CADREISM IS WORSE UNDER UPND THAN PF, CLAIMS REV. SUMAILI

CADREISM IS WORSE UNDER UPND THAN PF, CLAIMS SUMAILI

FORMER Religious Affairs Minister Reverend Godfridah Sumaili claims that there is worse cadreism under the UPND than there was under the PF.

And Reverend Sumaili says she supports recently elected PF faction president Makebi Zulu because he has what she describes as special grace, adding that people actually see Edgar Lungu in him.

Speaking when she appeared on the Zambia Decides podcast, Reverend Sumaili acknowledged that there was cadreism under the PF but argued that the behaviour was now worse.

“Any form of violence, any form of thuggery behaviour, abuse of people, harassment of people is to be condemned, it has no room in a nation, especially [one] that is a Christian nation. Our desire is to see peace, to see respect for people and respect for human dignity and respect for human rights, that’s what we want to see. I agree with you that during our time there was some kind of what they called cadresim, to be a cadre is a good thing but unfortunately it has been painted in a negative manner. When Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu came back to active politics, in his first message he apologised to the people of Zambia for whatever wrong that the PF had done, one of them is that same issue which they were calling cadreism,” she said.

“We acknowledge that, but what I can say is that unfortunately that kind of behaviour has become worse under the UPND. We have seen a lot of harassment of people. We have seen people being beaten without any cause. We have seen insults. It’s so unfortunate because these are young people who are insulting elderly people, even our late president was at many times insulted by young people. And the unfortunate thing is that to be honest, I have never heard this President, President Hakainde Hichilema condemn any form of violence”.

She added that the PF had spent the time since leaving office reflecting and looking for better ways to serve the Zambian people.

“The past four years that we have not been in government, it has been a time of reflection. It has been time of looking back and say how can we serve the people of Zambia better? What do we need to do? Yes, we delivered to the people in terms of infrastructure, in terms of social services, schools have been built, hospitals have been built. But how do we now relate with people in a respectful manner? How do we ensure that we have social justice? How do we ensure that we maintain the One Zambia, One Nation? Which as of now there has been a compromise in terms of segregation and that kind of thing. We can’t say we were perfect no, but we’ve had time to reflect and I know that we are ready to serve the people of Zambia better,” Reverend Sumaili said.

Asked why she supported Zulu, Reverend Sumaili said from a spiritual perspective she discerned his “special grace”.

“I chose to support Makebi Zulu from the beginning because from the spiritual angle we are able to discern where the grace is. You see, God talks about times and seasons, each one has a season and a time and if you are in the spirit, you are able to discern, this time that we are in, who is the one? And yes he carried special grace. There is something about this young man Honourable Makebi Zulu, a virtue which we need in a leader. Loyalty defines a person, this is a man who stayed with ba Edgar Chagwa Lungu from the time that we left office in 2021, he was there with ba Edgar Chagwa Lungu and he helped out through out with the cases, the courts he was always with him,” she responded.

“He stayed with our former president throughout the time that ba Edgar Chagwa Lungu was seeking medical attention in South Africa, he stayed until the departure of our president. When he died, Makebi was there and he stayed, we know for so many months. So if there is any message that ba Lungu had, he passed it on to Makebi Zulu who was by his side. If there was any important information for the party and for the nation, he left it with Makebi Zulu. ‘If you see me go, I’ll drop the mantle and you take it’, so there is that grace. But in addition to that Makebi Zulu represents the young people and we know that the majority in the population are young people, they are the youths, and if we have to attend to their needs, they need a young person as a president”.

She further claimed that people see late president Edgar Lungu in Zulu when they meet him for the first time.

“He’s 44 years old, he’s a young constitutional lawyer who has distinguished himself in the practice of law. Makebi is honest and corrupt free. Makebi brings a breath of fresh air to the politics in Zambia and I know without a shadow of doubt, he’s going to deliver. This is a young man who fears God, this is a young man who fears people, he’s humble like ba Edgar Chagwa Lungu. You know, actually when people see him for the first time they see ba Edgar Chagwa Lungu in him. He’s carrying those traits of humility, respecting people and one thing he has been talking about is the respect for the Constitution,” said Reverend Sumaili.

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