THE Patriotic Front (PF) are doing everything in their power to ensure that my name and that of Hakainde Hichilema don’t appear on the ballot paper in 2021 because they are damn scared of our combination, United Party for National Development (UPND) vice president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba has charged.
And Dr Mwamba has denied allegations that the UPND is behind the riots in the country, arguing that the largest opposition has no control over the reaction of Zambians.
Speaking in an interview with Kwacha, Dr Mwamba said the PF is damn scared of Hichilema and himself such that they do not want the pair to appear on the 2021 Ballot Paper.
“Let me tell you, what this PF Government doesn’t want to see is Hakainde’s head andmy head on the Ballot Paper because they know that we have made a deadly combination. They have been reliably informed by their agents that they should try and frustrate this pair at all cost. They can do anything, we shouldn’t rule out anything from the PF Government because all they want is UPND under the leadership of Hakainde Hichilema not to succeed,” he said.
Asked how the mood is in the UPND camp following the call out that was delivered to Mr Hichilema by the Ndola Central Police, Dr Mwamba said party members are very annoyed with the politics President Edgar Lungu and his followers are playing.
He said Mr Hichilema told the truth that ZAFFICO had been sold to the Chinese, challenging Government to give a difference between affloading of ZAFFICO shares on Stock Market Exchange and selling the palastastal firm.
“We are frustrated and disappointed in theleadership of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu because this is mere political persecution which he has continued on our President Hakainde Hichilema. The PF, how many times have they said things that alarm the nation or inciting the nation. They have said so many things like Hakainde Hichilema is a thief, is that not alarming the nation? And that comes from Edgar himself and a few of his cronies. President Hichilema was merely telling the truth. There are no falsehoods in what he said. President (Lungu) said the Chinese have bought ZAFFICO; ZAFFICO has been sold through floating of shares on the Stock Exchange. Now, if you look at it, what is a sale? A sale can be anything which you will change hands from one particular owner to the other. That is a sale. Be it by political or floating of shares or otherwise, it is still a sell. What has happened is that they have listed ZAFFICO on Stock Exchange, it is a sale. So, Hakainde Hichilema was not lying, they have sold ZAFFICO to the Chinese. In a nutshell, what Hakainde Hichilema has saidis the truth and Zambians understand that ZAFFICO has been sold. Whether sold through Stock Exchange or whatever, it will not be for Zambians again,” he explained.
Dr Mwamba said Mr Hichilema has suffered so much having being incarcerated 17 times and now going to the 18th time without Courts securing a conviction.
“As I said, we are annoyed, we are not happy with what the PF is doing to Hakainde Hichilema. The man has suffered so much for this country, incarcerated for 127 days. He has been the most detained opposition leader in this country. Since PF came to power, he has been detained 17 times and if they are going to arrest him again, that will be the 18th time. It is just that we have a very strong President, if it were other people, he could have broken down but fortunately, he has no spirit of breaking down. The spirit that he has is to see to it that Zambians are liberated economically, socially and politically someday. So, he has a passion forZambia. I don’t think he is a kind of person who easily breaks down. Zambians must be assured that they have a strong President who speaks for them like he has always done and most of the things that he has said in the past, today they have come to be a reality,” he said.
Dr Mwamba said the PF has condemned Zambians to misery.
He said to add salt to an open wound, the PF fired Felix Mutati who could have helped them to save the economy.
“He (Hichilema) told Zambians that PF will not take you anywhere and for sure PF has not taken us anywhere. It has brought more misery to all the Zambians including tu PF twine, they are just suffering, in fact they are suffering more than us because they expected that come 2016, with the leadership of Edgar Lungu, the economy will flourish but unfortunately it is in reverse. I don’t think they have the capacity to revive this economy. I don’t see anyone in thisGovernment who can resuscitate this country. Look at them, they have even fired Mutati who could have helped them to resuscitate this economy to a certain extent and they have decided to bring in people who have no knowledge about running the economy of this country. But I think these are works of the Almighty God. He wants to show Zambians that ‘you made a mistake, you ushered in a wrong Government, a wrong President and the wrong everything in PF’. But all is not lost for Zambians. Let us work together, let us unite. Zambia will once again regain its lost glory,” he said.
Asked if indeed it is the UPND that is inciting Zambians to riot, Dr Mwamba said the UPND has no control over the feelings of Zambians.
“I will tell you something, we have no control as party leaders over reaction of citizens. It depends on how citizens feel. If citizens feel they have been duped by Government, some of these things can happen and we have nocontrol. It is not Hakainde Hichilema, it is not GBM and it is not the UPND that incite people to demonstrate or what they are supposed to do. We have no control; each individual feels the anger on themselves, so they can do anything,” he said.
The UPND is always implicated when misfortune happens in the country.
On July 4th 2017 fire swept through City Market prompting President to invoke article 31 of the Constitution.
Before the investigations where constituted, the PF accused Hichilema of sponsoring the gutting of the largest market in the country. Ironically, Mr Hichilema was in incarceration in a bogus treason charge at the time City Market went up in flames.
To date no one has been convicted in the arson act. Police investigations continue.
Prior to the gutting of City Market, Zesco pylons were vanderised in Kafue and the PF pointed an accusing finger at the UPND.Recently, Hichilema was accused of inciting the University of Zambia riots in which a student lost her life. Up to date no one has been arrested in the UNZA debacle.