directly opposite where President Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s house is and that house, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu built it when he was Minister of Home Affairs. So, why should somebody tell a lie as if that house has been built when he is President? That is being unfair!”

She also disclosed that Ndozo Lodge which “Kambwili is talking about belongs to a man called Mr Sichamba.”

“Everybody knows because that man has been in business for a long time. There is another plot; I was interested, I made a search, opposite Regiment Parish, if you know the Catholic Church, there are some houses – that place, the forest was de-gazetted, and there are houses which are coming up, people went and took pictures and started circulating them on social media that those houses belong to President Edgar Lungu,” she explained.

“I have a plot myself there! I made a search – those flats, the owner is a woman by the name of… maybe I shouldn’t mention a name because she is not here. But it’s a woman. If you need more information, I can give you.”

And Mumbi noted that it was not true that Kambwili illegally built flats on a golf course in Luanshya.

“Even for me, when I come here, because somebody is saying ‘Honourable Chishimba Kambwili built houses on a golf course’ and you expect me to agree that yes it’s true. It’s not true because those houses were there when we were in opposition and if Kambwili got that illegally, we were in opposition [and] he could have been arrested. I can’t come on radio because somebody has said ‘Honourable Kambwili stole slippers for a railway’ and then I agree! I’ll not agree because that happened even when we were in Parliament; the MMD could shout at Kambwili to say ‘kawalala wama slipper, uyo scrap metal dealer.’ But because he has come out of the party I should start agreeing to lies! I’ll never do that because I know that I’m just passing through. This life is very short! The bigger picture is where we are going to go when we leave earth,” explained Mumbi.

“For me, I’ve always said I don’t want to join the bandwagon of old politicians who would tell a lie to get something out of it.”