ZAMBIA is being led by the worst dictators, Chikondi Foundation president Bishop John Mambo has charged.
And Bishop Mambo says Michael Sata has been betrayed by chancers who took over from him.
In an interview with The Mast, Bishop Mambo, who is also chairperson of Civil Society for Constitutional Agenda (CiSCA) wondered what vision PF government had for Zambia.
He said the closure of private media institutions by PF government was embarrassing to the freedom fighter who sacrificed for the Zambia’s freedom.
“It is not Gerald Shawa [owner of Prime TV] that will suffer but our young brothers and sisters, our children because they will not be able to go to school. What country do we want; where you want to fix every media?” Bishop Mambo wondered.
“The government on this one they have misdirected themselves. International community must help us to speak out and stop this dictatorship. This dictatorship is the worst in the world I have ever known and it is not right for a small country like Zambia, a principled nation and Christian nation for that matter.”
Bishop Mambo said PF, under President Edgar Lungu, has used a good name of Michael Chilufya Sata in vein.
He said Sata’s vision had been written off by chancers who had forgotten where they came from.
“Zambia is led by the dictators because collectively, the cabinet chaired by the President [Edgar Lungu] he has a right to say this is not the right way. What has been happening now has not happened in the last 27 years. We are seeing the worst now…this is why I have said that Sata has been betrayed, he has been totally write off because if you knew him, he had his own weakness but he was a people person. If you make a mistake, he would correct you and forgive you,” he said.
“Now in this case, the chancers, those who have come, because the ones that started PF are no longer in the PF, but those who joined on the way, some of them from the UPND, they are now the ministers, they are now in government. They have forgotten that they came from UPND and join PF. Sata gave them an opportunity to be leaders but they have proved to be dictators.”
Bishop Mambo added that Dora Siliya and Amos Malupenga should not be used by evil to close media institutions in Zambia.
He said Zambia’s politics were not adding value to anything because it was off democratic principles.
“Currently, I do not know which vision they are carrying. I do not know whether they have love for Sata! If they love Sata, they would have served the people of Zambia on principles that Sata stood for,” Bishop Mambo said.
Bishop Mambo said Zambia needs ideas to fix the economy, not citizens and their businesses.
He said the closure of Prime TV was similar to how those in power closed The Post.
“The shutting down of Prime TV, for those who are rejoicing, it is the beginning of the clampdown of the media institution before 2021 so that there will be no voice of Mambo, there is no voice of any person apart from them and ZNBC,” he said.
“Who is watching ZNBC now? We are paying a levy to ZNBC but they are not doing their obligation of equal coverage. It is a mouthpiece of those in government and their friends. I cannot be covered by ZNBC unless I am dancing to the tune of praising government for the things they have not done.”
Bishop Mambo said Zambians must graduate from Stone Age politics of fixing each to political of ideas.
He wondered what legacy those in office would leave for Zambia if their job was to fight every Zambia with divergent views.
“Let’s go to politics where we can differ but still we agree that we are a family. The way it is now, it is sending a very wrong signal. Everyone has spoken about the closure but the government is not listening. My appeal is that with such arrogance, if they have money to spend during 2021 election, let us eat their money. But let us go in massive numbers to go and vote for people that would see us to the promised land in 2021,” said Bishop Mambo.
“What legacy will my brother and sister leave to this nation once they are out of power? Because they must be remembered for something good but it appears that they are destroying everything. Anyone that was a friend of Michael Chilufya Sata is either his business has been closed or gone under. This is what we refused in 1991, we don’t want one party state.”