By NATION REPORTER
The UPND in opposition refused to recognise former President Edgar Lungu for the seven years he served as head of State and continued insulting, abusing and disrespecting him by walking out of Parliament each time the former President was addressing the House, Brian Mundubile has said.
Mr Mundubile, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament says President Hichilema and the UPND never respected the presidency while in opposition and that it was surprising that the gorverning party was now demanding that the opposition should accord the head of State some reverence.
Mr Mundubile says the UPND could not be the first to demand that President Hichilema should be respected when they led an onslaught of disrespectfulness against former President Lungu when he served as head of State.
He said the PF leadership and its general membership had been civil by ensuring that President Hichilema was accorded the respected as head of State but that the former ruling party could chose to emulate the UPND and withdraw the respect for the head of State as the ruling party had set the precedence.
And Mr Mundubile has come to the defence of Kitwe Mayor, Mpasa Mwaya who has been the victim of the UPND abuse and threats for a personal social media posting in which she is reported to have said; “He will resign after the press conference.”
Mr. Mundubile said one of the reasons for Zambia’s low participation of women in politics was because of harassment and abuse the female gender was being subjected to by men.
“What we saw where Copperbelt Minister Elisha Matambo was publicly harassing Kitwe Mayor Mpasa Mwaya was unfortunate and must be condemned by all. What was expected from the Minister was to show respect to the Mayor because she is an elected which makes her a leader in her own right. Subjecting the Mayor to public ridicule was totally uncalled for,” he said.
