NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili says it is heart breaking to see President Edgar Lungu travelling around the globe when the country has serious problems which need his attention.

Speaking when he addressed journalists at the Magistrates’ court building in Lusaka, Monday, Kambwili said Zambians should differentiate between serious leaders and jokers.

He said when the country is faced with challenges like load shedding, fuel increments and high mealie meal prices among others, it was sad that President Lungu was moving about eating snakes in Mbala.

“President Magufuli of Tanzania who understands the importance of being president refused to go to the UN and sent a minister of foreign affairs. When the minister of foreign affairs travels, he travels alone and with a few maybe two [or] three technocrats. [That way] you save a lot of money. But our president as usual had to go to America with a large delegation [and] spending a lot of money. When we have issues of electricity, we have issues of load shedding, we have issues of mealie meal prices going up and our president decides to go to America with a large entourage when his friend just across here in Tanzania says ‘I cannot travel [because] people are suffering and I have to attend to issues at home. I will only send a minister of foreign affairs,” Kambwili said.

He said Zambians should start seeing the difference between leaders who are playful and those that are serious.

“Zambians must start seeing the difference between people who are serious with governing the country and those who are playful and always want to travel. As if that was not enough, when we were showed the picture at the UN, unless you didn’t see, the president was addressing less than 20 people. So he used tax payers’ money only to go and address 20 people. God save us. And he comes back from the US, he stays in Lusaka [for] one night then baya mukulya insoka (he goes to eat snakes). Bushe kwena lesa finshi twalufyanya nga abena Zambia (dear God, what wrong did we commit as Zambians)? Are we serious? Balokopwa nama picture balelya ensoka (they were even taking pictures whilst eating snakes). Are you telling us that ishi insala nomba mwalafwa nasho mulelyako nensoka (this hunger has led you to eating snakes now)? We are not interested in eating snakes. We are not Chinese. We are Zambians,” Kambwili said.

Kambwili also asked President Lungu to provide leadership in the country by looking into the effects of load shedding.

“What we want from you Mr President is provide leadership in this country. Ukufuma mukulya insoka, abo ku Kitwe ne Ndeke, babwela ubushiku mailo (just from eating snakes, there he goes to Kitwe by plane and came back last night (Sunday). Mwelesa wesu twafweni (Dear God help us). Tulefya fye abama barber shop tabalebomba, abama salon tabalebomba, abashitisha inama shilebola ( those who run barber shops have stopped working, the who own salons and those who run butcheries their meat is going to waste). Kwena wemuntu kateka wasalapo ukuya ku America, ukulya insoka nokuya ku Kitwe (but you as a president you are busy travelling to America, eating snakes and going to Kitwe). Lesa wakumulu, sosheniko ba president batampe ukumfwa uluse, inkumbu kubantu ababa salile (Heavenly father, talk to the president and make him have mercy for the people who elected him,” he said.

And Kambwili asked the Zambians to get angry and demand for effective leadership.

“Otherwise, ifi fyachilamo (this is too much). Nangu tamumfwa mwebena Zambia. Now you should start getting upset. They have continued exporting electricity to Congo DRC and Malawi when we don’t have electricity. Then they want to be spending US $20 million dollars per month to import electricity. You cannot sort out this problem because ba president kwenauka fye (the president is just moving about),” said Kamwbili.