By Patson Chilemba
I question what type of a leader you are if you only want to hear what will massage your ears, said PF national chairman Davies Chama when asked on information that Edgar Lungu does not want him in his circles.
Asked by Daily Revelation on information that former president Lungu has developed a negative attitude and does not even want to see him (Chama) among the people in his inner circle after he (Chama) urged him to forego the presidency and take a backseat and leave it for the others to take over from him, Chama said: “If that’s the position people have taken it’s unfortunate. You know in life if you just want to hear what will massage your ears then I don’t know what type of a leader you are.”
He said loyalty in the former ruling party must be towards members and not an individual.
“In life people need to hear things that sometimes will build you rather than things that will destroy you. So if someone doesn’t even want to see me it’s unfortunate. It’s unfortunate. I can’t speak for them. For me it’s unfortunate. But I am not bothered by that,” Chama said.
Asked on information that he is coming under heavy attacks from Lungu’s loyalists in the party and that there are moves to have him removed from the position of national chairman, following his insistence that Lungu must take a back seat, Chama wondered what the architects of such schemes were waiting for to remove him from his party position.
“What are they waiting for? What is holding them to do that?” Chama laughed. “You know I don’t worry. There are certain things that don’t bother me. I am not bothered by those issues, not even a bit, about the schemes. The schemes of people who don’t know what they are doing. Ultimately it will catch up with them. So whatever they scheme, whether they scheme it in the day, they scheme it in the night, you scheme it in your dreams, the results will catch up with you in a very devastating way,” Chama said. “So the earlier anyone who is scheming that, the earlier they make a decision the better for them.”
Chama said “you can only ask them”, when asked on the moves against him after he urged Lungu to take a backseat.
“You can only ask them, the people scheming and whatever they are planning to do. That’s why I have told you some of us we are not moved by things that, there are certain things that don’t bother me,” Chama said. “You know I am anchored on truth, I am anchored by honesty. I am anchored by integrity. I am anchored by patriotism. And you know, some of us are not bootlickers. I have never been a bootlicker in my life. Me I will tell you not even behind your back. I will tell you in your face. That’s how I operate. I have operated like this for a long, long time. I don’t pretend about certain things.”
And asked what the future of the former ruling party looks like given the diminishing chances for reconciliation based on his insistence that president Lungu should cease active politics and pave way for others to lead, Chama expressed optimism on the future of the former ruling party, which he described as “family” in which he has built very good relationships over the years.
“And if you want to be enemies over politics then I don’t know what type of a people you are. I am not like that personally. I don’t take certain things personal. I want to be frank. I want to be honest with you and wishing that friendship can continue,” Chama said. “But if I advise you and you take personal about the advice that I have given you then we can only wish you well. So the future of PF as far as I am concerned it depends on the way people conduct themselves. Purely it’s about the way people conduct themselves. Because the Zambian people are not foolish. The Zambian people are watching. And purely the people are looking for a leadership that they can trust.”
He said Zambians were looking for a leadership with potential to transform their lives, built on a cohesion of love, unity, engagement and understanding.
“Whatever issue you may have you need to sit down and talk. If you can’t talk then, you can’t dialogue, you can’t even reach an understanding. You shut down people who want to talk, either (because) they have a different view from you,” said Chama
He said loyalty in PF must be to the members and not an individual
The PF has been embroiled in internal political infighting dividing the party into groups of those who want Lungu to come back and those who are supporting other candidates to take over from him.
