HH UNMASKS GARRY NKOMBO
… lifts veil on decades of political friction, accusing the former minister of drinking with the enemy while UPND members bled
By DAVID KANDUZA
IN a blistering political address that has sent shockwaves through the UPND, President Hakainde Hichilema has launched a direct verbal assault on his former Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Garry Nkombo.
Addressing a charged crowd in Mazabuka, the Head of State explicitly detailed a history of deep-seated animosity, alleging that Mr Nkombo’s loyalty was compromised even during their hardest days in the political trenches.
“Garry Nkombo started fighting me a long time ago,” President Hichilema declared, laying bare a rift that had long been managed behind closed doors.
“Even when we were in opposition, when PF officials would beat me up and try to kill me, I would see Gary Nkombo drinking alcohol with the same PF officials who were attacking me,” the President disclosed.
The explosive revelation provides stark context to the dramatic fallout between the two political heavyweights, which culminated in Mr Nkombo being stripped of his ministerial portfolio.
Long regarded as one of Mr Hichilema’s most formidable lieutenants, Mr Nkombo’s relationship with State House disintegrated ahead of the August general elections, prompting him to file as an independent candidate for the Mazabuka Central parliamentary seat.
The political divorce has turned Mazabuka into a volatile battleground.
Clashes have erupted in Southern Province between hardcore UPND loyalists and Mr Nkombo’s supporters.
Mr Nkombo’s independent filing ended in a torn shirt and assault allegations following an ambush by suspected ruling party cadres.
In a bizarre turn of events, the veteran politician was later arrested and slapped with assault charges related to the same nomination day fracas.
Despite the public dressing-down from the President, Mr Nkombo had maintained a highly calculated defense.
Following his Cabinet dismissal, Mr Nkombo initially displayed immense political maturity, publicly thanking the President for the opportunity to serve and urging the opposition not to weaponise his exit.
However, as the rhetoric from State House intensifies, Mr Nkombo had to fight on two fronts—reaffirming his overarching loyalty to the UPND’s foundational goals while fiercely defending his local turf against internal attempts to forcefully push him out of the political sphere.
With the general election fast approaching, Mr Hichilema’s Mazabuka declarations have effectively drawn a line in the sand, transforming what was once a brotherhood of opposition survival into an all-out war for political dominance in the UPND’s traditional stronghold.