DEC SHOULDN’T HAVE SAID THEY SUSPECT THE 15 FLATS BELONG TO ESTHER NYAWA TEMBO-FORMER PF SG MWILA
FORMER PF secretary general Davies Mwila says DEC shouldn’t have rushed to the media to say the 15 flats they recently took possession of in State Lodge area are suspected to belong to Esther Nyawa Tembo.
And Mwila has insisted that the UPND is targeting former president Edgar Lungu and his family.
Meanwhile, Mwila says he has been summoned to appear before the Joint Investigations Team today, alongside former lands minister Jean Kapata and PF acting secretary general Nickson Chilangwa,
In an interview, Mwila wondered why the DEC did not first contact the suspected owner of the flats before announcing to the public.
“First and foremost, we do not know the owners of those flats until when the former first lady responds. The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) made a mistake. They should not have gone to the media saying that we suspect these flats belong to Esther Nyawa Tembo. What they should have done is to write to the suspect asking if the flats belong to her. After she has responded, then that is when you go to the media and announce whether those flats belong to her or not. You cannot say we have taken those flats and we will wait for three months if the owner will not come. If you are just suspecting, why mention the name? It means that they are not sure.
What I am saying is they have to do a thorough job. Let them not rush to the media. Why mention the name without asking the owner if surely those flats belonged to the former first lady?” he asked.
“That is why we’ve always said they have targeted at the former president’s family and the former president himself.
President Hakainde Hichilema is a bitter person. You have seen how the economy has gone bad. The fuel has gone up and the commodities are expensive. So it is time that this government concentrates on improving the living standards of people.
They are busy investigating but not getting tangible results. That is the problem. All those officers are just enjoying their allowances so they will continue making statements alarming the public. My position has not changed. They have targeted at the former president’s family and himself.”
And Mwila said things would continue getting harder going forward under the UPND government.
“When inflation drops, is it the cost of a bag of mealie meal which has dropped? Has the price of cooking oil or fuel dropped? Those are theories. When you are running the country or the economy using the book, you will not go anywhere.
They promised to reduce the price of mealie meal, fuel and fertiliser. They promised that they are going to sell the presidential jet but they are quiet. They promised that they are going to ensure that the exchange rate in terms of Kwacha to a Dollar goes to a single digit. On all those things, nothing has happened. Look at the recruitment exercise, it is in shambles. We do not know whether it will be there or not,” he said.
“They are now fighting amongst each other because there is no direction. It is almost a year but when is the economy going to improve? They promised that they will be buying maize at K250 but they are buying at K160. I can tell you simple mathematics. If the price of maize goes up from K150 to K160 it means the price of mealie meal will go up. That is the interpretation. Honourable [Mutale] Nalumango has not hidden the fact that the prices of fuel will continue going up and the people of Zambia must be ready to tighten up their belts. Things will be harder as we move forward under the UPND government.”
Meanwhile, Mwila said he had been summoned to appear before the JIT today and he suspected it was on issues to do with the PF secretariat plot.
“We are appearing before the Joint Investigations Team at 11:00 hours just after tomorrow, on Wednesday. I do not know what it is about. They invited Chilangwa, Jean Kapata and me. I am suspecting it is something to do with that PF secretariat plot. That is what I suspect,” said Mwila.
(Diggers)