Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director Reverend Pukuta Mwanza says UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema put President Edgar Lungu’s life and his own at risk in Mongu.

But when asked if he believes HH deserves to be charged with treason for the incident, Rev Mwanza says it is up to the courts to decide.

In an interview, Rev Mwanza said it was common knowledge to give way to a Presidential motorcade.

“The incidence was a very unfortunate action where we could see a private vehicle competing with the Eagle One which was a motorcade carrying the President. I think that was a serious one and it was pausing a risk to the life of the President. It was also endangering other people in that motorcade and for a thing like that; where there was very high speed, obviously the risk on the vehicles is much higher not only the one to be run into but also the ones which could have been driven by the private road users at the time. And so it was a danger not only to the President but also to Hakainde. So if anything very bad happened then it could have also affected the UPND leader because his life was also threatened by that circumstance considering the speed at which his vehicles were moving,” Rev Mwanza said.

“That behaviour was very unfortunate and we think that they should have given way to the Presidential motorcade because anyone knows that if the Presidential motorcade is coming, there are sirens, advance parties of sweepers and the Presidential security and all those people provide an early alarm that the President is coming and so giving way to the President is a natural road traffic rule that. We all know that when on the road, you have to give way to the Presidential motorcade as well as the ambulances and the fire brigade, so those things are natural instincts kind of reaction that we should all provide.”

He said it was strange for the opposition leader and his members to claim that they did not notice the Presidential motorcade when there were police vehicles which preceded it.

“Well then, that is very strange because in the footage that we have seen in the media, we could see that there were security cars that were seen ahead of the Eagle One. So if a person said they didn’t see it then that is very strange because even if there are no sweepers, you can actually see using the rear view mirror that is why those mirrors are there to enable someone to see what is coming behind them,” Rev Mwanza said.

But when asked if he believes HH deserved to be charged with treason, Rev Mwanza said; “That is up to the law enforcement and courts to decide. I cannot comment on it.”