FORMER Water Development and Sanitation Minister Raphael Nakacinda says there is no seventh President coming in because President Edgar Lungu will continue being Head of State until 2026.

And Nakacinda says it is hypocritical to condemn President Lungu’s decision to involve the army in the maintenance of peace, arguing that some people will never appreciate what the President does no matter how good it is.

In an interview, Wednesday, Nakacinda advised Zambians against changing governments as if they were changing clothes.

“There is no seventh President coming in, the sixth President will continue until 2026. And if anybody will emerge afterward in terms of who will be party president, that one will also continue. For now, the party has resolved to maintain the status quo that people don’t have to change the government as if they are changing clothes. I think the developmental trajectory that we are on needs to be allowed to flow so that we can actualize the dividends out of the investments that have been made in infrastructure and in other sectors of the economy,” he said.

“We are confident of victory but that victory should not come at the expense of people losing their lives and shedding blood. So I am calling on all of us as political players to cherish and appreciate the value of people’s lives. But these are the young people that the opposition has been using to fight violence. It is important that people put the national interest first. In this case it is very clear that President Edgar Lungu is certain of victory and we have already seen the high levels of desperation on the part of the main opposition party.”

And Nakacinda said it was hypocritical to condemn President Lungu’s decision to involve the army in the maintenance of peace.

“I think the steps that have been taken to supplement the efforts of the police by involving other security wings, I think, it is commendable. Everybody in this country has been saying the President has the capacity to stop the violence. The capacity people have been talking about is that he is the Commander-in-Chief, therefore, he can use other instruments available at his disposal to stop the violent acts that are going on. One of the instruments is what he has invoked and that is to allow the army and other security wings to maintain the peace and unity that Zambia has,” he said.

“It is hypocritical, in one vain they were saying the President should stop what is going on, he acts but they want to change. There is nothing good that will be done that they will ever appreciate. If you deny tangible development and still continue saying ‘no, nothing has been done’, what more actions that are meant to even safeguard their lives? So in this situation, the only thing we can do is to encourage the President to do the right thing at all times and not to be disturbed by those who will never appreciate whatever he has done no matter how good it is.”

Nakacinda accused the opposition of sponsoring violent activities in their desperation to form government.

“They have begun to sponsor violent activities. We saw that in Nakonde yesterday (Tuesday). We know what happened in Kanyama where two lives were lost and this has happened in the country, particularly where the UPND have been. I think what is key now is for all of us as Zambians not to entertain such. Just because of an election, people should distort the legacy that has been built over 56, 57 years down the line and that is the legacy of a very peaceful, democratic nation. Even from 1991 during the multiparty democracy, we have scored in the sense that we have been on the positive progressive board that has also witnessed a change of governments. I think those credentials should not be lost on the altar of violence because of individuals who are desperate for power,” said Nakacinda.