By Isaac Zulu
Edgar Lungu was held under state capture by people that hail from the Northern regions of Zambia, says ruling UPND Central provincial chairperson Albert Chifita.
In an interview with Daily Revelation, Chifita said former president Edgar Lungu was dancing to the tune of the people who hailed from the Northern regions of the country.
“The people that come from the Northern regions of Zambia gave Edgar Lungu a resounding victory in 2016. And he had no option but to start dancing to their political tune. And we saw that he rewarded them with appointments to key Government Ministries such that Davies Chama became Defence minister, Kampyongo went to the ministry of Home Affairs and other key ministries went to individuals from those Provinces that I have mentioned,” said Chifita. “President Edgar was dancing to their political tune. Edgar Lungu was under state capture by people that hail from the Northern regions of Zambia.”
He stated that in 2016, Lungu got huge votes from Luapula, Muchinga and Northern Provinces; adding that in order to please people that hail from those regions, he rewarded them with appointments to key Government Ministries.
In apparent reaction to Chishimba Kambwili, who said claims that President Hichilema’s Cabinet was tribally balanced was a joke of the year looking at where those who had been appointed to key powerful ministries hailed from, Chifita said individuals that have been appointed by President Hichilema to key government ministries were loyal and trustworthy persons.
“I know that the key ministries that are Foreign Affairs, Defence, Justice, Finance (Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane), and Home Affairs. [Ministry of] Defence the President has appointed Ambrose Lufuma, Foreign Affairs there’s young Stanley Kakubo, Home Affairs and internal affairs there’s Jack Mwiimbu, whereas for the Ministry of Justice he has appointed Mulambo Haimbe, who is also young and vibrant but has been handling high profile cases,” explained Chifita. “In all appointments for Cabinet, the President was also taking into consideration the aspect of ethnicity and qualifications. Furthermore, those individuals that have been appointed by President Hakainde Hichilema to key government ministries are loyal and trustworthy persons.”
Asked to respond to assertions that President Hichilema has appointed some people that are his close associates, closely related to him or are related to his wife to various positions, Chifita said that there’s nothing wrong with the President appointing close associates provided they are qualified.
“We saw late President Levy Mwanawasa appointing his own young brother to the position of director of the Zambia Intelligence Service and there we know that President Lungu did the same by bringing in his son, who was in Nakonde at a time he became President, to work for the Office of the President,” said Chifita. “I will also wish to state that the appointment of Mr Mulilo Kabesha by President Hichilema to his new position is on merit. Kabesha is a prominent Kabwe lawyer whose integrity is unmatched…you cannot bribe Kabesha in any way. This is the man that has been handling political cases on behalf of the UPND in Central, Luapula and North Western Provinces. The man deserves that appointment.”
He further said that Kambwili has proved that he cannot be trusted going by the way he has been defecting from one political party to another, which he said has rendered the former Roan lawmaker a finished politician.
He charged that Kambwili was a bitter person because he did not expect the Patriotic Front to ‘lamentably’ lose in the August polls.
“President Hakainde Hichilema was betrayed by Dr Canicius Banda as vice president of the UPND in opposition then. He was betrayed by Richard Kapita, he was betrayed by Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba when he was welcomed to serve as vice president for the UPND,” said Chifita. “And President Hakainde Hichilema was betrayed by Chishimba Kambwili when Kambwili left the Opposition Alliance. In the same Opposition Alliance, President Hichilema was betrayed by Sean Tembo who was the Alliance spokesperson.”
