By Staff Reporter
Mwense district council chairman (UPND) Stephen Chikota says he is part of the UPND that will rule until 2090, and that he will not be pushed aside because of the “petty” sugilite cases.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Chikota said he campaigned for President Hakainde Hichilema with brains when it was not fashionable to do so, saying people “championing” against him never even came close to the bullet.
He said he had taken the journalist’s call and must not be accused that he failed to answer on account of “coughing.”
“First of all I expected you to address me as Mr sugilite because that’s what you have portrayed in the media. You the media guys, you have portrayed that Chikota is connected always to sugilite,” Chikota said.
He said the police should be the ones to explain why the have “re-arrested him” again.
“You can inquire from the spokesperson from the police … And I have also read it from the media that I have been re-arrested and formerly charged. Of course what I received was that I was supposed to start appearing in court,” he said.
He argued that in Zambia someone was “now proven guilty until you have proven innocent” as opposed to one being deemed innocent until proven guilty.
“So I won’t comment much over that issue. It’s water under the bridge and as time goes on we will be able to know who is who and who did that and that,” Chikota said, saying if he were to be called he must be asked about the other programmes the UPND was carrying out in his district.
He said his council had procured 6300 desks from this year’s CDF, building 13 classrooms, five staff houses as well as procuring earth moving equipment.
“People are rejoicing. For them sugilite is non nor there,” Chikota said, and claiming that he did not even know how the sugilite mineral looks like. “Mwana ba opposition apa tabakabwele, we will rule upto 2090. And Chikota will not be pushed because of these petty cases. I campaigned for the President, for the party when it was not fashioned. And the people who are championing about Chikota, that and this are those who never even came close to the bullet. So Chikota is there to live with the President. We supported the man with the brains. We never looked at the face. We never looked at his height. And he has delivered in less than three years, compared may be to PF and MMD combined … Thank you next time don’t say ba Chikota balekola (he was coughing). He was coughing. I am not coughing.”
Chikota is among the 20, including former Luapula Province minister Derrick Chilundika, provincial police commissioner Cheelo and several other police officers and UPND cadres who have been formerly arrested and charged over their involvement in the illegal mining of sugilite.
