EDWARD Mumbi says he has no time to drag Joe Mwale to court.
Mumbi is opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) president Chishimba Kambwili’s spokesperson.
Mwale is a UPND member.
“I have absolutely no time to even think of consulting a lawyer over Joe Mwale. No!” Mumbi said in an interview.
“My legal team is not worth a person of Mr Joe Mwale’s standing. I just encouraged Chitimukulu, as my paramount chief, to sue him (Mwale).”
In The Mast on Saturday, Mwale cautioned Kambwili to trust ‘two-faced’ Mumbi at his own risk.
Mwale is also eagerly waiting for a suit from Mumbi, pertaining to his (Mwale’s) remarks against Chitimukulu, paramount chief of the Bemba people.
But Mumbi, on Saturday evening, indicated that “I have no time to sue Joe Mwale.”
“I would want to respect Mr Joe Mwale and so, he should not be a pathological liar because there is nothing that he is gaining,” Mumbi said. “As regards supporting chief Chitimukulu, that’s my paramount chief. Even if there is something, I have access to paramount chief Chitimukulu…”
He underscored that Mwale could not “alienate me from my own paramount chief.”
“Yes, I truly supported chief Chitimukulu when Joe Mwale insulted him and I even raised money to support the intentions of the Chitimukulu to sue Joe Mwale. [But] it’s not for me to sue him,” Mumbi explained.
Mumbi, a former PF secretary general, further reminded Mwale not to continue associating him to the PF.
“I resigned from there as secretary general! Even the people that are in PF today, they all found me in PF. So, if I went back to PF, I’ll go back as who?” Mumbi asked. “I have been a decent politician! When somebody does something that is good for the people, they deserve a pat on their back. I’m not a politician that insults. He is worried that Chishimba Kambwili is now building a stronger force.”
He said politics in Zambia had become scientific and that Mwale was not in the class of scientific politics.
“It’s unfortunate that some of the people that surround HH (Hakainde Hichilema), like Joe Mwale, make him lose elections. They are not worth the Zambian politics,” Mumbi said.
He also charged that, “If Mr Mwale doubts my financial muscle, I can employ him without any problems.”
On his part, Mwale said Mumbi should have respect.
“I have told him that I didn’t join the UPND to beg for money. I’m self-made! He cannot continue portraying a picture of me being a beggar. Can he produce a list of people I beg money from?” Mwale demanded. “It’s a taboo for me to beg for money from anyone, even my own children. I don’t beg! During the 2015 presidential election, I offered my 26-seater minibus for HH’s campaigns in Eastern Province. I have continued making contributions to my party, the UPND. Can a beggar manage to do all that?”
He reiterated that, “the question I have for him is why doesn’t he take me to court, like he was encouraging Chitimukulu? I’m ready for him.”