Patriotic Front national mobilization committee member Bizwell Mutaale has said UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema’s lust for power at all costs is now a disgrace to the Tongas.
Mr Mutaale, in a statement issued following the UPND cadres’ attempts to stone the presidential motorcade in Monze on Saturday, said the violence exhibited by the cadres was sanctioned by Mr Hichilema and Monze member of parliament Jack Mwiimbu.
“HH’s lust for power at all costs is now a disgrace to Ba Tonga. He does not represent the nationalism of our forefathers such as Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula, Mainza Chona and Elijah Haatuakali Mudenda to name a few. The UPND leader and his party’s morally deficient character does not represent the spirit of Nationalism. HH and Mwiimbu want to make it look as if all Southerners are UPND when in fact not. The truth is that UPND in Southern Province victimise and brutalise any southerner that is not UPND. It is even much worse how they mistreat non-Southerners affiliated to other political parties in the Province. It is shameful,” Mr Mutaale said.
He said Mr Hichilema is not the messiah of Southern Province or anyone else as he claims.
“He is in fact a liability to Southern Province. Under his instructions, UPND Members of Parliament and councillors are shunning progressive engagements with key government officials including the Head of State, and frustrating government development efforts in Southern Province,” Mr Mutaale said.
He said the UPND has started inciting ethnic chaos by provoking the Presidential convoy.
“The reckless talk and provocative behaviour by Hon Jack Mwiimbu resulting in UPND cadres attempting to stone and embarrass the Head of State Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu on his recent visit to Monze District was very irresponsible, shameful and extremely disgusting. As a proud Tonga from Monze, I am with many other tribemates from Southern Province who are extremely disappointed by Hakainde Hichilema, Mwiimbu and UPND thuggery as it goes against the traditional values of Ba Tonga people who practise a culture of respect for elders and authority,” Mr Mutaale said.
“We shudder to think what would have happened had one from the hired mobs thrown a stone at the Presidential motorcade (like they did at BP filling Station in Monze last year).”
He said the UPND has a dangerous pattern of attempting to disrupt Presidential convoys.
“Zambians must be reminded that this is not happening for the first time. It is clear that the UPND leadership under HH have a very deliberate strategy calculated at inciting anarchy and igniting confusion by provoking the Presidential convoy and State Security whenever the Head of State goes on developmental tours in perceived UPND strongholds,” Mr Mutaale said. “It is the same thing that HH did in Mongu where he attempted to compete with the Presidential convoy and it is also the same thing he repeated in Kaoma and then Sesheke when he turned a blind eye to his cadres who put big rocks and boulders to block the road the Presidential convoy was using, thereby endangering the life of the Head of State and putting the entire nation at great risk in the process. The malicious irresponsibility of Hichilema, Mwiimbu and UPND is capable of plunging the whole nation into chaos. It must be condemned in the strongest terms.”