PF WAS ALREADY DAMAGED WHEN I WAS CALLED IN TO HELP – ZUMANI
Former State House Special Assistant for Politics Dr. Chris Zumnai Zimba says the Patriotic Front (PF) was already damaged when he was called in to help by former President Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
Speaking this evening when he featured on Diamond Live programme, Dr. Zumani said he knew that the party was damaged even before he was appointed as President Lungu’s Political Advisor. He said that he had provided consultancy services to the party before being appointed as Political Advisor.
“I was honoured to be called upon as a consultant to appear before the PF Central Committee in October, 2019 to present an operational plan for the party for 2021,” he said. Dr. Zumani said he received alot of criticism from members of the Central Committee who did not like what he had presented. He said he recalls how some members of the party’s Central Committee were banging tables and fuming because of his objective presentation in which he highlighted that the PF’s chances of defending power were slim.
Dr. Zumani said he was appointed as Political Advisor on 20th December, 2019 because President Edgar Lungu appreciated his objectiveness based on the operational plan he presented.
He said that the short period he worked as Political Advisor, he and President Lungu tried to salvage the situation but the Zambian people made a decision and it became difficult for the PF to defend power.
He said the indicators of PF losing power were very clear the time he was moving into State House as the party was damaged on the ground countrywide.
On allegations that the former President did not want to concede defeat, Dr. Zumani dispelled the allegations saying it was not possible because President Hakainde Hichilema won the election with a landslide victory that was unquestionable. He pointed out that President Lungu only managed to win in Eastern, Luapula and Muchinga provinces with a narrow margin.
Dr. Zumani compared PF to a football team that was trailing 6-1 with 88 minutes played and only 2 minutes remaining to the end of the match. He said any sensible player who understands football knows that there is nothing one can do in the remaining minutes.
(C) THE FALCON