By Agness Changala
PF member Chishimba Kambwili says President Hakainde Hichilema is a weak President because Inspector General Graphael Musamba does not
take his orders as Commander-In-Chief.
And Socialist Party leader Fred M’membe has disclosed that party national youth secretary Gabriel Banda who was arrested last week, was yesterday taken to Prison (Chimbokaila) without being taken to court.
Addressing journalists at the Lusaka Magistrates Court after Banda’s case was adjourned, Kambwili wondered why President Hichilema who is a commander in chief of the armed forces can issue instructions and Musamba does not heed.
He said the President has publicly told the nation that when one is arrested, they should be granted bond within 24 hours but this was not happening.
“But are you seeing that? So for me, he is a weak President very weak. How can a President give a command and a commander in chief of the
armed forces, including the police he gives instructions and the IG doesn’t heed? So the IG just looks at him as someone who is a talk show. It’s very demeaning to the President that his own IG cannot follow his instructions. So in essence, the President says something in public and does something else behind closed doors,” Kambwili said.
He also said it is extremely funny that President Hichilema who came to power promising to uphold the rule of law, is failing to do so.
“He has repeatedly been quoted. I don’t know whether correctly or wrongly but when you see the face talking like me, you cannot be misquoted,” he said.
The opposition leader said President Hichilema also promised the Zambian people that police must not effect an arrest before they carry out investigations but the opposite is happening.
“They must investigate and when they come for you immediately they give you police bond. That is the conclusion and I want to tell my brother HH that insoni ebuntu. You cannot lead a country by lies after
lies all the time,” he said. “Imagine when he was opening parliament he said we have stabilized the
exchange rate. Imwe limbi katwishi ba teacher balemifunda efyobalelondolola stability. Because for me stability is consistency.”
Kambwili has appealed to professional bodies like ACCA (Association of Chartered Accounts) and Economic Association of Zambia (EAZ) to be truthful when reviewing the budgets.
“From the time I think I was 10, nshaunfwako eko ba (I have never heard where the) Economics Association of Zambia or ba accountants’ bachita condemn budget. Every year it’s a very good budget very good budget… As professionals be candid. If the budget is not good, just say this is not a good budget,” he said.
Kambwili said the professional bodies are misleading leaders to believe that what they do is correct when in essence what they do is wrong.
He said the same budget they are praising is the most useless he has ever seen.
“What we expected is we have this hunger situation. We need money to subsidise certain things in the economy.
You still maintain that the mining companies must enjoy subsidies, I mean must enjoy tax concessions how do you call it a good budget? Fuel is now going to over K30 you still maintain subsidies. As long as we don’t get any reasonable income from the mining companies, this
country will never develop. We had an opportunity to increase shareholding in KCM (Konkola Copper
Mines) but he gave them the same 80 percent ashalamo na 20 percent.
And Dr M’membe said Banda who was arrested on Thursday last week was first detained at Chelstone Police Station and moved to Kanakantapa Police Station and finally Chimbokaila without being taken before court.
He said Banda had spent one week in incarceration without appearing before court.
He asked, “ efyochilingile ukuba? We know its 24 hours after being arrested you are taken to court. But it has not happened. One week that’s too much punishment.
Meanwhile, Banda has pleaded not guilty to one count of proposing violence or breaches of the law to assemblies contrary to the Law of Zambia.
It is alleged that Banda 33, on September 18, 2023, in Lusaka, at the University of Zambia (UNZA) without lawful excuse made a statement to cause an act calculated to lead to destruction or damage to any property.
After taking plea, Banda was admitted to bail in the sum of K50,000 in his own recognizance with two government working sureties bound in the like sum.
