By Mubanga Mubanga
Chienge member of parliament Given Katuta says the UPND government is harassing her because she voted no to bill 7.
In an interview with Daily Revelation on Saturday, Katuta said Henry Chuza, the person who was alleged to have been assaulted by herself, did not even work for Times of Zambia newspaper.
She said the intention by the government to appeal her acquittal by Lusaka magistrate ldah Phiri over the threatening violence charge was meant to disgrace her owing to the decision she took to vote against bill 7.
“It was all well orchestrated by UPND to try and disgrace me because l am principled. If you have noticed, l have been independent, this is my second term. So when UPND came into power, those who could not say yes, you noticed even on bill 7, l never said yes. So they want to bring me down, and they want to make me a zombie. And l don’t believe in that,” Katuta said. “So the government has, according to the constitution, they have the right to appeal. If they feel they are not happy, they have a right to appeal. We are yet to hear why they are making that appeal, because they have only served intentions that they are going to appeal. But it is very shocking and disappointing. Because if you look at some cases that have been before these courts, where the government has not even made an effort to appeal. You know some of the cases.”
And Katuta said she was ready to be the first female president of Zambia. She said she was going to stand as an independent presidential candidate in the August 13 general elections.
”So, when you ask me if l am still going ahead with my ambitions, yes l am still going ahead. Because it is tim … time has come for us women also, to be at the apex of leadership of our country. You know l do respect being in alliance,” Katuta said. “But, if you look closely at these alliances and the people who are in these political parties, you can see that these are for the elites and it is about power not about the people. So, l am still going ahead and l want to represent the people of Zambia to the whole world, to show them that you can be led by a woman, who is a mother, who is non-partisan.”
Katuta also congratulated the FDD for winning the Chawama by-elections. She said what happened in Chawama showed that the UPND was already a defeated party.
She added that the victory also showed that the people have said no to dictatorial tendencies by the UPND government.
“In the place when you say to make a formidable team to defeat UPND, UPND is already a defeated party by the people of Zambia. So, the people of Zambia all that they want is to see that UPND is completely out. In a peaceful manner using a ballot box. Let me tell you something,” said Katuta. “I want to repeat myself, before l answer your question. What took place in Chawama it is (was) the UPND government, it was the people vs UPND government. So, they are already defeated. Because they are just a party and the largest constituency it is the people of Zambia.”
