By Isaac Zulu
Law enforcement officers are running like headless chickens in an attempt to fulfil the desires of President Hakainde Hichilema, says Raphael Nakachinda.
But chief government spokesperson Chushi Kasanda says she will not be drawn into the discourse of former president Edgar Lungu’s challenge to President Hakainde Hichilema to lift his immunity rather than just accusing him of having run a corrupt administration.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Nakachinda, who is PF member of central committee chairman for information and publicity, said that law enforcement agencies are currently under direct supervision from the Head of State for purposes of close monitoring, saying that is why each time President Hakainde Hichilema makes an emotional directive; whether wrong or right, they start summoning and arresting individuals that served under former president Edgar Lungu without following legal provisions.
He said that such “dramatic actions are embarrassing not only to law enforcement officers, but the Head of State as well.
“First of all you must understand that the Anti-Corruption Commission, DEC and the Zambia Police are now under the office of a politician. In this case the President because President Hakainde Hichilema has brought these law enforcement agencies under his direct supervision for purposes of close monitoring,” Nakachinda explained. “They are working under very difficult circumstances. And because of that these law enforcement officers are made to run like headless chickens in attempt to fulfil the desires of President Hakainde Hichilema each time he makes emotional directives, which he is not willing to be advised; whether wrong or right. They are even ignoring the law and procedures to be followed when investigating or making an inquiry about corruption or the so called suspected proceeds of crime. All these dramatic activities are embarrassing not only on law enforcement agencies, but to the Head of State as well.”
He said that it is unfortunate that the UPND administration has even embarked on a crusade aimed denting the names of Patriot Front officials and former ministers by inquiry in their private transactions.
“They are just talking about Patriot Front officials and former ministers being corrupt, Edgar Lungu being corrupt in an attempt to create this narrative that the former Head of State ran a corrupt regime. You will soon see this week and next week Patriot Front officials being summoned by law enforcement agencies on tramped up charges,” Nakachinda said. “They have even gone to an extent of summoning (Michael) Katambo before DEC over the maize he bought from his Pambashe counterpart Ronald Chitotela. And yet everybody knows that Chitotela is farmer in Pambashe and every year he produces a certain number of bags of maize and sells to those that want to buy from him. Surely, a private transaction such as that one should be a subject for inquiry by law enforcement agencies? This is very unfortunate.”
He said that the crusade to pursue PF officials and their associates is a ploy by the UPND administration to divert the attention of Zambians from real issues affecting them on a daily basis.
“All these dramatic activities are just a ploy to divert the attention of the Zambian people from real issues affecting them such as the high cost of living. We are very soon certainly going to see an increase in electricity tariffs, we are going to have an increase in the cost of fuel and essential commodities. The UPND government should concentrate on addressing their failed campaign promises and fix the economy like they promised,” said Nakachinda.
Chief government spokesperson Chushi Kasanda has refused to comment on the challenge by former president Edgar Lungu to President Hakainde Hichilema to lift his immunity so that he can be arrested and prosecuted for allegedly engaging in corrupt activities.
But Kasanda said that she would not comment on president Lungu’s challenge to President Hichilema to lift his immunity to have his day in court.
But put to her that she is the chief government spokesperson and, therefore, she is in the right position to comment on the matter, Kasanda insisted that she would not want to be drawn in this discourse.
“Yes, I am aware that I am the chief government spokesperson. But I have no comment. I will not be drawn in that discussion,” said Kasanda, who is also minister of information and media
