2021 is don’t kubeba reloaded, says opposition UPND alliance member Kelvin Bwalya Fube (KBF).
And Fube said the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is not in charge of elections in Zambia.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Fube said the opposition was more resolved than ever in view of “ECZ bias” to change government. He said the same institutions which allowed President Edgar Lungu’s “super spreader” events were summoning UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to the police for distributing face masks to the people.
Asked what they in the alliance would do in the event they lost the elections, in view of the same apparent bias, Fube said the opposition did not want to start “crying wolf” because they were confident of winning the elections, saying that was the more reason the ruling PF was getting more desperate, and were even willing to disobey “their own instructions from their own agencies.”
“We know that the Zambians have decided for change, so ours is just to enforce the Zambians and our messaging system to say even if they are going to break these Covid rules, even if they give you the masks, they give you the chitengess, they give you the money it’s don’t kubeba reloaded,” Fube said. “Get them but in your heart of hearts you know that this government must not continue. So we don’t want to think of what we can do tomorrow we know that we are changing government and the Zambians are resolved.”
Fube said the ECZ was not in control of anything the ruling PF does.
“The director at ECZ Nshindano is scared of the ruling party, the chairman of the ECZ himself ba judge Esau Chuulu doesn’t seem to have control over the violence emanating from PF, let alone any complaint that is directed against the presidential candidate especially of the PF,” Fube said. “So we are rather disappointed because we noted for example that when President Lungu re-engaged his campaigns he went round the markets, walking around pretending to distribute masks, these Covid masks. Our presidential candidate HH did the same he received a call out from the police. Those are double stands.”
Fube wondered why other stakeholders should not distribute face masks if the President himself was doing it.
“What is so special about Lungu? So for us we totally agree with the observations by DP that there are double standards emanating from ECZ and this is one of the main complaints that we have engaged the ECZ over, not just once but many times over,” Fube said. “…otherwise why put up rules that are only going to be subjugating a certain section of the stakeholders and not others, and in this particular case the PF? That is a wrong thing to do. It’s not fair, it’s not democratic and as an institution, ECZ right now is a disappointment. They are not in control of the electoral process in our view.”
Fube said rather than saying they were engaging with PF over Harry Kalaba’s DP complaint, the commission should have simply insisted with a directive to the ruling party and its presidential candidate to adhere to the laid down regulations.
“If not why not ban President Lungu from campaigning so that he understands that this he can’t do? Look the President cannot use his presidential status as a super spreader of the Covid,” Fube said. “These are our people, if you really love your people okay, look after them and pretending that you love your people but you are the one spreading the disease what love is that? No it’s pretense.”
Fube said the ECZ pretended to have suspended Kambwili from campaigning on tribal lines and quickly lifted that suspension, warning that if not contained tribal sentiments could ignite civil strife in the country.
“It’s just that Zambians are very patient and understanding. But I want to report that we are not deterred as an alliance. Infact we are more resolved now to ensure that we change this government because we understand that ECZ is not helping us. And we also understand that the police will not help us,” said Fube.
