Patriotic Front (PF) cadre Maxwell Chongu has reported UPP president Saviour Chishimba to the police for allegedly defaming President Edgar Lungu at a recent press conference.

And PF Lusaka youth chairman Kennedy Kamba says Saviour is deliberately acting foolish to make headlines so that he can be arrested by police.

In a brief statement yesterday, Chongu announced that he was the complainant in the matter and cited two others as witnesses.

“An official complaint has been lodged at Zambia police force headquarters regarding a case of defamation of character to our distinguished humble leader president Edgar Chagwa Lungu by UPP leader Dr Savior Chishimba. A docket has been opened to this end. The complainants are as follows; complainant: Maxwell Chongu, first witness, Phil Chikuwa and second witness, Chomba Kaoma. We hope the Zambia police service will do its job diligently,” stated Chongu.

And Kamba, in a separate statement, stated that Saviour was trying so hard to prove to his pay masters that the Head of State was suppressing opponents.

“The video circulating of Saviour Chishimba using unpalatable language to address His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu leaves bad taste in the mouth and should be condemned by all well-meaning Zambians. We understand that Chishimba seeks to swing President Lungu’s proclamation as per Article 31 meant to deter acts of sabotage and terrorism as the nation has witnessed into a political one to please imperialist forces bent on giving Zambia a bad name. While political pundits like Chishimba expected a full-fledged State of Emergency so they could score cheaply, they are yet to come to terms with the fact that President Lungu and his Cabinet instead put in measures to protect private and public property from acts of arson and terror. We also understand that Chishimba and his friends are trying so hard to prove to their paymasters that PF is suppressing and oppressing political opponents. To make headlines, he would rather act foolishly so he can be arrested by the police,” Kamba said.

Kamba urged opposition leaders to exhibit maturity.

“We wish to make a clarion call for maturity especially from some of these opposition political parties. Chishimba is a loose cannon who is trying so hard to make a political mark. Like UPND, another failed project of imperialist forces ready to sacrifice Zambia’s image at the altar of political expediency, Chishimba will soon regret his deeds and misdeeds. Like the UPND running to every tom and dick to give Zambia a bad name, Chishimba seeks to give President Lungu a bad name, locally. Saviour Chishimba’s greatest ambition, it appears, is to be arrested so he can cry ‘political persecution’. Sadly, he might just hurt himself in his futile journey to attain political martyrdom,” said Kamba.

“Lastly, we call on Zambians to demand that politicians respect the Office of President because that is the highest office in the land created by the people through the constitution. The Opposition may not like the individual occupying the Presidency but they have no justifiable reason to demean it. Zambians deserve political maturity as opposed to the character assassination our democracy is being reduced to. If indeed Zambia was a dictatorship as Saviour Chishimba and his minions allege, we wonder if he could even have the courage to produce and circulate such a defamatory content. This is an abuse of Zambia’s democratic space. Further, we call on relevant law enforcers ensure there is law and order as opposed to anarchy. Democracy demands discipline and respect for authorities!”

Listen to Saviour’s full briefing here: