ZAMBIA’s sixth President Edgar Lungu is wondering whether the UPND government has suspended the Constitution and declared a State of emergency in an attempt to restrict and curtail his right to freedom of movement, association or indeed worship.
And former President Lungu has advised President Hakainde Hichilema to focus on real issues and challenges affecting Zambians, stating that should the UPND government begin to deliver, he (former President Lungu) would become politically less attractive.
Yesterday, a convoy of Parliamentarians in the Committee of National Guidance were stopped by the Police in Kafulafuta and had their vehicles searched on suspicion that the convoy was transporting former President Lungu to the Copperbelt.
But the former head of State said in an interview that the State knew where he was living and had the capacity to know and tell when he was leaving town and should therefore stop inconveniencing and harassing citizens using public roads to block him from moving.
“They (State) know where I stay. They know my house and why would they be searching for me on the roads. They can come to my house and they will find me. I am home and they have the capacity to tell when I move out of town. Why are they behaving like headless chickens? Let them focus on real issues affecting Zambians and Lungu (former President) will not be attractive anymore. Let them come and arrest me instead of harassing citizens on roads,” former President Lungu said.
“Has this dictatorship suspended the Constitution and are we in a state of emergrency? When did they (UPND) declare a state of emergency…what powers are they using and why should this state of emergency apply to Lungu (former President) alone. Why not just arrest me instead of inconveniencing travellers. Let them arrest me so that citizens can suffer less inconvenience apart from the high cost of living they are being subjected to,” he said.
The former head of State stated government should tell Zambians if it had suspended his liberties and if so, it was important that the rule of law should be followed in freezing his rights to movement, assembly, worship and speech.
“But where is this Lungu-phobia coming from. Tell me where they are getting this ecstasy from. Vinthu vichinja (Thing change). When I went to hand over power, I was booed and jeered. People did not want me and now if they want me, you cannot stop them. They are the same people. I endured booing but they are now cheering me because they have been subjected to untold economic suffering and they realise they were better under the Patriotic Front (PF) than the suffering they are being subjected. Abantu balechula (people are suffering),” the former head of State explained.
He said governance was not of someone’s whims and fancy imaginations and that the UPND was irritating more Zambians by their continued acts of harassing him and those closely associated to the former President.
“If they have suspended the Constitution, let them follow the law. You do not govern out of whims and fancy imaginations. You do not just wake up with a sleepy head and begin dictating. Anyway, the sum total is let them focus on real issues and they will win the hearts of the people instead of harassing Lungu (former President),” former President Lungu said.
And Munir Zulu, the Lumezi Member of Parliament yesterday confirmed that a convoy of Parliamentarians, that included those from the UPND were stopped at Kafulafuta, had their vehicle searched on suspicion that they were transporting former President Lungu to the Copperbelt.
“We were stopped at Kafulafuta and searched as a Committee on National Guidance. We were coming from Central Province. They (Police) thought former President Lungu was in our motorcade. We told them if they had ever seen ECL (former President Lungu) move with Mirriam Chonya, the UPND Chilanga law maker and Kambole. The police then made a few phone calls before clearing us,” Mr Zulu said.
He also revealed that there was heavy presence of police in Kitwe yesterday and that some churches had been surrounded in anticipation that former President Lungu was to appear at one of the churches.
He stated that the UPND was going to completely fail to work if all their efforts would be concentrated on harassing former President Lungu whose popularity has been soaring as a result of the dismal performance by President Hichilema.
