By Patson Chilemba
Economic Front (EF) leader Wynter Kabimba says he will not comment on the death of former finance minister Alexander Chikwanda because of the African cultural demands that people must always say good things about the dead, something he said he does not agree with.
And Kabimba said the debate about AFROM was trigged by President Hakainde Hichilema himself, saying he is the one who posed on the staircase of State House with an American Brigadier General clad in uniform, and the caption of that photo and a story that followed was that the man had come to Zambia and he had met the President to prepare for the opening of an AFRICOM office in the US Embassy.
Kabimba also charged that President Hichilema is trying to dupe Zambians in the hope that they have no knowledge about AFRICOM, saying “the problem HH has is he thinks he’s the smartest human being that has ever landed in Zambia, and all of us are dull and should be listening to his lies,” when in actual fact “the US has been hunting for gullible governments such as his to set up military bases.”
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Kabimba was asked for his reflections on the death of Chikwanda, and he also went on to speak about those who were involved in a “conspiracy” against him leading to him being fired as Justice minister in 2014.
“Look, I don’t want to make a comment on ba Chikwanda because African culture demands that you always have to say good things about the dead, and I don’t agree with that culture myself. Yes! I am just being honest,” Kabimba said. “Because of that demand by African culture that we must always say good things about the dead, it is for that reason that I don’t want to make a comment.”
But reminded that what he had just said was as good as making a comment, Kabimba said: “Yes! I have made a comment. So if you want that is my comment.”
“Aside from that these assertions that it is not president Sata who fired you as justice minister, are they true,” this journalist asked.
But Kabimba said it did not matter who fired him as far as he was concerned, because he did not want to be part of president Sata’s Cabinet in the first place, saying he made this known to the late president while they were still in the opposition when it was beginning to appear that the PF would win the 2011 general elections.
He said when president Sata finally persuaded him to join Cabinet he told the president that the day he would think he was no longer relevant, he should say so and that he was going to walk out. Kabimba said he also told president Sata that the day he felt he had done his service in his government, he would say so and leave.
“So we had that mutual agreement. If I had decided to resign before I was fired I would have gone to Mr Sata and told him to his face that I am resigning. I would not have just sent a letter. Now, he didn’t speak to me, of course because of his ill-health but I received a letter,” Kabimba said. “Now there are a lot of theories as to the origins of that letter, where it was typed and who took it to State House and how…all that detail is really irrelevant to me because I have still remained the same person. If you want, all the people that were involved in that conspiracy, if I were to put it that way, have had no peace.”
Kabimba continued: “Because of their evil deeds they have had no peace from 2014. And I have lived a very happy and peaceful life. I have never been taken to prison. I have never been interviewed by any government agency. So it has taught me one lesson in life that to be honest and to be truthful unto yourself and to others pays off in life. And also finally, you have to go to Shakespeare when he says the evil that men do lives after them. And the good is often interred with their bones.”
And Kabimba said the debate about AFROM was trigged by President Hakainde Hichilema.
He said it was from that story and from the picture, “and pictures don’t lie”, which was the the sources of the debate, saying what the government was saying now was trying to backtrack following the groundswell of anger from Zambians.
He said despite them saying that there was no military base being established, they have failed to argued against the setting up of an AFRICOM office in the US Embassy, wondering what it was doing, and that the government must explain the responsibilities of that AFRICOM office being set up in Zambia.
He wondered why the office was being called African Command if its purpose was to enhance cooperation between Zambia and the United States, saying AFRICOM has been associated with the establishment of military bases in Africa from the time it was conceived.
Kabimba said the African Union has rejected the idea, including the Southern African Development Community, something which was reaffirmed by late president Levy Mwanawasa, and supported by then opposition leader Michael Sata.
“He is trying to dupe the Zambian people in the hope that they don’t understand and they have no knowledge about AFRICOM. And that is the problem that HH has. He thinks he’s the smartest human being that Zambia has ever seen in its history. That’s his problem. He thinks he is the smartest human being that has landed in Zambia, and all of us are just dull and we should be listening to lies from him,” Kabimba said, insisting that AFRICOM was set up by the US to set up bases in Africa. “And they have been hunting for suitable and gullible governments like that one of HH over the years. They tried in other African countries the idea was rejected.”
Kabimba argued that Zambia and the US have been cooperating over the years, even training Zambian intelligence officers through the American CIA, without and AFRICOM office.
“So it’s not true. His explanation is just not true. It’s a lie,” said Kabimba.
