PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE UPND DISMISSES NAKACHINDA’S CLAIMS ON LUNGU TRAVEL BAN AS MISLEADING AND PROVOCATIVE Lusaka, June 8, 2025 —
United Party for National Development (UPND) Media Director Mark Simuuwe has dismissed as misleading and false the claims made by Patriotic Front (PF) faction Secretary General Raphael Nakachinda that the government imposed a travel ban on former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu and only permitted him to travel for medical treatment in South Africa during the visit of the United Nations (UN) Rapporteur on Human Rights.
Mr. Simuuwe said that making irresponsible and malicious statements especially those known to be false amounts to serious provocation.
He emphasized that no circumstance, including a funeral, exempts anyone from accountability under the law, and warned that such falsehoods would be met with equal firmness by the UPND.
He further revealed that the government is aware of a letter being circulated by the PF, allegedly authored by Deputy to the Secret
Wanya wanya tateka mushi, you can’t always rule by intimidating. He said those words, he has proof, all you can do is counter not with threats otherwise you making yourself irrelevant
Instead of providing facts against Nakachinda’s statement, the chap is issuing threats. PF and President Lungu’s family are saying the UPND blocked Lungu from receiving medical treatment. True or false? It’s that simple!
We saw ECL being turned away at the airport when he tried to travel to RSA to get life saving treatment. He complained at the time. The only reason he managed to go RSA this time was because the UN representative was in the country. Those are facts, with or without cyber laws. They did the same thing to Nawakwi, only allowing her to travel when she was literally in a coma. If your demise is not imminent, they seem to block your travel. That is the graph in front of us. They can take their cyber laws, created to suppress non UPND and non birthright citizens, and shove them up where the sun don’t shine.
REJECT TRIBALISM, CORRUPTION AND OPPRESSION.
DO NOT BE FOOLED.
DO NOT BE A FOOL.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
Firstly, it is Simuwe’s job to talk about the government’s actions? It remains factual that Lungu was not allowed to leave the country and it remains factual he was told not to jog because he attracted crowds. I recall him being warned that he would be prosecuted under public order act.
My bone of contention isn’t the issue of ECL v government but the loci of a party official and his quick resolve to threats. We refused this in the PF!