By Staff Reporter
Ministry of Information media director Thabo Kawana says former president Edgar Lungu’s children called a press briefing to whip up people’s emotions to cry with them, without taking any questions and attempting to explain how they became wealthy “overnight.”
But Kawana refused to comment on whether the UPND administration will encourage investigations into the matter where a minister is alleged to be encouraging resource looting of mineral resources by UPND cadres.
During a press briefing, an emotional former president’s daughter, Tasila, pleaded that they should not be judged in the media but should be allowed to have their day in court.
Reacting to Tasila and Lungu’s children, Kawana said the children crying that the state is harassing them, persecuting them and trying them in the media called a press briefing in the media, when one would have felt that they would call a press conference to justify how they earned their properties.
He said he expected that they would explain how they earned the property by saying, “we did this business and so on, that’s how I ended up with these properties.”
“That’s why my brother has 65 vehicles, my sister has this and that. But they don’t make mention to that and then they call a press briefing and they don’t take any questions,” Kawana said. “But the gist of the matter is in the questions because the people of Zambia are not interested in all those crying, ‘I am appealing and so on’. What they want to hear is how did you become wealthy because this is a family we saw, we elected into office. We saw where they came from, how they came in, what they owned and so on. And now we are seeing what they own after seven years on office. And even when they are talking about the properties they are not even saying they earned the properties in this way or that way.”
Kawana said the Lungus must explain how they earned their properties.
“All they are saying is that our father worked hard. Therefore giving an impression that the properties they have or the wealth they have was bequeathed to them by their father. But their father was a public servant. We all know his salary for the past seven years. We all know what he earned and all the law enforcement agencies are saying is that ‘we have investigated you, you own this property but how much you have earned over the years against what you have it doesn’t tally’, therefore the excess we are deeming it as proceeds of crime’,” Kawana said. “Their role is to say, no it’s not. This is how I earned it. But they don’t want to talk about that. They just want to whip an emotion into the people of Zambia basically calling the people of Zambia that look come and cry with us. But don’t ask why we are crying, just start crying also. No sir, the people of Zambia want to know how did these children become rich overnight?”
But asked to comment on the story where Luapula Province minister Derrick Chilundika defended himself against the audio that has gone viral in which someone who sounds like him was encouraging public resource looting, describing the same as computer work, and if the UPND administration would encourage independent investigations to ascertain the authenticity, Kawana said he would not comment on the matter.
Put to him that he must comment on the matter just as freely as he was doing with the other allegations involving Lungu’s children, Kawana claimed that he was not aware about that story.
“Let me first find out what the story is all about then I can comment,” claimed Kawana.
During a briefing by Lungu’s children and their spouses at the former president’s residence, Tasila said the past year and a half have proven to be hard times for their family, saying their lives have revolved around family and constantly being invited to the Law Enforcement Agencies.
“We have endeavored to lead a quiet life after our father left office in August 2021. We must hasten to say that we are not objectionable to the Law Enforcement Agencies making inquiries into any matter and we have constantly and consistently complied with the Law Enforcement Agencies. Despite our compliance, it seems to us that it has become fashionable to demonize the Lungu family based on unfounded allegations,” Tasila, who became emotional and sobbed as she ran the statement, with her husband Mwansa extending his hand to comfort her, said. “The state has not made it any easier for us, as they seem to play to the gallery in matters that relate to our family. Ordinarily, we would expect to be the first to know as relates to matters involving any member of our family. However, we have learnt of the recent lawsuits through news items published in tabloids and various social media platforms. We proceeded to engage our lawyers to obtain the necessary documents from the state, which attempt was met with difficulties.”
Tasila said they have finally obtained the necessary documents and will proceed to respond appropriately, appealing to all to allow them to defend themselves in court.
“The dramatization of our circumstances by the state in the daily tabloids has only worked to demonize our father who worked diligently to serve this country and willingly handed over power to the incumbent. We have had to spend considerable amount of time with our father and mother who, in all these difficult times, have opted to remain silent,” said Tasila. “Our father’s resolve is that we allow the law to take its course, and we agree with that position. Whereas some may call our father different names, he remains a caring father to us and a loving husband to our mother. We wish to thank all that have reached out and empathized with us. Your encouragement has kept us going. In conclusion, our request is that we may not be tried in the media but that we be given justice in court.
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