LARSON Mutembu, a preacher, has described President Edgar Lungu’s tenure as a disaster.
In a recorded video he sent to The Mast, Mutembu passionately outlines injustices that have occurred under President Lungu’s leadership.
Mutembu asked President Lungu not to even dream of standing in 2021 elections, stressing that “your time is up. So, take it from some of us elder citizens in the communities, in the society, your time is gone. Don’t listen to those who are telling you that you are anointed, that you still have got the mandate to be able to rule Zambia. Yes, you can rule under dictatorship like you have been doing, but your end will be bad.”
The 14-minute video is titled: ‘An appeal to the Government of Zambia through the Minister of Communication, the Independent Broadcasting Authority & the President to reopen Prime TV which they had closed politically & also an appeal for political violence, tribalism talk & corruption to end’.
“I’m also appealing to you Mr President. You see, when things go wrong in a country, we first have to blame the President. And let me speak this again and again, that your presidency has been a disaster in many ways. You’ve done some good things and we thank you for that. But your presidency, overall, has been a disaster,” he said.
“I told you that we are praying for you to finish well. But it seems your government, your leadership has failed people’s expectations. So, right now, show leadership and make sure that Prime TV is reopened. Show leadership and see to it that the issue of political violence is abolished, is finished. [First republican president Kenneth Kaunda] KK united us, for 27 years he united us. But you have destroyed what KK built, you have destroyed what the other presidents had built.”
Mutembu called on President Lungu to wake up and show leadership.
“It is time for you to say no to tribalism, it is time for you to say no to corruption, it is time for you to say no to injustice of what KK would call [discrimination of] man by man. The injustice of closing Prime TV for no reason! Closing other Zambian institutions for no reason, just because of political hatred,” Mutembu said. “Mr President, time has come for you to put your foot down. Time has come for you even to say no to some of the things people like [PF deputy national mobilisation chairperson Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba] GBM are saying. GBM, you are divisive. And we speak to you to stop what you are doing. Otherwise, you will reap what you are sowing in the country.”
He lashed out at information minister Dora Siliya and IBA for being instrumental in closing Prime Television.
IBA cancelled the broadcasting licence for the Lusaka-based private TV station, claiming that the action was done in public interest.
“…And you guys on the Independent Broadcasting Authority, you have no morals to be able to close Prime TV. If what Prime TV did was wrong, take them to court and let the courts be able to deal with them. Let me appeal to you Dora Siliya, what you did was immoral; it was evil, it was unchristian,” Muntembu said. “It is very strange that a nation that is claiming to be a Christian nation, people that are claiming to see the…they are doing evil things while they’re trying to hate others, other people’s interests. You closed The Post newspaper, and now you have closed Prime TV for a reason that is not even justifiable. Shame on you!”
He dismissed President Lungu and his team’s claim of being Christians when their actions were devilish.
Mutembu warned President Lungu that if elections were to be held this year he would lose.
“And you claim you are Christians. You claim that Zambia is a Christian nation. Don’t use the phrase of Zambia or the term ‘Zambia as a Christian nation’. We know what is right, we know what a Christian nation is supposed to do,” Mutembu said. “And let me tell you Mr president, if elections were held today, true and fair elections without intimidation, you would never go through. So, my appeal to you, do what is right. Don’t even dream to go and stand in 2021, your time is up. Do things right and leave at least on a good note. In 2018, I went around the country. And I knew that if elections were held then, free and fair elections; not the kind of elections that we saw in 2016, you would have lost. And if elections were to be held today, true and fair elections without political cadres, without the police being political cadres intimidating the citizens, you would not go through.”
He told President Lungu to stop listening to soothsayers, but face reality.
“So, take it from some of us elder citizens in the communities, in the society, your time is gone. Don’t listen to those who are telling you that you are anointed, that you still have got the mandate to be able to rule Zambia. Yes, you can rule under dictatorship like you have been doing, but your end will be bad. If you want to finish on a good note, do what is right; don’t intimidate the opposition,” he said.
And Mutembu warned PF-aligned pastors against misleading President.
“Let me speak to you, some of you fellow Zambian preachers; you have been a disgrace to the kingdom of God. You have seen injustice; you have seen oppression of man by man, as KK used to say. And you have been quiet. May be because you have been given what is known as brown envelopes,” said Mutembu. “But I know that some of you, you are just afraid, you don’t want to say anything lest the PF cadres come and pounce on you. I understand that and I urge you; speak to these politicians. Don’t fear them. Speak to them, speak to the President; don’t fear him. He’s gonna be out of the presidency very soon. Even if he manipulates himself and tries to rule against the law, time will come when he will not rule again. And he will be accountable, the law will take its course.”
He ended the recording with a prayer, that God should break the evil spirit that was controlling rational people in PF who should speak for others.