MUMBI PHIRI SHOULD BLAME HER LOUD MOUTH AND NOT PRESIDENT HICHILEMA FOR HER 429 DAYS IN PRISON
April 24th, 2023
LUSAKA – Watching former PF deputy Secretary General Josephine Mumbi Phiri on the COSTA program on Diamond TV gave me the impression that what our mother needs more is Professional Mental Counselling and Management than media appearances.
Ms Phiri who spent 429 and a quarter days in a Mongu correctional facility on a charge of murder until the state entered a Nolle Prosequi seemed more bitter than she wanted the whole world to believe.
In the first place, it is common knowledge that Madam Phiri said more than she was supposed to during an interview with Kalani Muchima immediately after the shooting and killing of Lawrence Banda in Kaoma in 2019 leading to her incriminating herself in the matter and subsequent arrest.
We wonder how and where she decided to get the audacity to blame Republican President Hakainde Hichilema for her incarceration when ( in the words of Costa Mwansa) she opened her mouth louder than she should have. How then does she say the Head of State was playing a vengeance card on her.
If President Hakainde Hichilema wanted to play a vengeance card, We wonder how many PF leaders and members would have been in prison as we write this statement down today looking at the amount of atrocities committed under Madam Phiri’s watch when she served as the 4th most senior PF official in the country.
It was during her reign as PF Deputy Secretary General that several people were arrested, persecuted ad others killed without any recourse. Why wasn’t the Lawrence Banda murder case resolved between 2019 and 2023. What were the limiting factors. Where was Mumbi Phiri who claimed so loudly that she is the voice of the voiceless when a young Mrs Glazer Matapa and children had their bread winner slain by PF members? Where was she when a cold hand of the police under their watch led to the deaths of Chibulo Mapenzi and Vespers Shimuzhila, Joseph Kaunda and Nsama Nsama. Did the country ever see or hear Mama Phiri call on the living God when Zambians were being gassed while more than 50 people died under mob justices on allegations of being behind the gassing. Did she rise to speak up for the voiceless that suffered during that period. Young Frank Mugala was killed right at the gate of his school by a police bullet. Did Amai Phiri say any prayers for the family or there was no need to do so because it benefitted her and the regime?
The whole wide world watched Mutinta Hichilema cry while looking for her husband whose whereabouts she was not sure of. Did Madam Phiri hold her hand in sympathy or she stood on the mountain top to rebuke her while clapping triumphantly.
Today she wants to cry lion,lion accusing President Hakainde Hichilema of engineering her 429 days in prison when we all know that it was her loud mouth that got her in trouble in the first place. President Hichilema has showed statesmanship by restraining his agitated members from revenging against PF leaders and members for the atrocities committed against any member of society seen wearing anything red ( including a Manchester United football jersey) Let me ask Madam Phiri to imagine, difficult as it might be for her, but we shall ask her to do so. Just imagine if President Hakainde Hichilema had turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the feelings of his members and allowed for a ‘ friendly match’ even just for two days, how much damage would have been caused to this nation including herself as the 4th senior most official of the PF? Our advise to Madam Phiri is to keep quiet and not talk about vengeance because Zambians and President Hichilema could have forgiven but not forgotten. Let the sleeping dogs lie Amai.
She also claimed during the same programme that the killers of Lawrence Banda are out in the streets free and enjoying life. Maybe we ask the police to revisit the case and find out who are those killers that are moving freely on the streets. She seems to know more than the police do and maybe the courts have convicted a wrong person in Shebby Chilekwa. Maybe we should remind her that she is out on a Nolle Prosequi and not outright discharge or acquittal. We don’t need to explain what that means. Maybe we should request the police to check on her loud self incriminating mouth again. She says President Hakainde Hichilema is not being truthful about his 127 days in prison. Why should the nation believe her and not Mr Hichilema when all she did in the 10 years of PF rule was to lie?
We wish to advise the women movement such as NGOCC and ZWLG, the Church and family to offer her professional counselling services before she finds herself at crossroads with the law again. There is a family that is still grieving because it lost a son, brother, husband, father and bread winner to the cold arm of death orchestrated by her party.
The advise to her is to leave President Hakainde Hichilema out of her misfortune but instead concentrate on her healing process and avoid any media or public appearances as it is not doing her any good. Healing is a process and we advice her to concentrate on her marriage and family as she had promised the nation immediately after the humbling and humiliating August 12th, 2021 election loss. A loss can be difficult to handle at time.
Zambians have forgiven but not forgotten the many atrocities of the PF regime and the fact that they are enjoying their freedoms of expressions and speech as provided for under the new dawn administration should not make them think that they are the only ones that worship a living God.
Tondolo musuma bamayo Amai Josephine Mumbi Phiri.
CHEELO KATAMBO
Deputy Media Director – UPND