I have disciplined myself and decided to trim down on my weight and I would like Edgar Lungu to also emulate me by changing his drinking habits, opposition UPND vice-president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba has demanded.

And GBM says whether the UPND holds a convention or not, it would not change its presidential candidate.

Speaking on Monday evening when he featured on Prime TV’s Oxygen of Democracy programme in Lusaka, GBM also warned that if Zesco continues to use government facilities to support PF campaigns activities, UPND would rise against Managing Director Victor Mundende.

The once fattest politician in Zambia recalled that President Lungu used to tease him about his weight.

“Let me tell you; one day, Edgar Lungu was on a podium, he said ‘ba GBM nolufumo lwabo (Mr GBM with his big belly), he was teasing me. So I heard him. I said ‘ooh that is what he is saying? So he thinks I can’t trim down?’ I went to South Africa and I saw a dietician, [a] very young girl 24 years old and she told me that she can give me a diet. That was last year [in] August. I have been on diet since that time. I lose 1kg a week. All I eat is vegetables with no cooking oil, and salads that’s all. I don’t take sugar, I don’t take milk, I don’t take nshima, I don’t take rice, I don’t take Coca-cola. I take tea with no sugar and milk. Let me tell you [that] I did it purposely. I would like also Edgar to emulate me because we talk about his drinking habits. Let him also stop his beer drinking. You must be in control of your body [and] not a body being in control of you,” GBM said.

“You know that 30-40 years ago, I used to smoke. My wife wasn’t happy with my smoking habits [so] I stopped, 38 years ago, I was with Mr Chikwanda my cousin, ask him. I used to be a heavy drinker. My wife was complaining, my late mother was complaining. I used to come from Kafue [at] 2am because that time beer was so scarce, so we used to go and buy beer from Mwanamainda or drink from Mwanamainda. So my mother was complaining, my wife was complaining, I stopped. I have never drank beer in the last 40 years. In short I am a very disciplined man and now I was at 147 kg , I am now at 117 kg. I only want to lose another 7kg, at 110 I stop. So I would like also Edgar to emulate me and stop his beer drinking habits.”

And GBM challenged Zesco Managing Director Mundende to stop misusing company vehicles to support PF campaign activities.

“I have been in the government before. When we were in the government, we used all sorts of assets, all the corrupt money, you use it. All the ministers, MPs, including civil servants, they are all unleashed to go and campaign for the ruling party. So that is possible, they can win, but look at Chilanga, look at how much money the spent. They spent a lot of money [and] we don’t know where they got that money from because in 2011, all those who were there, they didn’t have that money. Today they are multi-millionaires, dollar millionaires, mention it. Today they can afford to send even 50 Toyota Hiluxes in Chilanga constituency. And unfortunately Zesco is also assisting them through their managing director. They are removing number plates from the vehicles and they are taking them into the campaigns. I think that should come to an end, we will not allow that. If it goes on, I think managing director will be summoned. We will sue him as a party,” he said.

“As UPND, we will not be surprised [that a Mozambican company has suspended 111 Mega Watts power supply to Zambia over a US $ 70 million debt], we know that Zesco is always used for political gains by the PF government. If you look at most employees at Zesco, they are all politically connected. All the suppliers in Zesco as long as you worship Edgar today, you will be a supplier. Whether there is no money or no money they will find the money. That company is insolvent if you don’t know.”

Asked to comment on the Commission of inquiry on political violence and voting patterns which was scheduled to go on for 120 days and later extended, GBM demanded for the report findings to be made public.

“We have been expecting this report for quite some time now but reason best known to the PF, they didn’t want to release it. In my personal view, there is a lot of incriminating evidence against the PF, that is the biggest reason why they cannot release it. I am challenging them now, they must release that report. We need that report because the country is s till waiting because there is so much money which went into that report,” he said.

GBM also said that all those defecting to PF were only duping the ruling party because they were going there to eat stolen monies.

“As I am talking to you now, there are pending defectors, thousands and thousands of defectors across the country. and some defectors because the national media cannot carry that story because whoever carries that story will be fired, defectors from PF I will tell is, it’s an everyday debate. We are receiving defectors every single day. And a defector will not wait for coverage. In Mansa I received 120 defectors within two hours. They (PF) are also losing their members every second. They have lost more members than ourselves. And what UPND members are doing, they are duping PF, foolishly they want to give them money. You saw what happened in Mongu, they even had to call the whole lot of the President Edgar to say come and receive councillors. When he got there, what did he get there, he was given a shock of his life. Only one relative of Inonge Wina is the only person who defected. The rest they ate the money; we told them to say ‘it’s don’t kubeba part two’ take the money [and] eat it. It’s your money, stolen money because they had no money in 2011 all of them,” he said.

GBM said whether there would be a convention of not, UPND would not change its presidential candidate.

“Who is calling for that? We know what is happening. this is a PF scheme. The PF are trying to infiltrate UPND by forcing us to go for a convention. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. I have been in MMD, I have been in PF and this is my third party UPND. They are not going to force us to go for a convention. Let them first of all go for a convention. We will certainly go for a convention very soon but we will not be dictated when to go there. I think that is for the NMC to decide. Very soon we will go for a convention, but I don’t want the PF to tell us to go for a convention, it’s none of their business. And for your information, if they think that if we go for a convention there will be another candidate as president, they have got it all wrong. PF themselves have already started, even on their cars its EL 2021. They have already decided who their candidate is and we have also already decided that it is Hakainde Hichilema; he is our preferred candidate. Whether convention or no convention, Hakainde Hichilema is our preferred candidate. I want to put this clear ac ross the country, we are not going to change the presidency not at all,” said GBM.