By Staff Reporter
Hakainde Hichilema is after me but he won’t kill me, says retired Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu.
And Archbishop Mpundu says there is absolutely no need to ask former president Edgar Lungu to refund the government the money it spent on him when he ‘temporarily retired’ from active politics, because benefits have already been withdrawn.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Archbishop Mpundu said people must go into government to serve the people.
“But HH is not doing it. You can tell him. He’s not doing it. We try to help him to do it, he’s very, very hesitant. He’s not going to survive if he continues on that. And this is not a dream. It is a promise to him. You continue this way, God is going to get you much sooner than later,” Archbishop Mpundu said. “In Parliament you are causing that kind of thing.”
He said President Hichilema might not agree with people but he must allow them to talk, saying he was willing to die supporting one’s point of opinion as that is what democracy was all about.
The Bishop wondered why the country fought for independence if people could not be allowed to speak, urging the media to stand up even if they were to be accused of insulting someone.
“Speak the truth. What is going on in my opinion is childish, without any reservations. Childish! How can we do things like that? One group says no, we are going to impeach you and then another group says no no, you are not supposed to be here. Is this what we fought for? This is not what we fought for,” he said, saying Zambia was the darling of Africa at one point but was now a shame to the African continent.
The Archbishop said the Zambians elected with enthusiasm were now oppressing people and insulting Zambians.
“No we cannot bear this. He (President Hichilema) is not going to get away with it. He should be told, ba mudala, if you are tired just tell us. But you are not going to be allowed to rule the way you are ruling now. He can’t be allowed. We are a laughing stock in the African continent. Even the Mandelas of this world were coming to us for advice now we are a shock,” he said.
He said the western diplomats were very frank in assessing the situation in the country and were not just beating about “George Bush (the bush).”
“They are saying this is wrong. It is not democracy. You are retrogressive. And why did you come to power at all in order to do whatever you are doing?” Archbishop Mpundu asked. “And when it comes to corruption, it is the number 1 corrupt country in the whole region here, probably even more. So is that what we fought for? And when people say, ‘Look, you are corrupt’, okay then they are being threatened.”
He said some people were telling him to be careful with what he was saying, saying “HH is after you.”
“Let him come after me. Let him kill me if he wants. But I won’t die even when he kills me. You hear that? You hear that? Tell him, you want to kill me, go ahead but I won’t die,” he said, urging the media to be on the side of the people.
Archbishop Mpundu described the recent chaos in Parliament as childish.
“This country is a democratic dispensation and this time it is precisely on the shoulders of HH, he is trying to bring dictatorship in this country. He’s not going to succeed. So why having such a fuss in the national parliament? The National Parliament is a very sacred place for our people, for our legislators to go ahead, and then someone is trying to bring all kinds of things. In my opinion my brother it is childish,” Archbishop Mpundu said. “It is devilish, it must be stopped. Why try to get rid of 55 members of parliament? For what? And then you start doing whatever you want? No! No! It’s extremely childish. It’s devilish. You can quote me on that. We do not want a one party dictatorship in this country. We want a truly democratic dispensation.”
The Bishop said the country could not go back to the old days, saying after Independence things were nice until Dr Kenneth Kaunda became the only person to talk.
And last Thursday, Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha revealed that some citizens had sued him to compel Lungu to pay back the funds the government spent on.
Daily Revelation had information that the government was discussing suing Lungu in court for allegedly obtaining money by false pretenses.
Kabesha in an interview said the government had not sued Lungu but he had been sued by some citizens who wanted Lungu to pay back all the monies he had been paid.
Commenting on the story, Archbishop Mpundu said since he has gone back to active politics, benefits have been withdrawn and pushing him to refund would be vindictive.
“Now that he is going back, you can take whatever benefits they say, now they want to go back and get whatever they gave him… No, I find that these politics in my opinion are just vindictive. They are not worthy of Zambia. Not at all. We should be served from all this kind of things. We are a laughing stock in this region. Really! Why go to that extent?” asked Archbishop Mpundu. “We want bygones to be bygones especially when it comes to presidential expenses. Yes presidential expenses were there so now you are taking them retrogressively no. It doesn’t make sense. Let’s move forward.
“There is absolutely no need. Absolutely no need. We have to make it very clear. Please let us be mature people and a nation that is mature.”
In 2021 after losing elections, president Lungu resigned as PF president and wrote to Cabinet informing the office that he was no longer president of the party.
He automatically qualified to receive his benefits per the benefits of the former president.
Cabinet went ahead and started paying him taxpayers’ money and rented a mansion for him from Zambian celebrity and footballer Stopila Sunzu.
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