By Agness Changala
FDD leader Edith Nawakwi says President Hakainde Hichilema has committed a felony and transferred it to a private citizen, warning that he will reap what he is sowing.
And Nawakwi said President Hichilema knows deep down his heart that he is the perpetrator of the so-called abduction because Pheluna and Milton were squarely in his custody.
Meanwhile, the FDD leader says the Benefit Consulting Company in which President Hichilema and his friends own shares is the one sitting on the pension of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) employees.
Addressing journalists at the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court after her case was where she is accused of abducting and kidnapping Pheluna and Milton was adjourned, Nawakwi said it was the third time her matter was taken to court but in the first two appearances, only the state appeared and neither her nor her lawyer were informed by the arresting officer or the prosecution.
She said the intention was to secure a bench warrant against her but she relishes the day when she will take stand and sees the faces of the alleged victims.
“So it is very clear for all to see that the intention of the government was to secure a bench warrant against me. How else do you take the fact that the matter is being brought before the justices and the suspect is not informed?” Nawakwi asked. “But be that as it may, criminals must be fought. Financial criminals and moral criminals in this case, it’s the morality of President Hakainde Hichilema. He knows deep down in his heart that he is the perpetrator of the so-called abduction because these people were squarely in his custody and as I said, I really relish the day when I will be put on stand. The matter is coming for start of trial on January 31, 2024, I want to see the face of Milton Hatembo and Pheluna Hatembo, because those are state witnesses, when we send Subpoenas the state will also bring Hakainde to the court room and others.”
She said there are important matters which President Hichilema is expected to address, among them the issue of unpaid KCM employees who she said have been running up and down to his residence and offices and nothing is being done.
“We all know why they are not being paid. Benefit Consulting Company in which Hakainde Hichilema and his friends own shares is the one sitting on the pension of KCM employees,” she said. “This kind of behavior is nothing short of criminality where pension funds are transferred abroad and his subsidiary companies like Sanlam and you turn to poor people from Konkola Copper Mines from the Copperbelt and pretend that it’s the law. There is no law. There is no law that allows them to … pensioners’ funds to Sanlam and force them to start signing contracts which they refused for five years.”
She said President Hichilema should feel morally embarrassed about the KCM pensioners’ situation and instruct his company to pay pensioners.
“For five years people have been waiting for their pension. We expect that since he is in the State House, at this moment in time, he should actually feel morally embarrassed so as to instruct Benefit Consulting his company to pay the pensioners. These are the issues,” she said.
Nawakwi said the country was going through economic challenges yet the President was using state resources to pursue innocent people.
“Those are the issues. Issues of hunger, it’s raining, there is no fertilizer yet he wants to waste the resources of the Republic to pursue innocent people. I hope in the witness list, the State will subpoena him and his permanent secretaries such as Nicholas Phiri and his other friends. So I am ready. I told you that I wanted to talk in court. So colleagues, we wait for that day when I think the issues have to be put before their justices for them to be good arbiters,” Nawakwi said.
She said the President has committed the felony and transferred to her, a private citizen.
“We have come this far, you can’t as a head of State commit a felony and pass it on to a private citizen. It’s anathema, it’s the behavior of Herod. He is insecure this man. He doesn’t like competition. He is incompetent that’s all. There is nothing to talk about the kwacha, the economy, there are all sorts of problems in this country that you expect a normal leader to exercise their minds to not think that Nawakwi is still standing, so let me go and put her under lock and key,” said Nawakwi.“How many people are going to go to jail, how many does he want to send to jail except himself but time will come. Time will come. Power by its nature is transitory. What you do to others, it shall be done to you.”
