By Patson Chilemba
Paul Moonga says President Hakainde Hichilema must overlook all the mistakes that could have been committed by former president Edgar Lungu in order to maintain the dignity of the presidency.
And Moonga said he is reporting to the police “one lumpen”, he named as Misheck Chatola for allegedly sending him messages where he (Chatola) allegedly insulted president Lungu, warning that that is what he will be doing against people in the habit of insulting the former president.
Moonga also said lifting Lungu’s immunity will not bring bread on the table nor reduce the price of mealie meal.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Moonga said if the investigative wings were to discover any smoking gun pointing to president Lungu, President Hichilema must not be moved to lift the immunity of his predecessor, saying that was something he must overlook to maintain the dignity of the former president.
“Correct! By the nature of that duty of the office even my current president HH I have said to you Patson, I shall never demean that office of President anymore. He’s no longer president of UPND. He’s my president for everybody. For every Zambian…and that office remains, even after he’s left office he will remain my former president HH and I will give him the due respect he deserves throughout my life. I shall never ever endevour to do anything against President HH. Unless I am insane, I am stupid. If I am normal as I am normal now I will respect the office of President HH,” Moonga said.
Moonga said there was a reason the immunity was placed on presidents in the first place, as “by virtue of that office you are prone to make mistakes as you discharge your duties.”
“So if you remove the immunity of Mr Edgar Lungu, is that bringing bread of the table, bringing down the price of mealie meal? The answer is no! So let the new government focus on real issues like we did ourselves as PF we never took any president to court. Rupiah Banda lost elections we never even endevour to say we should investigate the former president,” Moonga said, however the PF took president Banda to court having stripped him of his immunity over corruption allegations. But Moonga said the PF of Lungu never took him to court.
He said even the Task Force tasked to investigate late late former president Frederick Chiluba did not achieve anything as “the man was acquitted in his grave”, saying there was so much to do in Zambia than talking about lifting Lungu’s immunity.
“What will that benefit the Zambia people? Division. We must respect the institution of the former president and that’s why you find some people may not want to leave power because of this same thing, when you leave office, we should go for him,” Moonga said. “And I am yet to report somebody to the police who has been masquerading, insulting the former head of state. I haven’t told president Lungu. I am going to report to the police. I will open the docket for him, for somebody to be calling them president all sorts of names.”
Moonga said it was not right for anyone to insult the former president, saying he will be reporting the man he named as Chatola to the police for insulting Lungu.
“He stays in Makeni. He’s Zimbabwean, he was born in Zambia here, he’s Shona by tribe who is now insulting my former president. And I will report the matter to the police. His name is Misheck Chatola. I won’t leave him until he tells me why he is insulting the former president. He’s a lumpen who moves from one party to the other. He was working from Meridian Bank and he will tell you why he was fired and what happened to him,” Moonga said. “I don’t know he’s just a lumpen. He thinks now because he has got a matter in court with Zambian breweries, so he wants to go near UPND so that they can assist him get money from Zambia Breweries where his contract was terminated. I can’t repeat his insults but the police I will give them the matter.”
Moonga said president Lungu may have his own weaknesses and failures just life everybody else.
“President Lungu can error he’s human,” said Moonga.
On assertions within the former ruling party that president Lungu was fomenting divisions within its ranks, Moonga said: “Our president is too honest human being, where I can’t measure myself. His shoes are too big for me. He’s honest, straightforward. He’s not associated with anybody not even with me Paul Moonga. He loves all of us as his children…he wants the will of the people to be done. And the man is humble, he’s honest, straightforward and I wish I can be like him, but it’s not possible. So let them leave our president alone.”
