Civil rights activist Brebner Changala says the PF will not hand over power should they lose the 2021 general election because they lack decency.

And Changala has described State House as a “casino” where people’s lives are being gambled at will by the Presidency.

In an interview with News Diggers! Changala feared that the PF would struggle to hand over the instruments of power should if they lost the 2021 general elections.

He also lamented that Zambians had elected criminals who were using state power to abuse them.

“We are in trouble. It’s high-time we freed ourselves from this trouble. Some of us made a mistake, we supported this regime, but it has given birth to intolerance, criminality, theft, corruption, name it all. These guys are nothing but vandals. These are guys who cannot hand over power when the time says; ‘you have lost’ because they lack decency and they inspire no faith in anybody. This is a group of individuals who I see refusing to hand over power when they lose,” Changala warned.

He observed that fierce critics of government are now routinely being incriminated.

“We have elected criminals who are using state power to abuse their fellow citizens. The offices that they are elected to, there must be checks and balances. People must make the state to account. Now, in this country, when you want to make the state account they have to look for an offence against you at all cost. I will give you a good example; Chishimba Kambwili is a whistle-blower in the fight against corruption. But what has the Anti-Corruption [Commission] done? They have gone to incriminate Chishimba Kambwili instead of sitting down with him to say; ‘you have said so much about corruption, please sit here and tell us how much you know about it’? They don’t want to do that,” Changala observed.

“If Brebner Changala today becomes a fierce critic of Edgar, tomorrow morning they will find a case against him. But is that the way you govern a country? No. I will give you an example, South Africa is a new democracy, which is highly functional where an opposition can hold a rally [and] can attack the President.”

And Changala said State House was now more or less a Casino where people’s lives were gambled at will.

“President Edgar Lungu has disgraced the Office of the President and reduced it to something I cannot describe. State House is now more or less [like] a casino where people’s lives are gambled at will. The most dangerous thing [is] he has killed opposing views, he has killed the spirit of democracy and has divided this country in the manner never seen before. This country is divided, corrupt, bankrupt and has been misgoverned by a clique of elected criminals,” Changala observed.

He bemoaned that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) was also part of the system that had been destroyed by the PF.

“When Edgar Lungu and his administration will leave office, they (ACC) would want to look like champions of a fight against corruption. They will start rounding up and the state media will come back to life and they will be reporting how much they have stolen. At that point in time what will be there is not a fight against corruption, it will now be persecution. So this Anti-Corruption Commission is moribund, it’s part of the system that PF has destroyed, you know institutions in this country are now limping. It (ACC) is a moribund institution and it does not inspire anybody; in fact they must be ashamed to draw salaries,” lamented Changala.

“This PF government is a corrupt government and that’s a fact! It’s beyond debate. And they are using their offices to oppress others. Look at the way they are fighting for this [Chilanga] by-election, they want to win elections at all costs. How do you move the entire Cabinet to Chilanga? That is corruption. Minister of Finance in Chilanga, Minister of Health, Minister of Works and Supply, minister of everything that moves under Edgar, in Chilanga because they must win the seat at all costs.”