By Patson Chilemba
John Sangwa is not a presidential candidate to be challenging the candidature of Edgar Lungu, says deputy government chief whip Tutwa Ngulube.
And Ngulube was more forthright on saying that Monze UPND member of parliament Jack Mwiimbu as having overstayed his welcome in parliament, but with PF MP Given Lubinda, he simply said “we can only rely on his goodwill (on whether to contest or not)”, despite both being in their fourth terms as parliamentarians.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Ngulube said Sangwa was not a politician nor a presidential candidate to challenge the nomination of President Edgar Lungu. Sangwa has vowed to petition the President if he dare file in the nominations, saying the constitution bars him from standing as president having twice held office.
But Ngulube and those in the ruling party have continued to insist to the contrary.
“So just shows you how malicious the man is because John Sangwa State Counsel is a lawyer, he’s a private lawyer, he doesn’t own a political party, he’s not a presidential candidate, he’s never been a presidential candidate,” Ngulube said. “So in what capacity would he be challenging a presidential candidate when he’s not a presidential candidate himself?”
Reminded that Sangwa was a constitutional lawyer and a citizen at the same time, Ngulube said: “That doesn’t give you, you see first of all if I don’t sit for an exam I can’t challenge a presidential result understand? John Sangwa State Counsel went to court, in the CONCOURT three times over the presidential eligibility case, he was one of the lawyers, they lost.”
Ngulube argued that there was no new argument Sangwa was advancing.
“We know it’s all just about hatred and bitterness. Apart from just being a bitter man, Mr Sangwa has nothing new,” Ngulube said. “He has no new argument to advance in respect of the president being eligible. If you look at the constitution itself which describes the eligibility of the president it says a period of three years is not a term.”
Ngulube said the period 2015-2016 which President Lungu served as President did not amount to a full term, despite having been sworn in to come into office during that period. He said he would be shocked if the courts entertained Sangwa’s argument.
“So John Sangwa we are ready for him, you can tell actually that we are ready for him. We will meet him in court. We have already met him several times and we will meet him in court,” Ngulube said. “I will be very shocked if the court will even entertain that argument because as far as we are concerned that is not even a matter worth taking to court, just a time wasting event, which people want to actually bring about as a way of diverting the president’s attention from real issues.”
On Sangwa’s argument that that President Lungu has twice held office, and therefore going for the presidency again would amount to a third term, Ngulube said that was tantamount to reading the constitution in piecemeal, saying one could not be said to have held office without serving for three years.
Asked why a clause was included then in the failed bill 10 stipulating that one’s nomination could not be challenged, Ngulube said the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) pushed for that inclusion, and not the President.
“It is the Electoral Commission who were saying, you see you challenge a nomination you take ECZ to court, again you vote, after voting again you lose, again you challenge ECZ in court, they were saying can we clean up that?” he said.
And Ngulube accused Mwiimbu of having overstayed in Parliament.
“Jack Mwiimbu has 20 years in parliament,” Ngulube said.
“Like Mr Lubinda,” the author chipping in.
Ngulube backed ruling PF deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri’s who called for those who had served more than three terms as members of parliament to step aside and leave room for young people, the women and the disabled.
“You can imagine if you were born when honourable Jack Mwiimbu was a member of parliament, when he was going to parliament for the first time, you were born the same day, you would have finished your school, done your primary school, secondary education and you have finished your university degree, he’s still a member of parliament,” Ngulube said. “So when will you be MP yourself? So it’s only fair and logical that these members of parliament who have overstayed, these MPs that have overstayed should actually hand over to young people and women. Because we can’t just have one MP, 40 years in parliament as if it is his father’s garden, no.”
Asked if PF was going to set an example by ensuring that the people who had overstayed were not adopted, Ngulube argued that the PF set an example by supporting bill 10, getting back to Mwiimbu again as wanting to serve until he dies.
“Jack Mwiimbu has served the same terms as Lubinda,” the author reminded Ngulube.
“Jack Mwiimbu went earlier that honourable Lubinda,” Ngulube retorted, although that is not true. “But for honourable Lubinda you have heard him several times saying he is ready to relinquish his position to young people. He has no problem with more women and more (youths). So the difference between honourable Lubinda and honourable Jack Mwiimbu is that while one is actually sober the other one is power hungry.”
Ngulube was also asked if people like Lubinda would act on what he claims their support for youths and women by not contesting.
“No it’s not a question of acting. It’s not about acting or not contesting, me I have only done one term. I can do another term,” Ngulube said, with the author responding: “I am saying him (Lubinda). I am not talking about you, I am talking about himself, Mr Lubinda since he advocated.”
Ngulube asked this journalist to get the answer from Lubinda himself, saying he could not speak on his behalf.
“So that’s why I am saying for honourable Lubinda the only difference is that it’s him, he has to make his own decision. We can’t speak for him, we can’t force him. We can only rely on his goodwill. Yah,” said Ngulube.