By Chinoyi Chipulu
Government has disclosed that former president Edgar Lungu is undergoing chemotherapy treatment in South Africa.
And Ministry of Information and Media permanent secretary Thabo Kwana says there is no enmity between President Hakainde Hichilema and Lungu as the two are in talking terms.
Meanwhile, Kawana has refuted claims that government is blocking convicted former defense minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) from seeking medical services abroad, saying authorities in South Africa have placed conditions due to his status of being a convicted inmate.
Speaking during a press briefing yesterday, Kawana said Lungu was doing well in South Africa.
He said Lungu was in high spirits when he called him a few days ago.
“President Lungu in South Africa for treatment, he called me a few days ago, he was checking on my health. We had a chat and he told me he was done with chemotherapy and was waiting to go for review. We talked and joked,” he said.
He said the nation should know and understand that Lungu needed an opportunity to rest and recuperate, and urged people to desist from dragging him into politics.
“There are way too many statements being made in his name while he is away for medical treatment, too many statements being made in his name. This is not the time to drag Lungu into politics, this is the time to allow him to rest. It’s also a time that as a nation we come together and pray,” he said. We are a Christian nation and when we are affected, we take to God. Our former president right now needs our prayers.”
And Kawana said there was no enmity between President Hichilema and Lungu as the two constantly communicated.
“If you must know, HH and ECL speak to one another, and from time to time, HH calls Lungu to check on his brother to wish him well and to ensure all is well. Even when I was having that conversation I said to him, you know the country thinks you two don’t talk but I’m aware that you two talk to each other, and he laughed. He said it’s you people who are around us who give this impression that there’s enmity,” he said.
Kawana also said the government made an attempt to have Mwamba evacuated to a named Hospital in South Africa but the Hospital declined to attend to him because of his status as a convict.
He said following the decline, Mwamba’s family made other arrangements with another hospital in South Africa.
“Government together with Mwamba’s family is still waiting for the response from the said hospital. Authorities in South Africa have said the government and the family should hold on, they will tell us when they can allow for Mwamba to be taken to South Africa,” said Kawana.
