LUNGU HAS FEELINGS….State House invite meant to embarrass him – Dr. Chishimba Kambwili
Lusaka, Wednesday, January 4, 2023 ( The Mast )
Today if you go in the town ships and say the government has worked, they have recruited 30,000 teachers, they will insult you and tell you ‘we are suffering’, says PF central committee member Chishimba Kambwili.
And Kambwili argues that former president Edgar Lungu was invited to a State House luncheon to commemorate the removal of the death penalty to be embarrassed.
“Yes President HH extended an invitation to former president Edgar Lungu but put yourself in Edgar Lungu’s shoes. Sitting there at State House, having been invited then somebody says ‘I was on the death row!” Kambwili said.
Featuring on CAMNET TV’s national watch programme on Monday, Kambwili said decisions that don’t translate in improving living standards could never be appreciated by the people.
“Our politics are not genuine because surely you can tell peo ple openly at a public meeting, through a Facebook posting, through Twitter that when I become president, I will reduce the cost of mealie meal to K50. When you become President, the cost of mealie meal moves from K135 to K180 and you are comfortable,” Kambwili, a PF presidential aspirant, noted.
“You can tell people that when I get into government the cost of fuel will reduce to K12 per litre from K17. [But] you increase it to K28 and you are comfortable. You cannot even go to the peo ple and say ‘look I am sorry, probably the way I looked at things in opposition is different from when you are in government’.”
Kambwili insisted that if somebody in public office tells a lie and it is proven that it is a lie, “they must resign on moral grounds”.
“Then our politics will be regarded as mature politics. At the moment people are not ready to take responsibility for telling lies in public office. That is why they can sing the song of corruption. When they get into government, you tell them there is corruption in your government; they say ‘give us evidence,” he said.
Kambwili said President Hakainde Hichilema was preoccupied on matters that could not provide food for the people. “The problem that we have in Zambian politics, and I would blame this on the Zambian people, the Zambian people sometimes accept rhetoric. Sometimes, even if something is affecting them negatively, as long as they are members of that political party, they will stand on an anthill and defend,” he noted.
“My brother made so many promises, which promises have not been fulfilled. Now you find that they move to trivial issues and say ‘these are the promises that have been fulfilled’. But I want to tell those in government that the people of Zambia will only appreciate that you have fulfilled your promises if whatever policy you make, whatever decision you make, whatever action you take translates in their better living standards. In people having three meals a day, in people having enough money to look after their families.”
Kambwili said it was not enough to amend laws but to ensure people’s wellbeing is improved. “They must be able to afford basic requirements of life but if you continue saying we have fulfilled our promises, we have removed defamation of the President law, we have removed the death penalty, we have recruited 30,000 teachers… Yes, good for the 30,000 teachers who have been recruited, good for the children who will be taught by the teachers but does that translate into improving the wellbeing of the people? It is an obligation for the government but what we see in this country when people do this, they want to go on an anthill and sing that they have done this,” he said.
“Now as long their actions and decisions they take does not translate into better living standards you are a failed politician. There are more other issues and decisions and policies that we should make to better the livings standards of the people. If you are making decisions but they don’t translate in improving living standards, then those decisions will not be appreciated by the people. Today if you go in the townships and say the government has worked, they have recruited 30,000 teachers, they will insult you and tell you ‘we are suffering’. I don’t know whether those in government do traverse these high density areas to see how the people are suffering.”
Kambwili said he always texts “President HH and give him my views”. “For instance, on the establishment of AFRICOM. I told him ‘this is not right’. He does respond but more often than not, he will not take your advice. He will insist on his own line of thought. And I do tell him, ‘you are the President, I am only offering advice’. But that said I will not stop because it is about the Zambian people,” he said.
And Kambwili said President Hichilema wants to embarrass Lungu. “Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu has got feelings. He is a human being just like you and I. We should stop creating an impression to the world for which we are not. Yes, President HH extended an invitation to former president Edgar Lungu but put yourself in Edgar Lungu’s shoes. Sitting there at State House, having been invited then somebody says I was on the death row. There has never been death row. To be on death row, you ought to have been convicted for a capital offence and sentenced to death,” said Kambwili.
“And if you want to invite somebody don’t go to the press first. Why not lift a phone and say ‘my dear brother presi dent Edgar Lungu, we are having this function and I feel as surviving [former] president, you need to be there. It is just keeping up appearances. That is what we should stop in this country if we are genuine. President Lungu knows more often than not functions he is invited to. There are certain narratives and sentiments that are spoken against him. And as a human being obviously he will not honour those invitations until they sit together and iron out the problems and be genuine. But to call your friend merely to embarrass him is not good.”