Nkombo accuses Hichilema of conduct ‘below presidential behaviour’, pleads to be left alone
Former UPND senior member Gary Nkombo has criticised President Hakainde Hichilema over remarks made about him at a rally in Mazabuka, describing the President’s conduct as “below presidential behaviour” and urging him to leave his family out of their political differences.
Nkombo, 26 July – Speaking in Tonga during a community engagement on Friday, Nkombo said political disagreements should not descend into personal attacks, arguing that leaders should exercise restraint and mutual respect while campaigning.
His remarks followed comments by President Hichilema at a rally in Mazabuka on Thursday, where the President accused Nkombo of having started fighting him while the two were still together in opposition.
Nkombo said he had chosen to be the “bigger person” and did not want disagreements between himself and the President aired publicly.
“What was said was said, but I chose to be the bigger person, and I’m saying don’t wash dirty linen in public,” Nkombo said.
He particularly objected to remarks concerning his mother, saying political criticism directed at him should not extend to his family.
“Whatever was said should have been said without involving my mother, who gave birth to me. I can be mocked to say, ‘look at his eyes and stomach’, but it should not reach the extent of insulting my mother,” he said.
“My mother is 85 years old. Leave her out of this; she’s too old.”
Nkombo also rejected claims that he was working with opposition politician Brian Mundubile, saying there was no political connection between his candle electoral symbol and Mundubile’s lamp symbol.
He explained that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) had presented him with a selection of symbols from which he chose the candle.
“The President said, ‘Nkombo is working with Mundubile’. Have you ever seen me or heard me talk about Mundubile here? Someone lied on this issue,” he said.
Nkombo said he had no involvement in Mundubile’s choice of a lamp as his symbol and argued that the two symbols were distinct.
He also referred to a court battle over the candle symbol, saying he and other independent candidates successfully challenged attempts to have it removed.
Nkombo said he voluntarily left the UPND and had accepted that President Hichilema no longer wanted to work with him.
“I’m tired. I left UPND; no one told me to leave, not even the President,” he said. “I even said before that he doesn’t want me. But yesterday it showed how upset the President was.”
He said President Hichilema should have concentrated on asking voters to support his preferred parliamentary candidate, Vincent Lilanda, rather than making Nkombo the focus of his rally.
“There is what is called presidential behaviour. What happened yesterday was below presidential behaviour,” Nkombo said.
“You should have just asked for votes for Vincent Lilanda nicely, but you heard, he didn’t ask for votes for him; the topic was Nkombo! Nkombo! Nkombo! Why not leave a tired man alone?”
Nkombo further alleged that President Hichilema had previously sent him a message asking him not to mention the President during his campaigns.
“The President sent me a message saying, ‘Don’t mention me in your campaigns.’ I stopped. Why is he mentioning me in his meetings?” he asked.
“In politics we talk about each other, but let’s not insult each other. Let’s just campaign.”
Nkombo called for mutual respect between political opponents, saying respect should work both ways.
“Respect is a two-way traffic, it’s not one lane,” he said. “You respect me, I respect you. You disrespect me, you get nothing from me.”
He urged supporters to vote for him under the candle symbol while making their own choice in the presidential election.
“Vote for the candle for MP. At presidential level, you will know what you will vote for. That’s all; there is no fighting,” he said.
Nkombo also made a serious allegation that President Hichilema may have been behind a previous attack against him. He did not provide evidence for the allegation during the engagement.
“I’m begging Mr President, leave me alone. At this point, just leave me alone. I have been pushed too much, I was beaten,” he said.
Nkombo said he had endured violence and arrests during the Patriotic Front’s time in government while campaigning for the UPND and supporting Hichilema.
He rejected suggestions that he associated socially with PF members whom he described as having been violent towards him during the opposition years.
“In 20 years I was beaten because of UPND,” Nkombo said.
He recalled being pepper-sprayed when Hichilema was arrested and said he temporarily struggled to see before receiving medical attention.
“He was also saying I was drinking beer with those who were beating me. Can I drink with someone who was beating me during the day? Is that even possible? It’s not possible,” he said.
Nkombo said his political history could not be rewritten and maintained that he had suffered considerably under the PF government.
“You can’t rewrite history. The history is written and cast. I suffered during PF,” he said.
He appealed to President Hichilema to allow voters to make their choices without intimidation or escalating their political differences into personal attacks.
“That’s why I said let’s not wash dirty linen in public,” Nkombo said. “I’m begging you, Mr President, let people choose what they want.”
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