By Merlyn Mwanza
Socialist Party (SP) leader Dr Fred M’membe has commented on Julius Malema’s video where he’s calling for the United States of America military base to be removed from Botswana, implying that President Hakainde Hichilema is also undermining the security of the region with his “unpatriotic and treacherous” decision to allow an AFRICOM office in Zambia.
In Malema’s video, the leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), argued that “we need to remove the government of Botswana through the people of Botswana and put in a government that will dismantle that base, which is putting a threat on the whole of SADC.”
Malema claimed that research was conducted showing that it would only take two minutes for an American fighter plan to fly from a base in Botswana to the Union Buildings (State House) in South Africa if the USA decided to start a war, meaning they will not have to move military material from Washington.
“That’s what (Russian President Vladimir) Putin doesn’t want in Ukraine. They want to do what they did here in Ukraine,” Malema said.
Retweeting Malema’s video, Dr M’membe implied that the same was happening here in Zambia where he accused President Hichilema of undermining the country’s sovereignty and self-determination.
“One of the most treacherous, unpatriotic and betraying things Mr @Hichilema has done is allow the US military to set up an AFRICOM office in Zambia. He has also undermined the security of our region and continent,” stated Dr M’membe.
