Governance activist Brebner Changala says President Edgar Lungu should be the last person to talk about a flourishing democracy in Zambia because he has reduced the country to a lawless Republic where cadres have too much power.

And Changala says President Lungu has no right to lecture opposition political parties about tribalism in their parties because he is the number one tribalist this country has ever produced.

Commenting on President Lungu’s remarks that Zambia had made significant strides to enhance democracy in the country, Changala said the Head of State had abused Zambians and the country’s laws by allowing his cadres to beat up everybody who did not agree with his leadership.

“Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu must be the last person to talk about flourishing democracy in this country! He has reduced this country to a ‘banana Republic’ where cadres are daily assaulting radio stations; where the police have refused the opposition to have even a rally to address the nation because he can be challenged on that. He has reduced the democratic space of this country and he must stop lying to the international community! The international community have got ears in this country; they have got High Commissioners and Ambassadors. So, he must stay away from telling lies. He has abused the people of Zambia, he has abused the Public Order Act and he has allowed his cadres to beat up everybody who walks into a radio station,” Changala said.

“It’s not too long ago that Chishimba Kambwili was attacked inside a radio station by his own party! If I can go further, I can accuse the President of being the man behind this whole caderism of violence because if he had put his foot down, his cadres would not have done what they do. Political space has reduced under his administration. So, he must not cheat the international community! Let him face us and tell us in our face that there is democracy in this country. Can he hold a press conference where we will challenge him face on? Let him stop lying! A Head of State must not survive on lying because that will be the beginning of his downfall.”

And Changala said President Lungu should not talk about tribalism because he is a champion of tribalism through his own actions.

The Head of State lashed out at perpetrators of tribalism in the country during the PF’s Provincial Conference in Chipata, Tuesday, saying the practice was retrogressive, adding that he could not imagine how someone who wanted to take Zambia to greater heights could at the same time divide the country by promoting hate speech or tribal sentiments against one ethnic group in favour of another.

“The way he has behaved and the way he has run this country is based on tribalism! He has actually run this country in exclusion of other tribes. The entire board of Zesco is composed of only Bembas and Easterners, they can hold a board meeting in vernacular and the minutes will be produced in vernacular, that is Zesco! You go to the Cabinet of the President as well, that is the most tribal Cabinet in the history of Zambia since Independence! That is a Cabinet for Northerners and Easterners. So, President Lungu must not fool anybody. And if we go beyond the Cabinet, Permanent Secretaries, 85 per cent of them are Northerners and Easterners. The [acting] Secretary to the Cabinet also is a Northerner and all deputies are either from Northern or Eastern provinces…President Lungu is living a lie!” said Changala.

“Tell him on my behalf that he is the most tribalist this country has ever produced! He has forsaken other tribes. He doesn’t want Tonga’s! And put it the way I am saying it, he doesn’t Tonga’s, he doesn’t want the Lozi’s and he doesn’t want the North-Westerners. This is the truth and it has been revealed through his own actions. So, he must not go in his own land (Eastern Province) to castigate others. He is the hallmark of tribalism in PF. Look at the PF party itself; the secretary general is a Bemba; the deputy secretary general is a Bemba. Tell me which senior position in PF is held by someone from another Province; the chairman of PF is Bemba…the treasurer is also Bemba. I am a Bemba myself, but what they are doing in PF stinks! They have divided this country and it will take someone with a strong will to unite us again.”