Mangani cannot be trusted, he misled Rupiah – Andrew

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Mangani cannot be trusted, he misled Rupiah – Andrew

By Christopher Miti

ANDREW Banda says former home affairs minister Lameck Mangani cannot be trusted because he misled Rupiah Banda during his reign as president.


But Mangani says Andrew’s utterances on him are always motivated by anger.
On Saturday, Mangani addressed a press briefing in Lusaka where he commented on several current issues like the matter surrounding suspended Director of Public Prosecutions Lillian Siyunyi and President Hakainde Hichilema not having good advisors.


Mangani said if President Hichilema was in talking terms with Edgar Lungu, the former head of state would confess that people misled him on DPP adding that the people who misled him are far from being fair.


Lungu hounded Mutembo Nchito from office and replaced him with Siyunyi.
Addressing journalists on Monday, Andrew said if Mangani was saying the right things Zambians would not have voted for President Hichilema.


“Sometimes you laugh. Who misled late president Banda? He (Mangani) was one of them! He was telling president Banda that ‘atsogoleri vinthu vilibwino ku Eastern Province (Mr president, things are okay in Eastern Province) what happened in 2011? I was in Italy that time. I advised, I was a civil servant that time and I said ‘atata, kwatukuya kutsogolo uku (father, where we are going) if you continue in this manner, you will not win the next election’. You media people you know this story,” he said.


On Mangani’s advice that President Hichilema should revisit the team of advisors, Andrew said it was the prerogative of the President and not Mangani Phiri.


He said Mangani was a hypocrite and cannot be trusted.
Andrew said Mangani was sponsored to hold a press briefing and say what he said.
“For Mangani and his sponsors, you know Mangani is sponsored. No doubt about it. Please record that, ukamuona Mangani alimbikila nkhani teti, uzibiletu kuli kang’ono (if you see Mangani talking about issues, just know that there is something). There is a sponsor somewhere who is saying ‘you do this at a cost’ as long as it is not Mangani and his friends others are not easterners. It must be just them that must be in leadership. The question of tribalism does not arise because HH has appointed a lot of easterners in leadership. There is the provincial minister PPS, ACC director general Gilbert Phiri, Reuben Mtolo, Paul Thole, Noel Nkhoma and many others,” he said.


Andrew also addressed matters relating to the Luangwa council chairperson by-election where he said the ruling party gained despite the loss.


He also assured the people of Eastern Province that the government would work on the Chipata/Vubwi, Chipata/Chadiza and Chipata/Lundazi roads


Andrew said the UPND government has achieved a lot in its one year in office and would continue working hard to improve the lives of the people.


He also said there are no divisions in the UPND in Eastern Province.
Andrew said insinuations that the party was divided were peddled by enemies who are sowing a seed of discontent in the party so that it is seen to be divided.


“We are as united as we were before elections. There is no disunity in our party. We are as united as we have been for the last 23 years. Whoever is speculating, is an enemy of ourselves. Is somebody who is not wishing us well but unfortunately, they will have to live with the UPND for a long long time,” said Andrew.


But Mangani said Andrew has always been personal when it comes to issues to do with him because of the differences in opinion that he had with former president Banda.
“I have always been hesitant to comment on Andrew’s issues because they are always motivated by anger. This anger is coming from the fact that politically his father who was the president of Zambia at one stage and myself had differences in opinion on matters regarding governance. And since then he has taken it personal to attack me in whatever move I make because he feels hurt that through that difference, I must have betrayed his father,” he said.


Mangani said Andrew’s position is to take him on based on what he perceived as a difference between him at the late Banda.
“Andrew’s position is to take me on based on what he perceived to be a difference between me and his late father which in my view we discussed and resolved on family matters but governance issues should be separated from family issues,” he said. “The other part is that I am a Zambian and President Hakainde Hichilema is not merely a president of a political party, he is President of the republic of Zambia. Every citizen of Zambia has a right to advise the President. He was not voted just by UPND but he was voted by all Zambians. That’s why he had all those numbers.”


Mangani said the 49.5 per cent voted that President Hichilema got in Eastern Province does not only represent the UPND and its leadership only.


“So Mr Banda’s motivation to answer me is purely out of emotion but UPND as a party and the President should reflect on what I said. If the President has decided to ignore those sentiments I said, its up to him!” said Mangani. “The President is at liberty to take my advice and ignore it altogether. But if we try to ignore the feelings of most of the people on the ground, we risk a lot of things in terms of governance. In short, I would say, I would not want to talk so much because that was an emotional statement. Some of the differences I had with his father he may not even understand. He may not even understand why I resigned and the type of engagement I had with his late father. I do not want to bring up those issues because Mr Banda is dead. I will be unfair to him.”

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