ECL WILL BE COMING OUT TO VISIT OUR HOMES – GREYFORD MONDE
…says some people are agitated with ECL’s public appearance because they have failed to deliver on their promises
Lusaka, Thursday, March 9, 2023 ( Smart Eagles)
PF presidential candidate Hon Greyford Monde has wondered why some people are agitated whenever former president Edgar Lungu speaks or makes an appearance.
Hon Monde said the movements and statements that the former Head of State makes are not political as some suggest.
He said the former President is a free citizens and he has the right to movement, expression, among other fundamental human rights.
This comes after president Lungu’s pictures went viral where he was checking the price of mealie meal in Shoprite.
“The last time the public heard a word from President Edgar Lungu, a man that I respect too much, there are very few people who would have immediately said well I think I am taking a back seat, can we get someone else to run on this position,” he said.
“Are we saying that the president should not go to Shoprite? So if you ask the people who think he has gone into politics, those people are not sincere, they are not being sincere with themselves because they failed to provide the service the promised the people. President Lungu would have been very happy to buy cheap mealie meal as promised, that it will be K50.”
Hon Monde clarified that despite former president Lungu being a national asset, he has a family he needs to take care of.
He further wondered why people are attempting to dictate the former president’s association, movement and speech.
“So he goes in Shoprite he tries to buy, he is captured, the pictures and then people are saying no he is doing politics. Must he not even know the price of mealie meal? Now that he is a state property? We know that when you go to see him he has got headaches on making sure that he attends to his family members in the village. Some of them need fertilizer which was promised at K250, some of them want mealie meal, so he wants to go and check what the price is. He is not in prison; he is a citizen of this country,” he said.
“He has got the freedom to move, associate and interact. He comes out anywhere and gives a statement and people are hurt. Two days ago he was at a church (BIGOCA) and he is given opportunity, the only thing he said is ‘today my devotion was shared to me by another Bishop and he told me read Luke Chapter 15:11-13.’ And he tells a story of a prodigal son.”
He said Social Media went buzzing after he finished reading the scripture with people saying he cannot do that.
“So they want to determine what he must say, they want to determine where he must go, they want to determine who he must associate with. He is state property but that does not restrict him from going to funerals, that does not restrict him from going to churches…Do you know why this is the subject now? It’s a subject because there is someone who has failed to deliver what they promised. For example, you found mealie at K120, you take the mealie meal to K220, K280, as we saw it in my village in Shangombo,” he said.
“Now, supposing the price of mealie meal was at K50 as promised and President Edgar Lungu goes there, looks at that bag, would that not have been positive? But do you know why he is getting attacked now? It’s because someone has failed to do their job. They would not be worried if they had done their job. He will be coming out, that I can assure you. He is not caged; the former president will be coming out to visit our homes.”