By Oliver Chisenga
THE last 100 days have given birth of a renewed hope for a Zambia that was ruined by a decade of savage PF leadership that represented everything that is detestable under the sun, says Gregory Chifire.
He says it is inescapable that former president Edgar Lungu faces justice because he was the “face of the evil that characterised his regime”.
In a statement to analyse President Hakainde Hichilema’s first 100 days in office, Chifire said the President and the UPND Alliance government had demonstrated political will to unite the country that was divided on ethnic and political lines.
He said the UPND administration had
restored human rights and dignity, the fight corruption and blatant theft of public money, and ended political patronage and caderism that had become endemic and cancerous.
Chifire, the Southern Africa Network against Corruption (SANAC) executive director said Lungu was a “humble thug” who had no respect for human dignity or decency, and that the last 100 days had clearly exposed the sharp contrast between him and his successor.
“Only God knows where Zambia could have been had Lungu continued with his goons in bus stations, markets and other public institutions. Zambia had really sunk to the lowest. Lungu allowed dagga smoking thugs in bus stops and markets to harass our mothers and sisters. He was the de facto commander of all the thugs that christened themselves with military titles of commanders and commandos. What a disgrace, what mediocrity,” Chifire said.
He thanked God that today Zambians are able to sleep peacefully because there was no one to barge into their homesteads or private properties to harass them.
Chifire noted that Zambians can send their children to school without being anxious about their safety.
He said Zambians were now waiting to see that Lungu and his “bunch of thugs” face justice.
“Many of our people suffered injustice that was authorised, sponsored, funded, supervised and rewarded by Lungu himself. It is thus in order that he faces the law. This would set a very good example for present and future leaders,” he said.
Chifire stressed that it is inescapable for Lungu to face justice because he was the “face of the evil that characterised his regime”.
“Name it, the extrajudicial killings, police brutality, savage conduct of cadres, supplying of rotten drugs, theft of public money, corruption, mukula deals, everything stops at Lungu. He has a baggage. When these start coming out, he is going to hate the day he became president,” said Chifire