The NDC Lusaka Province, says it has taken time to study the Monze incident where alleged opposition members allegedly discredited the republican president Edgar Lungu.
The party says its findings have established that the critics were not opposition members but ordinary citizens that merely expressed their disappointment with the PF failure to lift the indefinite ban on livestock movements in Southern Province.
The NDC through its Provincial chairperson, Kennedy Siyanda, said members of the public who depend on buying and selling livestock have been grossly inconvenienced by this indefinite ban on livestock movement under the guise of combatting foot and mouth disease.
Up to now the Minister of Livestock Professor Nkandu Luo has failed to give residents assurances on the progress of containing the disease and also lifting the indefinite ban.
“Our investigations have also established that the PF has overreacted because Monze Member of Parliament and Leader of the Opposition in the House Jack Mwiimbu has been instrumental in paralyzing the infamous Bill 10.
“Mwiimbu further angered the PF by refusing to accompany President Lungu to commission some houses for Zambia Correctional Officers.
“While our counterparts were exercising their democratic right, the PF has capitalized on the situation by speeding up their hidden agenda of banning the movements of the major opposition leader in their so-called strongholds,” he said.
He added that the party’s concern is that the opposition will ignore this warning thereby creating potential for a clash between the greens and the reds.
“The greens as usual have deliberately created this arrangement as they want to avert these clashes by postponing the holding of the 2021 Elections.
“The greens will lobby for a State of Emergency claiming that the environment is not conducive to hold free and fair elections. PF cadres will then shower President Lungu with praises for protecting the lives of citizens.
“Fellow citizens, the real reason for the planned indefinite postponement of these Elections, is to prolong the stay of President Lungu in power,” he added.
Siyanda further claimed that PF has realized that it has lost popularity as it cannot win the 2021 Elections and will therefore use every opportunity to cling on to power.
“The PF is fully aware that citizens are not happy with the Lungu administration because of several factors including killing innocent citizens by gassing them in their homes.
“You will agree with us that the Electoral Commission of Zambia [ECZ] recently shortened the voter registration exercise from 90 to 30 days with a view to undermining the opposition.
“Secondly, the ECZ without the consensus of other players is talking about giving prisoners the right to vote. Before the opposition has agreed, the Commissioner General of the Zambia Correctional Services Dr. Chisela announces that he will not allow the opposition to campaign in prisons,” he went on.
He added that all these actions by the ECZ are all meant to annoy the opposition so that they react in a hostile manner and allow the PF to sneak in the State of Emergency.
“As NDC we are able to see through all these schemes and therefore would like to advise President Lungu that Zambia is our country and therefore he must uphold the republican Constitution and allow for the holding of free and fair 2021 Elections.
“After all, President Lungu, you don’t qualify to run in 2021, we therefore advise you to hand-over the reins of power at part level, during the forthcoming PF Convention.
“Zambians, we have warned you. 2021 is just around the corner. Vote wisely!” He said.