There’s no strategist in UPND, notes KBF
By Fanny Kalonda
ZAMBIA Must Prosper president Kelvin Fube Bwalya says the UPND is angry and disappointed that he left them as they no longer have strategists in the party.
Featuring on Radio Christian Voice’s Chat back programme last Friday, Bwalya also challenged UPND spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa to spill the beans that he said he had on him.
He said he has nothing to hide, as he has never stolen anything.
“I feel sorry for my young brother. Umwaice wandi (my young brother) Mweetwa is caught in the crossroads. I don’t want to be attacking him every day. I think I spoke enough about Cornelius but let me say this, they have lied to the Zambian people. They’ve put out a scenario that I took money, some K800,000. I accounted for that 800,000. I challenged the people that I gave money to deny, they haven’t denied,” Bwalya said. “I explained that money. The next reason if there’s any spilling of beans that Mweetwa is talking about, he is going to allege that I went to DEC and took some files. That’s another narrative that they’re throwing around. That I walked into DEC and took some files. Are you mad? Mweetwa is a lawyer like me, can I walk into a government institution and take files out of an institution, which I challenged Mweetwa? Spill the beans mwaiche wandi. Mweetwa nakupapata, napapata (I beg you, I beg) spill the beans apapene apa (just now).”
Bwalya said he has never asked to be a UPND member, affirming that he does not want to be one.
“I don’t want to be a member of the UPND. I never asked that I join UPND. What do they want from me? The UPND is very angry. They are very disappointed that I left them because mulya nomba tamuli uwakucaya imingalato. Ama strategists tamuli mulya, balepunkanafye imitwe kwati nakalimo nabakolwa. (There is no strategist in there. They are just bumping into each other as if they are drunk),” Bwalya added. “They have nothing to offer the Zambian people. Nothing. That is why I said the UPND Alliance is dead. I challenge them. Half of those people they call presidents at the council niba nashala neka party ilya naimwe (those are one man political parties).”
Bwalya said if Mweetwa really has something on him he should not hesitate to disclose it.
“So spill the beans. Don’t keep the people on tenterhooks like pali ifyo ukwete pali ine, tapali ifyo ukwete (as if there is a dossier you have about me. There is nothing you have). There is nothing here. Don’t lie. Zambians listen, I have never been a councillor, I have never been an MP. I have never been a minister either. I have never held a government portfolio. Nshatala kwatapo (I have never had a) government contract. So nshatalaibapo nangu cimo ( I have never stolen anything),” he stressed. “There is nothing that the UPND and in particular Mweetwa Cornelius can bring against me which you should be worried about. But I challenge him. But let me sound a warning to Mweetwa, I know him. And between you and me, fwebekele pano, nalakulanga (for those of us seated here I will show you) because you are my young brother. He has come in my inbox to apologise, ‘no bamudala ma politics aya. Mwilasakamana ifyo tulandafye pa bantu (no my elder brother these are politics. Don’t worry, we just say these things for public show). Wilalanda pali ine (do not talk about me). You’ve got a lot of things to talk about. Don’t talk about me. I’ll show you the messages. I’m not lying. I’ve got him, talking to me in my inbox, apologising and saying ‘No, bamudala napapata (my elder brother I beg) let’s not fight.”
Bwalya disclosed that Mweetwa was in fact seeking an appointment with him.
“And he wants to talk to me now. He’s telling me now when he said this thing about the beans! Mweetwa, why are you hesitating to spill the beans? He says ‘no, bakalamba ma politics fye’. In fact ndeisa ku Lusaka pa weekend tukese landa (I’m coming to Lusaka this weekend so that we talk). He wants to meet me,” Bwalya explained. “Now because of this continuous thing, I don’t trust him anymore. I don’t trust him. If you want to sound big because you’re answering questions or you want to sound like walikwata ifintu pali ine. Nshalombelepo incito ku (you want to sound like you have a dossier on me. I never asked for a job from the) UPND, Mweetwa! Most of the presidents there (in the UPND Alliance) ni nashala neka party (one man party). Which people do they have?”
And Bwalya said the government must put in systems to fight corruption and not ending at changing personnel.
He said if the new Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chairperson and director general work under the same laws, using the same systems, same methods, they will yield nothing.
“If you have a leadership that spends three quarters of its time just thinking of who the next person they’re going to arrest because he was in the previous government, then that is not a fight against corruption. That is being vindictive. To me, corruption mu PF emoyali (it was there) and I spoke against it and I will speak against it. But there is corruption even now in UPND,” said Bwalya. “I’ve got facts and figures and at an appointed time I shall speak about it. But right now, tulebatamba (we are watching them). So, corruption, yes, it’s bad. But if you have ZPPA, for example, cancelling the fertiliser deal and saying on technicalities, when we had an agriculture minister in parliament saying everything is okay. Tapali nefya (there is nothing like) corruption, just know that something is wrong.”