CiSCA chairperson Bishop John Mambo says PF deputy media director Antonio Mwanza’s remarks against UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema are shameful and uncalled for.

Bishop Mambo was reacting to Mwanza’s warning that his party would make sure HH died in prison if he continued making ‘seditious and treasonous pronouncements’ in an interview.

“The outburst by Antonio Mwanza is uncalled for. It actually brings shame to the people of Eastern province. That language is uncalled for from a young politician who has just moved from a party and joined a party he was calling ‘corrupt, with leaders who cannot be trusted’. And yet overnight he has become an angel to point fingers at other people. That’s not what we are looking for from Mwanza. We wanted for him to speak about universities that are not being opened. Him having served as UNZASU president at one time, to represent those suffering whose academics will be delayed and their meal allowances will not be in place,” Bishop Mambo said.

“When you go to school, we expect you to be better than me who is a grade one. We sent you to school in order for you to be knowledgeable to move this country forward and all that. Not wishing others to spend a lot of time in jail. A person is proven innocent until the court of law pronounces him guilty. Hakainde Hichilema was released on nolle meaning that government knew that there were mistakes.”

Bishop Mambo said that if Mwanza stood as a member of parliament, no one would vote for him with such kind of language.

“Mwanza yesterday knew that the PF were stealing and he has joined that ‘I also want to be stealing, I want to be corrupt’. He must be warned that if he is ever dreaming to be an MP in Lusaka, you will never win the elections in Munali or any constituency with that language. He should also ask himself why father Bwalya has been dumped in foreign service. Because foreign service means that you have no value in your country. They send you so that you don’t cause any problems. That was uncalled for. We want young people to be an example and also champion the fact that the people of his age should not find themselves with those of us who are recycled, no,” he said.

Bishop Mambo observed that a person who wished evil on someone was not moving the country forward.

“What is happening in Zambian politics is that they are taking advantage. They know that young people like Antonio Mwanza, who are educated, lower themselves to a position of a cadre. Because anyone who wishes someone evil is not moving this country forward. If you are saying HH is going to rot in jail, meanwhile the PF, his party now and the opposition are supposed to meet at a round table to dialogue. It is his party that says [that] whether you voted us out we will remain in power and all that. Meaning that Zambian people are stupid, we don’t think [so]. As a country, we need God to bring about healing. Because that language will cause others to react. If you come to my village to fight me, I will react, christian as I am because I want to protect myself,” said Bishop Mambo.

“It is common in Africa and in Zambia, where you call people names and tomorrow you start calling them your ‘excellencies’. Most of the people who got jobs in PF, they are the ones who were calling [Michael] Sata a murderer. The ones who were calling him a mad person, may his soul rest in peace. But they were the first to jump on the organ and become champions, your excellency and all that. So it’s a mockery. We must learn from the past. I admire honourable [Harry] Kalaba because he is saying ‘let us claim our dignity, the country. Let us not be people of name calling and all that. Let us stand for what is right.”