Why Hakainde Hichilema hates me- Thomas Allan Zgambo

Why Hakainde Hichilema hates me

By Thomas Allan Zgambo.

As promised last night, it has become necessary for me to trace the origins of the animosity that President Hakainde Hichilema as an individual harbours against me personally, so that Zambians can understand some of the troubles we have experienced over the years both as Zambian Whistleblower and Thomas Allan Zgambo as an individual.

But before I give details, I want to give context to two issues that I mentioned last night, which concerns Mr. John Phiri , Former Managing Director of Times Printpark.

I stated that he has been a Correspondent for the Zambian Whistleblower, which is correct and should be understood that this is in the same capacity as others like John Noel Lungu, Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa or State Counsel Sakwiba Sikota and many others.

All these are Correspondents who write articles from time to time in their names, and therefore it is surprising that Mr. John Phiri should be isolated and targeted for arrest.

Such an Action would be nothing else than criminalising the practice of Journalism.

The second issue concerns how the Zambian Whistleblower received information from the Public and Institutions , whether government or private.

At the top of the Zambian Whistleblower, they have a permanent feature that explains the Publication being anchored in the Whistleblower law , whose worldwide prevalence stems from an understanding of the huge role Whistleblowers must play in fighting Corruption and Abuse of power and resources.

There are Zambians in virtually every institution who understand their Patriotic duty in this quest, and are always coming forward with information they believe is helpful in this National cause.

These sources are everywhere and therefore it is a futile exercise to believe that their identities can be forced out of Zambian Whistleblower. It is a non starter. Ethical Journalists never ever disclose sources of information.

GENESIS OF THE HH HATRED.

Zambians will recall that when President Michael Sata died, one of the immediate problems was identifying someone to be candidate for President in the ensuing by- election of 2015. I’m a Patriot and I always want the best for my country starting from my School days.

A Dominant School of thought then emerged that such a person should be a mature person who would agree to be President just for a year and some months as the country was preparing for a substantive General Election in 2016. Apart from maturity, we also wanted a person who had a cross country appeal and wide experience.

It was then that the name of Rupiah Banda was floated that since he had already experience as a Republican President and he also handled the death of his predecessor Levy Mwanawasa in a mature manner, he should be recalled from retirement, to take back the Presidency of The Movement for Multi Party Democracy ( MMD) because we knew then that the Party President Nevers Mumba could not win an election. This is the time there were intra party wrangles in the Patriotic Front between Edgar Lungu and Miles Sampa just like now.

The second step was finding RB’s Running Mate. It was suggested that Mr. Hakainde Hichilema should be approached to be Mr.Banda’s Running mate and a team was tasked to take this message to Mr. Hichilema.

Of course Mr. Hichilema refused and instead insisted that he should be Presidential Candidate whilst Mr. Rupiah Banda should be his Running Mate.

There was a sharp disagreement on this matter and it was, infact the beginning of the Chasm that has become tribal divide in Zambian politics and the troubles in MMD.

It is widely believed in the MMD circles that Mr. Bradford Machila who was then the National Executive Committee Member incharge of Lands in the MMD NEC was Mr. Hichilema’s man inside the MMD and was influential in leading ” The Zambezi Group” which included among them Professor Geofrey Lungwagwa, Kabinga Pande, Ambrose Lufuma, Mundia Ndalamei, Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, Dr Christopher Kalila, Sara Sayifwanda Suresh Desai, Bradford Machila himself and many others to split and support the candidature of Hakainde Hichilema.

The only notable person from the ” Zambezi Region” that did not go the UPND way was then Mwandi Member of Parliament Dr. Michael Kaingu. Levy Ngoma was the only notable one from the” Luapula, Northern and Eastern Region” to go to UPND.

The “Northern, Luapula and Eastern” Region comprising Vincent Mwale, Dora Siliya, Felix Mutati, Dr. Eustacio Kazonga, Late Victoria Kalima and many others went with the Rupiah Banda group. The only notable person from ” the Zambezi Region” who did not go to UPND was Lucky Mulusa who remained with RB.

THE ZAMBIAN WATCHDOG FACTOR.

Because at the time I was working with the Zambia Watchdog, which provided key online Media Support for Mr. Hichilema’s campaign, the expectation by Mr. Hichilema and others was that I would support HH in the this Tug of War over who should be Presidential Candidate between RB and HH.

HH learnt that I was in support of Rupiah Banda contesting for President to finish the One year which was left of Sata’s term, to provide a mature, steady experienced hand over of the affairs of Zambia before the actual Presidential Elections in 2016.

This was the beginning of Mr. Hichilema’s dislike for me. He always linked me to Rupiah Banda who took his supporters to Edgar Lungu who eventually won the By- Elections after Rupiah Banda was barred from standing on the MMD ticket giving a leeway to Dr. Nevers Mumba to stand on the MMD ticket.

It should not surprise you Zambians that when RB took his team to the PF, I continued promoting the interest of HH and the UPND because my only interest in the Presidential By- Election was Rupiah Banda and not PF or Edgar Lungu.

It should not then surprise you Zambians that although when Edgar Lungu’s Patriotic Front failed, and I was still working with the Zambia Watchdog, now campaigning to make Mr. Hichilema President, he never forgave me according to people close to him.

What followed after this is now common knowledge. When Mr. Hichilema became President of Zambia, he made sure that the whole group that worked on the Zambia Watchdog to get him the Presidency, I was the only one excluded and unrewarded in any way, especially that I was the only ” Non Zambezi” Member of the team.

Although I suffered the same fate of arrest and detention as Mr. Clayson Hamasaka, the new government concluded only his case and compensated him.

As for me, even after another case of unlawful detention was ruled in my favour by Judge Timothy Katanekwa, no compensation has been released and matters are stalled and still being frustrated.

The last time the Solicitor General suggested that I change my lawyers to a Law firm owned by a Lawyer who is from the ” Zambezi” Region. My original lawyers are from the Northern Region.

Despite me appointing the lawyers the Solicitor General recommended as Co- Advocates because I refused to abandone my original lawyers, to date nothing is happening and I have since forgotten about it. If they want they can get the money and share it amongst themselves.

All this is clear evidence that the negative treatment I have received at the hands of the State, and this continously being targeted for arrest, is motivated by the President’s personal hatred, and those who serve him closely understand this and are quick to push the Agenda so that they please him.

My appeal to President Hichilema is to forgive me if he thinks my supporting of Mr. Rupiah Banda then disadvantaged him. My interests then and now are always driven by Patriotism. I stand by my decision up to now.

My worry is that once I’m confined, I will be poisoned and will face a slow death. That is how Journalists like me are are treated by Goverment’s that hate transparency.

By the time I was writing this article, these are the two messages that someone sent me from The Zambia Police.

1. Zambia Police Service has launched a man hunt for Mr. Thomas Zyambo, Zambians Whistle Chief Blower Editor for exposing ZNS as using GMO maize for producing mealie-meal. He is also likely to be charged with seditious practices.
2. Meanwhile Mr. Thomas Zyambo is seeking legal counsel from *

Pray for me. I’m worried about my physical life.

I have two Children and I’m very sure my family can look after them. My wish is that whatever the State does to me, and I died Bury me at any of Mr. Hichilema’s properties so that he can freely look at the grave of a youngman who helped him to get to power but killed by the same State. Now I’m treated like a Thorn in the Flesh.

Good Night.

TZ