UPND president Hakainde Hichilema says the quantity and value of corruption in the PF government makes corruption during Fredrick Chiluba’s time seem like nothing.

And Hichilema says he doesn’t subscribe to gayism and the Patriotic Front is spreading a contrary narrative to divert people’s attention from their theft.

Meanwhile, Hichilema has insisted that the Constitution Amendment Bill number 10 of 2019 is draconian.

Speaking on a Joy FM radio program, Thursday, Hichilema all Zambians were now feeling the ramifications of PF corruption.

“Why are people pronouncing corruption every now and then? It’s because there is corruption we have never seen before. People used to talk of the corruption under MMD, the Chiluba time, that was like chicken feed, it was nothing compared to the corruption today. There is too much corruption! The levels of corruption, the quantities of corruption and the money involved, is just never been seen before in the world. Just on one road, this road (Great North Road), the PF clique are insisting on continuing with the Lusaka Ndola road and they have given a contract for $1.2 billion! A road that should cost $3m to $4 million dollars. It means they are going to pocket $300 to $900 million. Where do they take all this money? The quantities of corruption is so huge that it is hurting people,” Hichilema said.

“When the PF took office, mealie meal was K30, today mealie meal is K170 to K200 because of corruption. Corruption it’s a thief it steals from the children. The small clique on top is now polluting everyone, it’s a cancer. What is a solution? It is zero tolerance to corruption, [that] is the UPND answer.”

Hichilema said the EIA report on mukula was real.

“Mr Lungu, you can’t wish away the Environmental Investigative Agency report. You can’t wish it away by calling it fake news. It is real! There are people in the Timber Traders Association who have more information than what that report has revealed…Well maybe they must sue the EIA! Let us see who will win that case. Let me tell you, they will not sue EIA because they are afraid that more evidence will come out. So if they believe that this is fake news, let them sue EIA and then more details will come. The Timber Traders Association will be subpoenaed to court to give their side of the story. Those involved must exonerate themselves. They must not cry behind cries of victimization. How can anyone victimize Mr Edgar Lungu?” he asked.

And Hichilema said he did not believe in gayism.

“The PF are calling me names, accusing me of having sold the mine is just to divert attention, they are saying gayism, I have said many times, I don’t believe in gayism as an Adventist Christian. Why do they insist? It is to divert attention from the subject so that they can continue stealing. Today corruption has corroded every sphere of life. Corruption is the major tax than even the taxes that we pay. And this is why gangs and crooks are ganging up to say let us not allow HH to take office because he will stop corruption,” he said.

“They said HH sold the Lower Zambezi National Park! How can I sell a national park? And you have seen that debate has died! Why has it died? Why haven’t they taken me to court? Why have they not taken me to the police? Why haven’t those small PF boys in Parliament taken me to court? Because it was never an issue.”

Hichilema accused the PF of wishing him dead for talking on behalf of the people of Zambia.

“Since there is so much hatred by a small clique of PF leaders for HH, you will see the venom every day. When we were there at the Katuba by election, one man would stand at a platform and say HH will never lead, HH will need win. He goes to Choma ‘ohh HH…’. Does he want to kill me? Maybe he has plans to kill me, to eliminate me? But life belongs to God since they hate me so much and they hate me because I am speaking for the people of Zambia,” Hichilema said.

“They bring tribalism, talking about load shedding is that tribalism? Talking about students who are struggling is that tribalism? No. They hate me so much. Since they hate me so much and they wish me dead, you can see that they wish me dead but life belongs to God. You wish someone dead, you may go before that person. God is the best equalizer.”

Meanwhile, Hichilema insisted that Bill 10 was draconian.

“Bill 10 is draconian, we don’t want it! Bill 10 is different from the parliamentary select committee recommendation, that is not Bill 10. Bill 10 is what PF took to the House for decision making. The parliamentary committee report is not automatic that those recommendations will be taken in there. History had shown how this Parliament conducts itself. The two MPs (UPND) and the PF MPs were representing the minority and voted against the people of Zambia. Bill 10 should not be allowed to proceed. Two members of parliament voted against the party position but this is not important. They voted against the people of Zambia position” said Hichilema.

“What should happen going forward is that we should now sit down, have a process that respects two fundamental principles amongst many; one: we must be consultative because there was no sufficient consultation. The PF wanted to bully their way through. Now we must consult each other. Two: we must be inclusive, we must not exclude certain sections. So it is not just PF and UPND and MPs no! It is PF, UPND, other political parties, the church mother bodies, it is the body of Zambians. Let them take this approach; a consultative process and an inclusive process. And then we will agree on what the constitution amendment must be. That is what PF should have done. They just wasted people’s money. Now we are ready to consult, we have always been ready to dialogue but we must be serious.”