HH CAN TRY TO HIDE BUT HIS FINGERPRINTS ARE ALL OVER THE HAPPENINGS IN PF – DR M’MEMBE
… he adds that the problems in PF can be resolved by PF if the atmosphere is favorable
Lusaka, Monday, November 6, 2023 (Smart Eagles)
Leader of the opposition Socialist Party has maintained that President Hakainde Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) are responsible for the drama currently obtaining in the former ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party.
Dr M’membe said the UPND and President Hakainde Hichilema can try to remain mute on the matter and hide but their fingerprints are there.
The opposition leader argued that there is no way President Hichilema can hide from what is happening to the PF.
“It is a desperate way of trying to create a one party state. This multiparty democracy, people fought for it. There was multiparty democracy at independence, it disappeared. After some time, people realized we could not continue with one party state, and they fought for it,” he said.
“I was one of them. I was one of the people who went to Garden Hotel on the 20th of July and the 21st of July in 1990 and waged struggle to have a multiparty political dispensation back. We will not allow to see the destruction of something people strived for, for a long and in a difficult way. Mr Hakainde was not there. Mr Hakainde and his friends did not participate in the reintroduction of multiparty politics. They may not like the PF and they are entitled to not like the PF, but the PF have a right to exist, whether they like it or not.”
Dr M’membe said the PF does not exist at the mercy or discretion of the UPND.
He schooled the ruling party that multiparty politics is about competing for power.
The SP President said the destruction of the PF is not just about the PF but about all Zambians.
“All citizens of good will should stand up and oppose this. We have enough problems, there is a problem of mealie meal, there is a problem of general cost of living, and they don’t want people to talk about those things. There are no medicines in the hospital, all those that are concerned about those people who rule this country today is their personal deals, to increase their personal wealth, to become millionaires and billionaires, through corruption, through theft,” he said.
“Some of them were even getting into deals before they got into government. Support us, give us money, when we get into government we will give you contracts to supply oil, we will give you contracts to supply fertilizer. They had even the audacity to sign such agreements before getting into power, this is the kind of government you have.”
He said whatever problem the PF might have had cannot justify what happened.
“There is no organisation without problems. The UPND itself has numerous challenges. Does it justify the destruction of the UPND? Which institution in this country doesn’t have problems? Even the churches have got problems, can that justify the destruction of the church? Traditional institutions have got challenges; can that justify their destruction? This government has problems, numerous problems. Can that justify the destruction of this government? Or its removal by unjustified means?” he asked in fury.
“Would you allow a coup in Zambia because the government is troubled? No. There are ways to deal with problems. You don’t destroy an institution because it has problems, then you turn around and say they destroyed themselves. They didn’t destroy themselves. PF has not destroyed itself. It has problems. The ones who are trying to destroy the PF it is Mr Hakainde Hichilema and his clique. Given a favorable atmosphere, PF can sort out its problems, the same way all other institutions that are troubled. If they are given a favorable atmosphere, they will sort out their problems. There is no need to strangulate them, to assassinate them… if they commit suicide, that is their problem. But don’t kill them. The problems in PF can be resolved by PF if the atmosphere is favorable.”
Commenting on the newly appointment of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) at the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), Dr M’membe charged that Mr Brown Kasaro is a criminal.
“Kasaro is a criminal. Brown Kasaro is a criminal. And I cant understand, we have commissioners who were there when Kasaro was being discharged, was being fired, and they allow Kasaro to come back,” he said.
“Who doesn’t know at that commission what Kasaro did? We can excuse maybe two new commissioners. The three commissioners who were there know who Kasaro is. We will not allow Kasaro to come back. And it is better we don’t go to a big conflict over a small individual. Who is Kasaro? Let him just go back and do what he was doing.”