By Isaac Zulu
Chief government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa has cautioned individuals like PF vice chairperson for mobilization Bowman Lusambo, who are calling for the return of former president Edgar Lungu to active politics to take into consideration the legal ramifications of him coming back to active politics.
During a press briefing yesterday, Mweetwa said Zambia is a country of laws, saying that some legal experts in the UPND government are closely monitoring pronouncements being made by some senior PF officials regarding the “call for president Edgar Lungu to return to active politics.”
He explained that people should know that Lungu, being the former Head of State, enjoys certain privileges and incentives at the instance of government and tax payers, adding that the moment he decides to come back to active politics, the necessary legal provisions will come into play.
“They have been making those pronouncements about the return of president Edgar Lungu to active politics. But they should also take into consideration the legal ramifications of the former president being involved in active politics. For now, I will leave it at that,” Mweetwa said.
And Mweetwa said the government subsidised fuel prices was fictitious.
Mweetwa said the PF leadership and its members of parliament have been claiming that they will be remembered for leaving a legacy of low fuel pump prices, but to the contrary, they will be remembered for being a government of deceit.
He also said PF is a party of double standards and, as such, they should be forgiven.
Mweetwa said the PF administration, through its subsidies, left a debt of $700 million in the energy sub-sector, which he said the UPND administration is now paying to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
He explained that the UPND is finding it difficult to subsidise fuel prices, owing to the staggering debt that was left by the PF government.
“They are claiming that the Patriot Front government will be remembered for leaving a legacy of low fuel prices and yet they left a debt of $700 million in the energy sub-sector. Their subsidies were fiction. The Patriot Front government will be remembered not for a legacy of low fuel prices, but for being a government of deceit,” Mweetwa said.
The chief government spokesperson further challenged Socialist Party leader Dr. Fred M’membe to clarify allegations that his party propagates for homosexuality.
Mweetwa charged that the disintegration of the Rainbow Party was as a result of some members opposed to the party supporting gay rights.
“I know for a fact that the disintegration of the Rainbow Party was as a result of disagreements among party members over the promotion of gay rights. The party leadership wanted to be soliciting for some funding from organizations outside the country that are advocate of gay rights. Mr. M’membe is my friend… we used to sit on the same desk in class (at the University of Zambia – Law School). I am not being personal. Mr. M’membe should explain himself on these allegations,” said Mweetwa.
Mweetwa said that the UPND government cannot embrace homosexuality “because homosexuality is outlawed in this country.”
He said that he has opted to be talking about the Socialist Party and Citizens First leader Harry Kalaba because the two political parties are adding value to the democratic dispensation in the country, going by their continued participation in local government by-elections.
Mweetwa said that, as Chief Government Spokesperson, he cannot be wasting time talking about the PF, saying the “Patriot Front is a defunct political party.”
