By Daily Star Reporter
As drama in the opposition Democratic Party continues to show its face, Harry Kalaba has dragged President Hakainde Hichilema in the wrangles.
During a briefing at the party secretariat yesterday, Kalaba told the media that the Head of State has been sending his Special Assistant for Politics Levy Ngoma to get involved in the activities of the DP.
The opposition leader said it is of great concern that while the President continues to refuse his involvement and sponsoring anyone to destabilize the DP, Ngoma has been having meetings with the Registrar of Societies as well as the suspended members of the DP.
He said the Head of State doesn’t want DP to file a candidate in Kabwata.
“As a matter of fact, the same Special Assistant had a meeting with the DP renegades on Monday 17th January, 2022 between 19:05 and 20:00hrs. The said Special Assistant has even been having meetings with staff from Registrar of Societies to try and influence their decision and get them to favor the renegade group that is purporting to be the owners of the DP in clear contravention of the Law of the Land,” he said.
“The acts being perpetrated by the President do not just take away from the Presidency but also takes away the dignity from this great institution.”
Kalaba advised the President to restrain himself from meddling in the affairs of the DP and focus on fixing the economic challenges that Zambians expect him to be focusing on.
“The cost of mealie meal has continued to go up and yet the UPND government in their logic have decided to increase the quota of maize export to neighboring countries. Farmers have been neglected and for the first time they received their inputs way into the rain season. Army worms are ravaging crops and yet little action is being taken by the UPND government,” he said.
“The cost of fuel has gone up by over 20% from the time the UPND took over government and they plan to effect another increment within the month of January. The cost of transportation has gone up significantly over the last two months in response to the hike in fuel prices, making it almost practically impossible for people to move from one part of the country to the other. The price of essential commodities is now way beyond the reach of an average Zambian and this has resulted in an increase in crimes.”
He claimed that the alleged acts by the President and “his hired” agents are not just meant to destabilize the country’s hard fought democracy but rather to entrench himself as a hardcore dictator who is ready to destroy any perceived political threat.