Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo has threatened to politically “crush UPND president Hakainde Hichilema and send him into extinction if he continues practicing provocative politics.

Commenting on an incident last week in Sesheke where UPND supporters clashed with President Edgar Lungu’s supporters during campaigns, Lusambo said Hichilema was looking for reasons to get arrested again so that he could continue denting the President’s name.

Speaking in Sesheke Constituency in Western Province when he went to drum up support for PF’s Parliamentary Candidate Dean Masule, Sunday, Lusambo said Hichilema’s failure to obey lawful orders to suspend his campaign tour on grounds that the President was going to be in Sesheke on the same day was another desperate attempt to get into State House by all means.

“What we have continued to witness are high levels of arrogance by a man who foolishly has convinced himself that he is better than the incumbent, although election results point to the contrary. By refusing to allow President Lungu to freely conduct his business in the district, Mr Hichilema was endangering the lives of his few supporters but most importantly, what he needs to remember is that such actions have the potential to risk the life of His Excellency, President Lungu who has been given the mandate to preside over the lives of 17 million Zambians,” Lusambo said.

Lusambo insisted that Hichilema needed to be stopped saying the opposition leader’s “cheap political stunts” could not go on forever.

“First, it was Limulunga and now we have to be dealing with the case of Sesheke and the instigator is always the same. We wish to further warn Mr Hichilema that President Lungu is also a leader of the most powerful political party in the nation. The PF has the muscle and the numbers to bury the UPND for good. For him individually, he will be crushed politically if he continues playing Tom and Jerry with the presidency,” Lusambo charged.

Meanwhile, Lusambo commended the UPND Chairperson for Elections Garry Nkombo for demonstrating maturity and leadership in the manner politics should be conducted in Zambia.

Lusambo stated that Hichilema should emulate Nkombo by denouncing violence.

“Clearly, Hon Nkombo does not approve of such stupid stunts and we would expect that the entire leadership of an opposition political party could take a leaf from the Mazabuka lawmaker who has a better and mature way of looking at politics,” Lusambo said.

Lusambo threatened that he would personally crush Hichilema politically and force him into extinction.

“President Lungu is running Zambia and he is doing a very good job so far while Mr. Hichilema has failed to run a small tribal grouping. The one thing we know he is good at – is running cattle at his ranches. The distinction must be clearly noted. If Mr Hichilema does not quit the provocative brand of politics, he will have to deal with me and I can assure him that as an effective and time tested grass root mobilizer with a PhD in politics, I will personally crush him politically and he will be extinct in no time,” said Lusambo.