By Patson Chilemba
The era of insults and falsehoods is upon us and some feel they are being real champions by insulting the President on his Facebook page, says ruling PF media director Sunday Chanda.
And Chanda has accused the UPND leadership of abducting and confiscating mobile phones from their members of parliament, claiming some of them encountered problems with their own spouses who tried to call them but were unreachable.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Chanda took issue with Zambians who have been flooding the President’s page, criticising him over the manner he was running affairs, in reaction to the various updates he posts to his Facebook page. Chanda described President Lungu as the most insulted person.
Chanda said the President reads the comments people post on his postings, saying some have abused the space by insulting and defaming the head of state, saying they will be left alone to answer for the charges when the long arm of the law visits them.
“In a mature society like ours if anyone has an issue with their leader the leader will listen and that is an opportunity that citizens ought to embrace. Unfortunately the era of insults and the era of falsehoods and the era of fake news is upon us, and others who feel, well, if they insult the head of state on his page then they are being real champions,” Chanda said. “But when the long arm of the law finds them they will be alone and we have people who are serving for defaming previous presidents.”
Chanda said the media should sensitise the citizenry that they could disagree with the ruling party and it’s leader on issues, by not getting personal.
“Don’t be used by certain politicians because when certain things go wrong you you are young, you have got a career you don’t want to disturb your life by engaging in avoidable offences and crimes,” he said, adding that the youths must continue to speak but must realise that freedom comes with responsibility. “You don’t need to insult Sunday Chanda to hear you.”
On the other hand, Chanda said the fact that PF was a ruling party did not make them immune to criticism, as they must deepen their levels of tolerance.
And Chanda said the UPND members of parliament, Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa (Nalikwanda), Mukumbuta Mulowa (Senanga) and Teddy Kasonso (Solwezi-West), who have decided to work with the PF on Bill 10, were honourable men who must be allowed to exercise their minds over the bill. He said the buzz word over the last month has been freedom of expression, saying the members of parliament should likewise not be victimized for their freedom of association as they were not breaking any law.
Asked if the PF would embrace the members as it was likely that they would not be re-adopted by their party in 2021, Chanda said the affinity for membership in the PF was very high, describing the three parliamentarians as honourable men elected by the people.
Chanda said UPND members were fatigued with party leader Hakainde Hichilema’s leadership, and that was why elected members were leaving the party.
He accused the UPND leadership of abducting their members of parliament.
“The UPND members of parliament were almost abducted by the party leadership, taken and locked up somewhere and grabbed their phones and we understand some had issues with their wife’s, because their wives tried to phone them and their husbands where unreachable they did not understand what was happening. So you cannot treat adults like children,” Chanda said.
Asked if in the same manner he was saying the UPND should allow their members of parliament to vote with their minds, the PF would allow their own members to do likewise, Chanda said members of parliament had their own minds and should vote according to the wishes of the people who sent them there.
“Our members of parliament consulted with their people,” he said.
And Chanda said he was interested in contesting the Kanchibiya seat in 2021, which is currently held by Martin Malama. He said he stood in the area in 2011 and that he applied in 2016 but the leadership decided otherwise.
Chanda said whether he will stand or not in 2021 was entirely up to the party leadership, but that he would continue to do the work he was doing with the community in the area.
“I am also doing some farming in Kanchibiya constituency,” said Chanda. -Daily Revelation