I feel ashamed to be part of the team that put PF into power because what is going on in this country shows that we gave birth to a dictator, says Patriotic Front member Collins Knight Chilando.

And another PF member based in Ndola, Wezi Msichili says the hatred and bitterness going on in in the political arena in Zambia is capable of leading to civil war.

In a solicited interview, Chilando expressed disappointment with how the PF government was intimidating opposition leaders.

“I’m very disappointed with what’s going on in this country, the intimidation of political opponents. It started with the president of UPND, he was jailed because he was opposing what government is doing. Then came Honourable Chishimba Kambwili who has always been speaking about the corruption that is going on. Why didn’t they arrest him when he was still in government? The time he was in government, why didn’t they pick up all these corruption cases? It is not good to start intimidating political opponents all the time,” Chilando said.

“The leader of MMD Dr Nevers Mumba has just been jailed for three months. For what case? For the flimsy charge of going to ZNBC? I personally go to ZNBC and no one has ever asked me as to what I’m going to do inside ZNBC. I’m actually very surprised that he has been jailed because he went to see a news reporter at ZNBC without an appointment.”

He said there was something terribly wrong with Zambia’s democracy.

“Orders are coming from the top to intimidate the opposition leaders which is very wrong. Look at South Africa for instance, Julius Malema has been there for how long? Until Zuma came out, Malema had been challenging Zuma, but we have never heard of Julius Malema being arrested because of challenging the President. What is wrong with our democracy? Are we really in a democracy or dictatorship? I think this is dictatorship and I’m very sad as a member to be part of the team that campaigned and put the PF in power,” he said.

Chilando charged that Zambia has governance problems because it has leaders who got into power through corruption.

“I fought very hard in Chawama constituency where the President comes from. I worked with the President’s daughter herself and I fought very hard to put PF into power and I feel ashamed to be part of the team that put PF into power. We have got leaders in place who got into office by corruption. Before they were even appointed they were corrupt because they had to corrupt their way through to be adopted. How can they lead a nation when they are actually corrupt from the beginning?” asked Chilando.

Meanwhile, Msichili who also campaigned for PF said the level of hatred in the country under the PF government was beyond politics.

“We have really endured. For us to talk, it has just been too much. I stood as aspiring candidate for Ndola Central constituency. We have just seen the level of hatred that’s in the country and the democratic practices that are not seen in any African country. This has gone beyond politics. It’s now personal fights. It’s really up to the President (Edgar Lungu) to calm down the situation in the country because if we are not really careful we are going to land into a civil war with this hatred and bitterness. When civil unrest starts, it will not even be controlled,” warned Msichili.

“For me, I’m really disappointed especially with the PF leadership. As a member of PF I’m disappointed. I worked so hard for PF and I have no regrets at the moment to say that I’m leaving the party. I’m not going to endure anymore.”