HOW EMMANUEL MWAMBA EXPOSED AND EMBARRASSED EDGAR AND ESTHER LUNGU YESTERDAY
By Shalala Oliver Sepiso
When the police showed up at ECL’s house in Ibex Hill in the morning yesterday, PF propagandists like Emmanuel Mwamba and Chilufya Tayali didn’t waste time in blaming HH and the UPND for what they called a siege and “prosecution”.
They first tried to confuse and misinform the people that it was Edgar being targeted. Then lawyer Makebi Zulu explained that it was a search for cars belonging to Esther Lungu underway. Debunked!
They then changed to suggesting that investigations involving the house where Edgar Lungu lives amount to prosecution, which the former president is immune to. But the public was quick to dispel this showing that investigations differ from prosecution. “If being searched is part of prosecution, does that mean we get prosecuted at road blocks?,” someone queried.
When Mwamba saw that this was failing, he decided to make Esther and Lungu look like victims. He told the whole world that the complainant in the case was Edgar Lungu’s niece. For the first time, people realised it wasn’t HH directing police. This was a family matter after all. It was also not a civil matter but a criminal matter because there was a case of theft of motor vehicles involved.
Later, with clear permission from his bosses, Emmanuel Mwamba revealed that the first lady had lent out USD 400,000 “for safe keeping”. Eish “elo lwanya!,” observers cried. How did someone with no traceable work history or business history have USD 400,000 to give a niece of the husband to keep? How many nieces were given money to keep? How much is out there? How much was or is being kept at her home which they didn’t want searched?
Mwamba’s loose statements yesterday, in trying to be the one breaking news, undid all the propaganda PF had made up to afternoon. They had brought cadres in hordes (who were sit cooking chimpapila), insulted the police (through Kampyongo and his “I was your minister” rants) so the police can come out brutal in outlook and accused President Hakainde Hichilema as being behind the operation. The police were clearly one of the winners of the day as they handled the matter professionally. For the first time we saw that Zambian police can be tolerant under extreme provocation and can get the job done. They got what they came for.
Eventually, even BBC realised that the propaganda was amiss. It mentioned that the police visit to ECL’s residence was about cars dubiously acquired and not political persecution. “Edgar Lungu’s lawyer told local media that the search follows a complaint against the former first lady, Esther Lungu, over her suspicious ownership of three motor vehicles,” BBC reported.
Though the Daily Nation of this morning tried to make it sound like there was siege on the Esther Lungu’s house by police, when movements in and out were actually freely done, the Times of Zambia has reported the matter better. Mwamba spilled the beans. And he has embarrassed Esther Lungu. And Edgar Lungu.
