NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili says civil servants are yet to experience longer periods without pay because it is the beginning of the end.

And Kambwili says ministers and top government officials should stop paying themselves and prioritise civil servants so that they can also feel the pinch.

Meanwhile, Kambwili has wondered what kind of government can buy toxic drugs from China to kill its own citizens.

Speaking at a press briefing yesterday, Kambwili said he had been vindicated because he had previously warned civil servants that they would start going months without receiving their salaries given government’s mismanagement of public resources.

“The press briefing today is entitled ‘The beginning of the end, effects of the thieving, unreasonable government’. For the past two years, I have been telling the people of Zambia that this government is corrupt, full of thieves who have plundered national resources for their own pockets. I have also told this country that over borrowing by this government will have a turning effect on the service delivery to the people of Zambia in terms of social aspect,” Kambwili said.

“But our borrowing unnecessarily today has started showing its ugly face on Zambian social front and economy. I have warned Zambians before, particularly civil servants that soon and very soon ‘you will start going months without your salaries’. I have said it before that at the level this government has borrowed, at the level this government is tolerating corruption, at the level ministers are stealing from this government, soon and very soon civil servants will start going months without pay. I think I have now been vindicated.”

Kambwili warned that what was currently happening was just the beginning, as disaster lay ahead.

“What is happening today is the beginning of the end. Where we are heading to is disaster. It is up to Zambians to realise that this is the beginning of the end. By June, July, August, I can tell you that all the civil servants will not be able to be paid by the 10th or 15th of the following month for which they are supposed to be paid,” he said.

Kambwili charged that the PF was a selfish government because they should have paid civil servants first rather than prioritizing the top government officials.

“These are selfish leaders. Ministers have been paid, Permanent Secretaries, members of parliament have been paid but the support staff civil servants have not been paid. This is selfishness of the worst kind, because if there is a crisis in terms of finances in the country, the best approach is that leaders must not be paid first. It’s better you get the money that you are paying the leaders, you go and pay the common ordinary civil servant other than ministers, MPs. This is a selfish government,” he said.

And Kambwili said top government officials should stop getting paid so that they could feel the pinch that civil servants and ordinary citizens were feeling.

“Imwe bene (you same) leaders, ministers, MPs, constitutional office bearers, should stop getting your salaries until you are able to pay everybody, not only civil servants, so that you can feel the pinch that these people are feeling. Because you are eating well and getting paid, you cannot see the suffering of the people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kambwili wondered what kind of government could buy toxic drugs from China to kill its citizens.

“I have talked about cheap and dumping of imported things particularly from China. Because this government is broke, they can’t afford to buy good quality medicines from England, Germany, they now go and buy toxic medicines from China. What kind of government can buy medicine which can kill people, make people more sick? What a government,” he said.

Kambwili urged Zambians to open their eyes and start preparing to kick out the PF in 2021.

“Where I come from they say ‘umweo wa muntu waba mu kutwi’. A leader who doesn’t listen, who doesn’t get advise, a leader who only wants to listen to things that pleases his ears is a wrong leader and can lead the nation into chaos. This is exactly the character of President Edgar Lungu. I want to seriously appeal to Zambians, please start preparing to kick this government out of office through the ballot,” said Kambwili.