Chishimba Kambwili today barely escaped lynching by Patriotic Front cadres at Embassy Park when he joined others to lay wreaths in Michael Sata’s mausoleum.

And the expelled Roan PF of parliament has charged that Minister of Lands Jean Kapata is a savage who insulted Sata’s memory by organizing the attack.

After the official programme ended, a horde of PF cadres attempted to beat up Kambwili but a few police officers whisked him to his car.

However, Kambwili could not escape the Chibuku Shake Shake and other fluids which they poured on him before he was safely in his car.

Just as his car was making its way out, some of the PF cares kicked and threw stones at it whilst chanting anti-Kambwili slogans.

At a media briefing this afternoon, Kambwili said he had withdrawn his forgiveness for Kapata after today’s incident.

He also alleged that PF deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri and Lusaka Province youth chairman Kennedy Kamba colluded with Kapata to attack him.

“I am extremely disappointed that honorable Jean Kapata, Mumbi Phiri and Kamba could organize cadres from Inter City and other bus stations to come and attack me at the memorial service of the late Mr Sata. This is extremely disappointing. I never ever thought that they would sink so low. First and foremost, I want to tell Jean that I withdraw my forgiveness for her apology over what happened at Parliament. Because she was just apologizing to me last week over what she did to me, pouring water on me and insulting me at parliament and I forgave her wholeheartedly. But I am shocked that the same Jean Kapata can today instruct cadres to attack me at the funeral of the late Mr Sata. What kind of people are you?” Kambwili asked.

“She was even one of the people who were giving prayers in church over Mr Sata, little did we know that all that was blasphemy. Jean how can you behave like this? You approached me at parliament, you apologized and I told you, ‘no hard feelings you are my elder sister’. So that was a smokescreen to try and avoid sanctions from parliament. I told you even that time that if you are apologizing from your heart, I forgive you unreservedly. But I am so shocked. The problem you have as PF is that you don’t know who is with you and who is not. Some of those boys you organized to attack us came and told us and some of them are here and from here, I am going to report to the police. Jean you approached these boys with Kamba na Mumbi telling them ‘mwaleka shani Kambwili pano? Mudiling’eni. Shilya impiya tumipela shanshi? (how can you just let Kambwili walk around freely? Deal with him, that’s why we give you money)’ and those boys and girls who were at the church were genuine PF members, they refused and you sent for co boys from Inter City and some other bus stations in Lusaka and those are the ones who came and attacked me. You can imagine, at the funeral of Mr Sata, pouring Chibuku on me by the co boys. Kicking and damaging my vehicle. And I am going to report to the police this malicious damage.”

He described Kapata as a savage.

“Jean Kapata sure you just choose to be, like you said when you were insulting me that I am a savage, today I have proved that you are a savage. And I heard you myself, when I just arrived at Memorial Park, I passed where you were waiting for the Vice-President and I went straight in the mausoleum and you passed a word, ‘ngo uyu nayena aisa mukuchitanshi? Nabamutumpika sana uyu kumuleka fye aleiyendelela (what has this one come to do here? He’s become stupid because people are just leaving him walking around like that.)’. I heard you but I ignored you then you went and started organizing the boys with Kamba to attack me. So I am going to report to the police and I hope and trust that they will act with supersonic speed over this matter,” Kambwili said.

Kambwili said he wasn’t shocked that Mumbi Phiri was part of the collusion because she never cared about Sata.

“How can you sink so low? You can’t even respect the dead? You cannot even respect Mr Sata? How can you sink so low Jean? For you Mumbi Phiri I will forgive you because when Mr Sata died you were even saying ‘me I was celebrating when Mr Sata died because he brought me from foreign service. I was even shocked to see you at the memorial of Mr Sata because you said this in the presence of my brother and many other people,” said Kambwili.

“Why attack me? I came to mourn my own mentor, Mr Sata. You know that I usually go to the Copperbelt over the weekend but today I stayed because I respect Mr Sata so much. He is the person I worked with, the man I spent so much time to build the PF that you are enjoying. But today you come and insult him, slap him in the face but sending cadres to become unruly and attack us at his memorial. I have said it and I am going to say it again, if this is the way the PF is going to conduct itself, I can rest assure you that forget about PF going beyond 2021.”

But in a statement earlier, PF media director Sunday Chanda stated that no one had sent cadres to attack Kambwili.

“The general public should dismiss insinuations being spread on social media that Patriotic Front sent its youths to harass Roan MP Hon Chishimba Kambwili. On a day such as 28th October, all Party members are under instructions from the leadership of the Party to conduct themselves in a manner befitting the great memory of our Party founding leader, late President Michael Sata. We wish to state that the lawmaker attended the memorial Church service without any incident against him whatsoever. Unfortunately, he reportedly had confrontations at the memorial park. Those who have watched the video circulating on social media will attest to the fact that besides the state police, it is the PF members, among them PF Lusaka Province Youth Secretary Stanley Chumya protecting Hon Kambwili and ensuring his safe passage to the vehicle. These are officials he is capable of identifying and can attest to fact that they indeed protected him,” stated Chanda.

“PF has always condemned any form of violence irrespective of who the perpetrators are. We believe in the ideal that Zambians can and must co-exist irrespective of political differences. On this score, wish to restate our call for civilized political engagement. PF still holds the view that politics of provocation and resulting physical confrontation should not be identified with today’s body politic. Lastly, we wish to commend the officials present at memorial park for responding positively to the call by the top Party leadership for maximum restraint even amidst provocation. Let us continue to lead by example.”