By Staff Reporter
In a heated phone conversation between Vice-President Mutale Nalumango and former President Hakainde Hichilema’s campaigner Rachel Chileshe, the two exchanged sharp words and ended up calling each other mad.
And Chileshe has reacted to police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga’s threats that she should not complain if she is cited for contempt if she continues “ranting” over the Hatembo case, saying she is actually ready to be arrested for telling the truth over the abduction of the Hatembos.
Chileshe, in a recorded conversation, exchanged sharp words with Vice-President Nalumango.
The call started with Nalumango telling Chileshe that she thought she had her mobile number.
But replying, Chileshe said she deleted the number, and was only concerned with issues about the vice-presidency on which exact person was left acting in the absence of President Hakainde Hichilema, because it was never mentioned to the nation.
“No I deleted mama. I deleted your number. I am only concerned about the vice-presidency, not yourself,” she said.
She complained of being used by Vice-President Nalumango, something the Vice-President rejected.
However, Chileshe said they at one point campaigned together in Mansa.
“That is some imagination. I never invited you to any campaign,” Vice-President Nalumango argued.
“Ba Mutale insoni ebuntu. Ba Vice-President insoni ebuntu (Madam Vice-President please have a sense of shame),” Chileshe retorted, forcing Nalumango to tell her to “please stop your madness.”
“Is it me who invited you or you went with GBM or who?” Vice-President Nalumango asked.
She told Chileshe not to involve her in her political fights.
“I don’t use people who are mad,” said Nalumango.
“You are also mad madam (Vice) President. You are also mad. No, no, don’t insult people you are also mad. If you can call me to call me mad you are also mad,” Chileshe said.
And Chileshe said she read in Daily Revelation Newspaper where police warned her that she will be cited for contempt if she continued ranting.
“I saw something today on Daily Revelation Newspaper where they said that police has warned me that if I continue ranting it will be contempt,” Chileshe said. “I don’t know if they want the police to intimidate me. Ba police if you want to come and arrest Rachel Chileshe for telling the truth, come and do it. It is your duty to arrest but what I know is that the police I used to know is to maintain law and order. It’s not to intimidate people.”
She said the police arrested FDD leader Edith Nawakwi, but she has never heard of Nawakwi appearing before any judge over the matter she was charged for.
“I have never heard that the case has been opened and this is the case number,” Chileshe said.
She said she has heard about a man who recently came out saying that he is the one who actually kept the Hatembos, saying the police should go and arrest him as well as more information was coming out now.
Chileshe pleaded with President Hichilema to stem the tide of tribalism in the country, claiming that her close relation was recently denied a job at Zesco because of being a Bemba, saying they literally tore his papers to shreds.
Following Nawakwi’s arrest, Chileshe came out in her defence saying President Hichilema was behind the scandal then as an opposition leader, together with some current serving government officials.
She said her husband who was President Hichilema’s lawyer even advised him at one point to let the Hatembos go, but that the President disagreed arguing that he would not be on the ballot paper if the PF got a hold of the Hatembos.
Chileshe said Nawakwi was pursuing a matter at that time regarding some matter related to the former LIMA Bank, in which she wanted to implicate the President.
