3RD Liberation Movement leader Enock Tonga has asked why out of all the Heads of State in the world President Edgar Lungu’s name has been mentioned in terrorism.
Meanwhile, Sean Tembo has demanded that President Lungu himself addresses the nation on allegations that he financed a Rwandan rebel group against that government.
Callixte Nsabimana aka Major Sankara who claimed to be the head of Rwanda rebel group National Liberation Force (NLF) told the judge at the International and Cross-Border Crimes in Nyanza, a district in southern Rwanda, that President Lungu helped rebel factions to attack Rwanda.
NLF is a military wing of a Rwanda opposition political party, the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change led by Rwandan dissident Paul Rusesabagina, known for protecting people during the 1994 Rwandan genocide as a manager of Hotel des Mille Collines.
But State House has rubbished the rebel leader’s revelation and foreign affairs minister Joe Malanji, who President Lungu sent as a special envoy on Thursday on Friday said that Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame does not want to give credence to the allegations made by the convict.
Several stakeholders have questioned President Lungu’s casual approach to such a serious matter and asked him to personally speak to the public directly, rather than through his press aide.
In a statement yesterday, Tonga wondered if President Lungu had amassed so much money that he could fund terrorism.
“Could our Zambian President be a terrorist? Could President Edgar Chagwa Lungu be mistakenly implicated in identity and roots issues? Has President Edgar Chagwa Lungu made so much money as a President of Zambia that now he has nowhere to take the money to, but to fund a rebel leader in foreign land like Rwanda – if indeed the allegations are true?’’ he asked.
‘’Why, out of all the Presidents across the world, only the name of one Dr Edgar C Lungu emerged from the mouth of Callixte Nsabimana, the rebel leader of National Liberation Front (FNL) in the Rwandan High Court? The above and many more questions are turning our hair grey when we are still young. So many questions without answers.”
He said people remained with so many unanswered questions, demanding explanations.
Tonga said the argument about Zambia not sharing any border with Rwanda does not make sense.
“For now, we can only say mukalondolola (you have plenty to explain) – time is coming that you will all be made to explain as to why. Be reminded that we have Zambian-Rwandese here in Zambia, not having any border with Rwanda can’t hold any water,’’ Tonga said.
‘’Remember Adolf Hitler’s dictatorship period of 1933 to 1945, where he initiated World War II. He was able to attack and invade countries, which were beyond Germany’s borders. Mukalondolola! Let’s do it for Zambia.”
Tonga said going by the statement of Malanji, the public still deserved to know the truth on the matter.
He said there was no way President Lungu could send an envoy if the issue was trivial.
“We can safely conclude that, YES, the FNL leader mentioned our humble President, one Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu. But why? Was Callixte ‘Sankara’ Nsabimana out of his mind at a time he was mentioning President Edgar Chagwa Lungu?” asked Tonga further.
“Joseph Malanji says that beyond President Edgar Lungu and Paul Kagame’s cordial and sound friendship which both leaders enjoy, Zambia-Rwanda bilateral relations remain intact. On his fact finding mission, Malanji reports back to Zambia to say President Kagame informed him that the allegations are not credible as prior to his arrest, Callixte ‘Sankara’ Nsabimana had travelled to five (05) countries, excluding Zambia and that the government of the Republic of Zambia will continue to investigate as to why Callixte ‘Sankara’ Nsabimana chose to falsely mention our humble President, one Dr Edgar Lungu in his court testimony.”
And Tembo, president of the opposition Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) party, said it was wrong for President Lungu to use his aide to respond to such a serious accusation.
“We wish to take this opportunity to appeal to President Edgar Lungu to personally address the nation on the serious allegations that are reported to have been leveled against him that he financed a dissident rebel group in Rwanda to the tune of US$150,000 for the purpose of toppling a duly elected government of that country,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“It is important for the President to personally address these allegations so that the citizens of this Republic can look him in the eyes and make their own judgment on whether he is saying the truth or not…. Our expectation was that President Lungu himself would directly address these allegations in a press briefing that would also allow journalists to ask him questions.”
Tembo said allowing other people to speak for him would make more people doubt his denial of the allegation.
He also condemned National Democratic Congress leader Chishimba Kambwili, who was quick to defend President Lungu before he understood the matter.
“Such an approach would build confidence in the eyes of the general public that these allegations against President Lungu are baseless and that the President has nothing to hide. However, we find it very regrettable that instead of President Lungu addressing these allegations himself in person, he decided to delegate his press aide, Mr Isaac Chipampe, who issued a very narrow and shallow statement. Our view is that Mr Isaac Chipampe’s narrow and shallow statement on this matter coupled, with President Lungu’s avoidance of directly addressing the allegations, has the overall impact of adding credibility to the allegations,” said Tembo.
“It is our firm belief that when an individual is accused of committing an offense, it is only that particular individual that can dispel the allegations. Suffice to mention that we find it strange that some opposition leaders in this country have been very quick to dismiss these allegations against President Lungu as false, as if they are always in the company of the President such that they know each and every little thing that the President does. Our view is that only the President can defend himself in this matter. Any other person or opposition leader that jumps to the defense of the President without any basis for such a defense, is only doing so in an effort to endear themselves to the President and possibly seek presidential favours in future.”