NOBODY MUSTSCARE LUNGU…he can help country by pointing out shortcomings of UPND – Changala
By Fanny Kalonda
BREBNER Changala says UPND gets jittery whenever former president Edgar Lungu comes out because they are failing to perform as per their campaign.
“Lungu can help the country more by pointing out the shortcomings of the new dawn administration. He will help us more because he has been there and nobody must scare him out. Nobody must stop him,” he says. “…allow him to enjoy the full benefit of his constitutional rights as enshrined in the Bill of Rights. He didn’t lose that in August 2021, no. They are still there, they are his rights. What he lost was the seat of presidency, not anything else.”
Changala, a good governance activist, says Lungu is the most abused president both while as head of state and now that he has lost power.
He told The Mast yesterday that the ruling UPND is scared of Lungu appearing on the ballot because he has a huge following and “politically of a huge substance that is why they get jittery whenever he comes out”.
“Why should you fear a person who is harmless? He has no state power. What he has is his constitutional right, the right to freedom, free speech, the right to assemble, associate,” he said. “I am extremely worried, this is a man who does not day-in day-out act political or do politics. He does it once in a while, he walks out as a former president and makes a comment. A comment according to his personal judgment.”
Changala said the UPND is scared that the former president “will mobilise and try to contest for presidency, that is why they are gittery about whatever he says”.
He said Lungu must be allowed to enjoy the full benefit of his constitutional rights as enshrined in the Bill of Rights, which he did not lose on August 12, 2021.
“Mr Lungu will stay away one month, two months, three months and we forget we have a former president. But the day he comes out, there is this creeping feeling that when he comes out he must say nothing and he must not interact with anybody. He has lost a voice, he has lost the right to associate, the right to assemble, the right to communicate and the right to influence the status of our governance. That is misplaced,” Changala noted. “Mr Lungu is the most abused president both while as head of state and it is becoming clear that he is going to be abused while he is out.”
He added that whether “UPND like it or not, the former president is a Zambian citizen who must enjoy all the country’s rights, freedoms and liberties”.
“I want to place it on record whether the UPND, the UPND surrogates, the praise singers or indeed the citizens who might have any issues with former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu to understand the very fact that one Mr Lungu was once the president of the Republic of Zambia, and whether we like it or not, Mr Lungu still remains a citizen of the Republic of Zambia. A citizen who must enjoy all the rights, freedoms and liberties that accrue to any citizen of the Republic of Zambia,” Changala said. “Mr lungu is no longer president but he remains a citizen, with a stake in our governance system whether we like it or not. Mr Lungu is a gentleman who has many times disappeared from the Zambian social and political stride. He stays away, he rarely appears in public and he rarely speaks.”
He stressed that Lungu is at his weakest and should be protected by Zambians from the UPND regime.
“Where as I, Brebner Changala, did not agree in the manner he was governing this country; I did not agree with the abuse of state institution; I do not agree with the police brutality which happened under his watch; I did not agree with his undemocratic behaviour while he was wielding power, today he has no power and he is at his weakest. It is at his weakest that he must be protected from this regime which is mimicking what he used to do,” Changala said. “They (UPND) cannot ran away from that but what is more worrying is the orchestra, the repulsive orchestra attacks when he wants to say anything concerning our social and economic state.”
He wondered if Lungu is supposed to turn himself into a praise singer and support things he does not believe in.
“We must be told, does the former president lose a voice the moment he is declared former? Is a former president supposed to turn himself into a praise singer, singing for people he does not agree with? And people he wouldn’t as an individual, might not, like to see in power, can you force him to do things he doesn’t want to do? Once you answer those questions, you are going to realise that president Lungu has a right to participate everyday in he wants. He can support any individual he thinks is better suited to run this country,” Changala said.
He said Lungu can criticise the manner and style the country is being governed.
“He can criticise the manner and style we are being governed even if himself he didn’t govern us well. There is a caveat there, let’s not do what he did but let’s do things in a right and proper way so that we separate ourselves and clearly demonstrate the many reasons why the people of Zambia rose to remove the Patriotic Front from power. And specifically retire president Edgar in national interest,” Changala added. “Zambians had a purpose and that purpose was not to humiliate him and make him a pariah. We didn’t resolve to do that. So this hullaballoo whenever he comes out everybody is jittery, they are jittery because they are failing to perform as per their campaign. That’s where the jittery is.”
Changala said Lungu can help the country more by pointing out the shortcomings of the new dawn administration stressing that nobody must scare him.
“And he must be allowed. And I would encourage him to point out the shortcomings of this new administration. He will help us more because he has been there and nobody must scare him out. Nobody must stop him. Nobody must insult him, if anything everyone else must embrace the former president and give him the dignity and respect that he deserves,” Changala said.
“That is the fear they have, but president Edgar Chagwa Lungu will not come back, come rain come sunshine. But many who are failing to deliver, many who are failing to meet their obligations and political commitments are scared of their own shadows.”
Changala said the UPND is threatened of Lungu appearing on the ballot because he has a huge following and politically of a huge substance.
“They are scared that this man might mobilise and come back to power. What else can one conclude? Why don’t they fear when Mr Changala speaks? Because he is a nonentity. They fear Edgar Chagwa Lungu because he has a following and politically is of huge substance. And the only way they can react when he comes out to feel the fresh air is the threat of him appearing on the ballot again,” said Changala. “I can assure them I have been around, there is no way Mr Lungu will be on the ballot in our lifetime. He’s gone but before he goes to his nearest grave, allow him to enjoy the full benefit of his constitutional rights as enshrined in the Bill of Rights. He didn’t lose that in August 2021, no. They are still there, they are his rights. What he lost was the seat of presidency, not anything else.”