IT’S FOOLISHNESS TO SAY I’M NOT ZAMBIAN – ‘SCOTTISH MAN’ GIVEN  LUBINDA

IT’S FOOLISHNESS TO SAY I’M NOT ZAMBIAN – LUBINDA

IT’S so shocking that a person can come and start challenging my citizenship; ni nzelu kupelebela, ni uchisilu (it’s foolishness), charges Given Lubinda.

The PF faction acting president also says whatever is happening to the party is the work of the devil, who does not want light to return to Zambia.

And Lubinda claims that the PF lost the 2021 elections because it was led by an “ignorant fellow” who did not know the party’s constitution, in apparent reference to former Secretary General Davies Mwila.

Meanwhile, Lubinda says the nation will soon be informed of the measures taken against Brian Mundubile for allegedly creating parallel structures.

Speaking on KBN’s Big Debate programme, Wednesday, Lubinda was asked about the various battles facing the party, including its recent expulsion from the Tonse Alliance.

In response, Lubinda insisted that the party was only fighting the devil and confirmed that he remained the Tonse Chairperson.

“We are only fighting one battle, we are fighting the devil. All this, what is happening to the Patriotic Front is the work of the devil, and the devil is so strong that he doesn’t want light to come back into Zambia. We are not fighting individuals, no. We in the Patriotic Front do not have sufficient interest in fighting battles with individuals, so I cannot even refer to names here. I’ll deal with the principles of the matter. When it was announced that the Patriotic Front had been expelled from Tonse, I’m sure your viewers noticed that we did not respond, we remained mute. We then convened a Tonse council of leaders meeting, which I chaired as Chairman of Tonse on the strength of the constitution of Tonse, which provides that the Patriotic Front shall be the anchor party of the alliance,” he said.

“It provides that the president of PF shall be the chairman of Tonse. This is fortified by the fact that when my position as acting chairman was challenged in March last year, president Edgar Chagwa Lungu, in his hospital bed, realised it was unacceptable that I was being ridiculed. He posted on his Facebook page that I left an acting president of the Patriotic Front, and that acting president is the acting chairman of Tonse. He went further to issue a story to one of the popular newspapers in Zambia, and that story was read by everybody. So fortified by that position, I chaired a meeting of the council of leaders”.

Lubinda argued that removing the PF as the anchor party amounted to a “coup”.

“If you are the anchor party and you have 50% membership to the council of leaders and that 50% is not in that meeting, and the Chairman of that Council of Leaders is not in that meeting, and somebody comes and says I have removed the anchor party and I have removed the party that is supposed to provide the chairman, what is that? Isn’t that a coup? So when you ask the question, ‘am I chairman of Tonse?’ Yes, I’m Chairman of Tonse and after the elections in Kasama, the PF and the Tonse will make their announcement on that meeting that was held by our friends,” he said.

Regarding those questioning his power to hire and fire within the party, Lubinda, in apparent reference to Mwila, remarked that the act of going on TV to claim the acting president had no such powers made him realise why the party lost the 2021 elections.

“Those who are saying I have no power [to fire], I heard some man, a person who held a very senior position in the party coming on television saying, ‘he has no power! He has no power!’ Then I started to realise this is why we lost elections in 2021, we were being led by a person who doesn’t even know what is contained in the constitution that he was supposed to have been using to run the party. What a shame! It’s really a shame, I feel sad that I was part and parcel of the team that was being led by such an ignorant fellow. The constitution is clear, if you read Article 61(j), it will explain to you that the president has such power,” he said.

Lubinda added that questioning his nationality to discredit him was “foolishness”. Last month, Mwila said Lubinda was a white man and could not be President of Zambia.

“Now they bring in [issues] saying, ‘he’s white, he’s not Zambian,’ ati nzelu kupelebela bati. What does the constitution say about being a Member of Parliament? Why didn’t they petition my election in 2001, 2006, 2011 [and] 2016? Does the Zambian constitution allow that a foreigner can be a Cabinet Minister? Ni nzelu kupelebela, ni uchibupa, uchisilu, that’s what it is. I’m sorry for using this language, but it’s so shocking that a person can come and start challenging my citizenship,” he said.

When reminded that it was his party members saying that, Lubinda said it would have been forgivable if it came from less informed people.

He said he was a bona fide and proud citizen who is actually a headman.

“And that’s why I’m saying ni uchisuli (it’s foolishness), had it been less informed people, I would have said forgive them for they do not know, but these ones know. Article 100 explains who qualifies to be a president and the constitution itself provides for who is a citizen, the constitution provides. If you read the constitution, it will tell you who is a citizen of Zambia and that is at Article 33. It talks about the categories of citizens. Article 35: a person born in Zambia is a citizen by birth if, at the date of that person’s birth, at least one parent of that person is or was a citizen. And some fellow comes here and says his father is not Zambian so he’s not a citizen, ah ah, muziba chizungu? (Do you know English?) The constitution says if at least one of his parents is a citizen, and they go and start saying, ‘do you know his village?’ Today in Zambia you are even talking about villages? How silly!” Lubinda responded.

“I’m a bona fide and proud citizen of Zambia. I’m actually a headman and my children are actually heirs to the throne of Chief Mushota, where this man who went on television challenging my citizenship is actually a subject. He’s a subject of my children, ask him, he comes from Chief Mushota and he knows that my children, my blood, are the heirs to the throne of Chief Mushota”.

Asked if Mwila was aware of that, Lubinda refused to mention Mwila’s name, adding he did not care about the identity of the person who accused him.

He revealed that the matter was reported to the police by some people who were upset about the racial remarks and he was hoping the police would take action.

“I don’t know who you are talking about, I’m talking about the fellow who came on television. I don’t care who it is but I’m just telling you, I don’t want to mention names. So the truth of the matter is yes, I’m a bona fide citizen and yes, I qualify to hold any office in the land from the lowest to the highest and nobody can challenge me on that. And I would also like to just tell members of the Patriotic Front that this is very cheap politicking, demeaning propaganda, and I would like to ask those who are campaigning, please campaign on facts. Let’s have focused campaigns, let’s have campaigns of sincerity and truth,” he added.

“Demeaning one another is terrible and you know those remarks are actually racial remarks. I heard that some people who were upset by this matter have reported it to the police. This matter has been reported to the police and I’m hoping that the police will do what they are supposed to do”.

Meanwhile, on suggestions that every party presidential aspirant was creating factions, Lubinda said it was not true as there was only one case which was subject to disciplinary measures.

“Talking about factions, I have not heard that Makebi Zulu has a team in Lusaka Province that is calling itself the ‘Makebi Zulu team’, MZ8. I don’t think you have heard of people calling themselves GL8, Monde 8, GM8, Kambwili 8, Miles Sampa 8, no. So it is not correct and I don’t think it will be fair for me to sit here and not clarify when you say every presidential candidate has a faction, because I’m not aware of any such thing. I have seen on social media, I have read on social media some people talking about one particular person saying this person is an institution unto themselves and that this person is recruiting 72 members in every province at provincial level, and these 72 members are members of that person’s campaign team,” he said.

“72 members at district level, some people have raised an eyebrow and have said this is dangerous. It was brought to my attention as president and my immediate reaction was, ‘read the constitution.’ I have power according to the constitution to take disciplinary action against any erring member. However, that will only be when I see it fit. If it is others who see that somebody has breached the provision of the constitution, they go to the Secretary General and the Secretary General generates disciplinary measures. So to be fair to the majority of those who have expressed interest, I have not heard of anyone creating factions except the one case which I won’t want to delve into because that is already a matter which is subject to disciplinary measures”.

Further, Lubinda said the due process of the constitution was in effect regarding the matter and the measures that would be taken against the person.

“And I don’t think it will be fair for me to be talking about one individual on a television like this without giving them an opportunity to come and defend themselves on this same television programme. All I can say is that the due process of the constitution is taking effect and soon, very soon, the country will be informed about the measures that are being taken against the person who is alleged to be creating parallel structures and is therefore one who can qualify to be said to be creating a faction,” said Lubinda.

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