By Patson Chilemba
PF squabbling and infighting followed former president Edgar Lungu to Shalom Embassy during the national Prayer, Repentance and Fasting Day, after his supporters are said to have forced a former diplomat from the Church over alleged links to party national chairman Davies Chama.
When contacted for comment, former diplomat to Ethiopia in the Lungu administration, Brian Nyoni said
neither was he at Church nor was he beaten by Lungu’s cadres, an account that has been disputed by former PF Lusaka provincial chairlady Margaret Mumba, vocal cadre Kelvin Mwaba, popularly known as Papa Gunasi and other witnesses.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Gunasi accused Nyoni of refusing his own presence at Shalom Embassy because it did not reflect well on the former president that he went to pray while his cadres were harassing people at the same time.
He said Nyoni was harassed in full view of the PF leaders.
And posting in one of the PF Whatsapp groups, Mwaba charged that Nyoni was forced out of Church by Lungu’s supporters.
“When Lungu was in Church there at Shalom Embassy, there is a gentleman named Brian Nyoni, the one who was in that Sesheke ‘scandal’ with Davies Chama, he was a driver. When he went to sit behind Lungu, the PF cadres supporting Lungu rose against him,” Mwaba said. “They lifted the person by force and removed him from Sunday Sinyangwe’s Church that he supports Davies Chama.”
Contacted for comment over Mwaba’s narration, Nyoni said that account was not true, saying he was not even at Church but was busy at his plot.
He said he did not even talk to Mwaba about any incident.
“Me I was not there. I was not even at that Church. I was busy at the plot yesterday. Put it on record, I was not there yesterday. It’s a total malicious, unless they are referring to another Brian not me,” Nyoni said. “But I would love to know the person you are referring to. To be honest … this is total confusion. This is total confusion. If anything I would love to have that audio and honestly I think I will even inform the SG over this matter because this is total confusion. Someone must have been paid for him to say whatever he is saying.”
After the chat, Nyoni immediately sent a whatsapp message stating: “I was not at Church bwana no one attacked me.”
Daily Revelation made efforts to get in touch with several other PF members who were at Church, with several confirming that the violent harassment did take place but were not ready to speak on record.
However, former provincial chairlady, Mumba who was in Lungu’s, entourage indicated that the incident happened although not to the degree Mwaba painted.
Asked on assertions that a former diplomat was harassed and removed from Church for alleged links with Chama, Mumba responded with a question, saying: “Oh he was removed?”
“No, he wasn’t removed. He was there in Church, we prayed with him. But behind where we sat there were some queries from people about him but we controlled them. And he was allowed to sit on. It was just one person he argued with not all the cadres,” Mumba said. “And inside the Church we did not allow any cadre to sit there. No, he was not beaten.”
She continued: “When someone was speaking inside there, the ADC (Lungu’s aide Chanda) went to control the situation, telling them to say leave this man (Nyoni) alone. He is not their child. That’s how it all ended and he even entered inside and we even sat with him and even left the place peacefully.”
Another cadre who refused to speak on record but was also there at Church said Nyoni was present at Shalom Embassy, and that after he entered Church and sat behind Lungu, the former president’s supporters told him to leave the place because of his alleged links to Chama.
“But when he refused to leave, he was forcibly removed. That’s how he was removed. He was wearing glasses and a blue suit,” said the cadre. “He was removed from Church and was not allowed back in again. He just stayed outside the Church premises. But other Church goers intervened saying Church was not a place to settle partisan scores. I was there myself.”
