POLICE’S decision to summon UPND president Hakainde Hichilema is a well-orchestrated strategy by the PF to reduce competition prior to the 2021 general election, says United Progressive Party (UPP) president Saviour Chishimba.

And Chishimba has urged Zambians to teach PF the same lesson which they taught MMD back in 2011 when they lost the presidential election.

Hichilema is today scheduled to appear at Force Headquarters for questioning.

Commenting on the development via a Facebook live video, Tuesday, Chishimba said police summons was a well-planned move by the PF government to obliterate his popularity and reduce competition ahead of next year’s crucial general election.

“The police are fully part of the security agencies of the State. The Zambia Police is our police; the Zambia Police does not belong to any part of a political grouping; Zambia Police is sustained on the taxes of the people of Zambia. The Zambia Police, which is under capture under the current regime, ought to be given professional space so that whatever they are doing, is devoid of political manipulation. We in the UPP warned the country to the effect that all security wings were under capture because we have allowed a bunch of criminal elements, a bunch of looters to find a way to political power. And they are using this power to save themselves. The idea behind political power, when you understand this country’s birthing through the mind of the men and women who fought for freedom, it was about servicing the people. That is what political power ought to be used for. The political power that our men and women got from colonial masters when they fought for freedom was for use to build our Republic. The summoning of any of the political leaders at a time such as this one cannot be said to have just happened coincidentally. I feel for HH,” Chishimba said.

“This is well-planned and we do believe that it is aimed at reducing competition in the coming elections. This action by the PF is stinking chilenunka nokununka, naimwe bene mulenunka! (These actions stink and those conducting it equally stink!). It’s not right. Leave that Hakainde alone! Why? Because he is popular? Where is your integrity? Leave him alone. The people of Zambia do not have any other country, therefore, when we see injustices being perpetrated by institutions of the State that must protect the very citizens it is abusing, we all ought to be concerned. Unless we are stupid, we ought to be concerned. The summoning of Mr Hakainde Hichilema by the Zambia Police is clearly not the work of the Police Service, but the work of criminal elements of looters that have placed the police under siege! Let us know where policing is coming from in our Republic. We all know that before the coming of our colonial masters, order was maintained within our tribes.”

And Chishimba urged Zambians to teach the PF the same lesson they taught the MMD back in 2011 when former president Rupiah Banda lost the Presidency to Michael Sata.

“It’s like you have animal souls because you don’t care! We need to teach this regime a lesson we taught the MMD. We were 73 tribes, but we were independent like nations. What these people must know is that nothing is permanent under Heaven. Today, you are minister, tomorrow you are president, then the other day, you are no longer president. There is nothing permanent. Even those men who thought they were very powerful ended up being hounded out of power in ways that belittled them. The summoning of Hakainde Hichilema is in bad faith. If any Zambian political leader must lose elections, he or she must lose on a levelled playing field. We have a regime that has so looted the Republic that they even want to extend the looting to elections! Our democracy is under siege. We do not just have economic rapists, but we also have democracy rapists,” complained Chishimba.

“And this is a call for every citizen to stand up and fight for freedom! What we are calling for is a unity of purpose to ensure that come next elections, we the people of Zambia unite to stop the looting. And we want to appeal to the men and women in uniform, you, too, have children, you must look at the future of your children. When you are instructed to manipulate, think about the blood that when shed during the struggle for independence. The way our country is right now, if this is allowed to continue for another five years, where would our country be? What kind of foundation are you going to leave behind for your children? Let us not think of ourselves; let us not think of our stomachs; let us think of our children. We are making a mockery of the people that fought for our freedom! The Patriotic Front has indicted themselves into the public court and the verdict has been passed, they must be shown out of office! We have never have had a government as indisciplined as this PF government. We in the opposition are a government in-waiting.”