PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu says whether Hakainde Hichilema likes it or not, he will be re-elected for a third successive time as Republican President in next year’s general elections.
Speaking, Wednesday, when he drummed up support for George Chisanga, the PF candidate in today’s Lukashya parliamentary by-election, President Lungu vowed that whether voters liked it or not, he would still end up being re-elected for a third time at the 2021 general election.
The President said it’s not him who doesn’t want Hichilema to appear on the ballot paper, but the people of Zambia who are asking him to account for selling the country.
“Ati ndemutina mu 2021 ndefwaya ekabako (They are saying that I am scared of HH, I don’t want him to appear on the) ballot paper it is not me who is demanding that HH should account for his past. It is the people of Zambia. HH, whilst we were sleeping sold the country. The Zambians have woken up for goodness sake they have seen that they want an answer. So let me warn the UPND that we have woken up. I am ready to go for the commission of inquiry if that will be the best line so that we know,” he said
And President Lungu has charged that he cannot be scared of UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema because he is “too small for him” and that in 2021, “nkamufikinya”.
He also said if he were to die today, Vice-President Inonge Wina would take over as President.
“Nangu chibe shani namailo litali, na 2021 litali, lelo kufika next election mu August pa 12 mu 2021, president ninebo! Nangu alefwaya olo talefwaya, president ninebo! Nobo mukasala afwile abomba naine. Nga chakutila ati nafwa lelo, ba President niba Inonge Wina, chapwa! Ulelanda ati aleleta ubuyantashi alebepa pantu ubuyantashi uli kuli George Chisanga, ine na Minister of Finance, chapwa! Ba PF nabausana nefipani fyashala ifi pantu ba PF tulabombela abantu. We are a poor people’s party. Onse umuntu efyo engakabila mu bumi bakwe buteko wingaleta! (No matter what, next year, August 12, 2021, I will be the President! Whether you like it or not, I will be the President. If I were to die today, the Vice-President will take over from me, that’s all! A person who is saying they will bring you development is lying to you, the only ones who can bring you development is myself, George Chisanga and the Minister of Finance (Dr Bwalya Ng’andu). The ruling PF is different from other political parties because we work for the people. Whatever a person may desire in their life, the government is able to provide),” President Lungu said.
“Kuli ulefwaya ukuteka ichalo ala ichalo cha kwata one leader at a time. Pali kano kanshita ni ‘one Zambia, one nation,’ one leader and that leader is Edgar Lungu, period! Nga watoba ifunde, kukakwa, umulandu taubola. Chaba sana ukwibila abantu,ngabalibile mu privatization, balebalonga, teine iyo…’ Iyo Lungu aletina pantu mu 2021 tukabikapo uyu kuti alusa Lungu.’ Lungu takaluse mu 2021. Nalifye from Chawama shaishibe nangu chimo naisaba president namu nyankula, that was 2015. Mu 2016, naisa shiba ama tactics naisa muma one, nauno mulungu nala mu kanda. Ilyashi lyakubepa abantu yalipwa; kwaliba ama television abantu balemona. Kwaliba abantu bambi balanda ati Lungu alwala fyabufi; nangu ndwale, ndapola. (There is one opposition leader who desperately wants to take over the country, there is only one leader at a time and that is me. When you break the law, you have to pay for it, a crime committed can never be forgotten, and it was too much stealing from the people. If he stole during privatisation, he will be arrested. It is not me, no! Some people are saying, ‘Lungu is scared because he will lose in 2021, we should field another candidate’ I cannot lose in 2021! I was from Chawama, I did not know anything, but I managed to defeat him. In 2016, I knew some tactics, I still beat him, even in 2021, I will defeat him! Time of lying to people is long gone, they were saying, ‘Lungu is sick’, even if I get sick, I will recover).”
He said if money was important in life, he would not have been elected President.
“Indalama ngashalebomba, lelo nga nshali minister, nga nshali president. Abalelwisha mu party abakwete indalama, abakwete ama contracts balibakana pantu balimona ati ine ninebo mufimbwa nabantu. Abantu abengi ababula amano, ababula skopodonono balanda ati ‘taukwete indalama,’ indalama teti ikushike. (If money was that important, I would not have been a minister or a President. Some people in the party who had money and contracts and wanted to take over the party were rejected because they saw that I put people first. Some people who don’t reason say, ‘you don’t have money’ but money cannot bury you).”
And speaking when he addressed Lukashya residents at TAZARA grounds, the Head of State insisted that Hichilema was the one frightened of him.
“Nomba naumfwa abantu baletila Lungu aletina HH mu 2021, efyo alefwaya ati atitikishe HH pali uyu umulandu. Lekeni myebe, HH shimutina, shakamutine pantu achepa sana. HH atina ine that’s why alwisha ati ba PF bafunyepo ine babike umbi pakuti ese akabe president. Nomba ine ndelanda ati umulandu taubola. Nga waliba indalama, leka abantu beshibe ngawaliba…Umuntu ewo nachitile filya mu 2015 ewo ninga tina? Elo nafumine Ku chawama nalifye fontina, namunyunkula. Nomba alemona ati 2021 elo ningatina? Achepa sana. (I hear some people saying, ‘I am scared of HH, that is why I am bringing the issue of privatisation and want to stop him from contesting the 2021 elections.’ Let me tell you, I am not scared of him, I will never be scared of him because he is too small! He is the one who is scared of me, that is why he wants PF to field another candidate so that it will be easier for him. But I am saying that a crime committed will never be forgotten. If you stole money, tell the people so that they know. Can I be scared of a person I defeated in 2015? When I came from Chawama, I was a greenhorn, but I defeated him. He thinks I will be scared in 2021? He is too small!)” said President Lungu.
“Nga alefwaya kuti aiminina mu 2021, nkamufikinya nomba umulandu tawakabole. Zambians want to know what happened to the privatisation process. Fino ndelanda, abantu nabalemba ama kalata ukutila mpange commission of inquiry pakuti twishibe ichachitike finshi. Efyo balentinina is that I am becoming better and better as President. Epo nafumine ku Chawama, tapali nefyo naishibe, nalifye black black, naishibako nechisungu, naikalako natampa nokufwalako ama suit (If he wants, he can contest, I will still defeat him. But a crime he committed will never be forgotten. As I am speaking, I have received letters requesting that I constitute a commission of inquiry for privatisation so that people know what happened. He is scared of me because I am becoming better as a President. I did not know anything when I came from Chawama, I knew how to speak English, I have known how to wear suits).”
3 Responses
Some of us want to comment anonymously!
Mr President, please tone down on HH, you are stressing some of us. You are in power, so what is the problem? If you are doing well as our current leader, other things being equal, people will re-elect you in 2021. The more you talk about HH, the more you make the discerning people become curious about this person called HH. They want to know him better because you are advertising him all the time. Just thinking aloud Mr President.
Very un Presidential especially a President going under cover of a lawyer. A republican president should be a protector of all citizens. Now who is the president for HH? All of us, and more so lawyers, should know that the constitution allows for multiparty democracy without any risk to development.