In this audio, President Edgar Lungu says the political crisis which leaders of the three church mother bodies are seeking to resolve only exists in their head.
Yesterday, the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), The Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) and the Evangelical Fellowship in Zambia (EFZ) said the country had finally eminently qualified to be branded a dictatorship under the leadership of President Lungu.
Speaking at a press briefing, Lusaka Catholic Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu, on behalf of other leaders, said State House had denied the church mother bodies access to the President, hence the resolve to issue a public statement and declare the country a dictatorship.
He charged that the PF government was using state institutions to oppress citizens because it did not have the will of the people on its side.
But speaking to journalists after returning from Lesotho, President Lungu expressed anger at the statement by the bishops.
“What crisis are they talking about? If there was a crisis, I wouldn’t be leaving the country and go away the way I am going. If there was a crisis, people wouldn’t be coming the way they are coming; the investors wouldn’t be investing the way they are doing. This crisis exists in their heads because they want to justify what they are getting from their pay masters,” charged President Lungu.
“Is there a crisis here? What crisis have you seen gentlemen and women from the media tell me. Everybody is able to go about with their business, people are talking carelessly, freedom of speech and who is arresting who? nobody!”
Take a listen:
He also said he had no time for the church proposed Indaba because he was a busy man, adding that if anyone wants to dialogue with him, they should first make available a list of items to be discussed.
“If they want issues to be discussed between me and whosoever, let them table the issues by way of explaining what are the issues to be discussed. You cannot go for an Indaba without tabulating what subjects you want to discuss,” President Lungu said.
“I have got too many things to do, I am a busy person. I cannot waste time because some civil societies want to justify their pay masters expenditure. So if anyone is calling for an Indaba with whoever, or for whatsoever, let them specify what we are going to discuss. That’s what you do. I am too busy, so if you have nothing to do, let them find something better to do.”
The President urged the church leaders to wait for the court process to dispose the treason case involving opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.
“How many times am I going to answer the same question over and over again? The issue is in the hands of the judicial process and the courts of low will determine. That is what we call respect for the rule of law,” said President Lungu.
4 Responses
I had doubt of zambia being a zambiabwe but not anymore the truth has come from the president himself.That we must forthwith forget about one zambia one nation and its so called zambia a christian nation. I concluded the followings ””a). That the president doesnt care about the church as long as they talk aginst him. b.)Zambia is now dictatorship ready to move on to the likes of mugabe and yoweri 30years in power…forget about mr kabila years lungu is focused big. c)That its unfortunate that the church leaders have been badly ignored. I thought the president will show a bit of respect to the MEN of GOD but instead HE called them BOUGHT by paymasters OR WAS IT GBM ? ITS ASD DAY AS that speakS volumes OF WHAT HE THINKS .
BYE BYE Zambia and welcome zambiabwe AS some one talked about the other time.
hello zambia ..is it raining there like here in chipata? good luky bonse
Very careless for an Archbishop to alarm a nation like this. Where has he been all along when HH was disrespecting the President before being jailed? Why is he not speaking for Mwaliteta as well as other prisoners too. Let the Archbishop show leadership and not speak carelessly like this. What a shame.
Inversely, peace, rule of law and democracy is all in PFs heads. Bury your heads or mask your fear with bravado at your own peril. I for one smell raw FEAR!!!