Civil rights activist Brebner Changala says President Edgar Lungu has sleepless nights over UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema because he is a big threat.

And Changala says PF Mayoral candidate for Lusaka Miles Sampa’s public confession of being hunger-stricken makes him a danger.

Meanwhile, Changala says the PF made a mistake by appointing party National Youth Chairman Stephen Kampyongo as Home Affairs Minister because he is the one perpetrating violence in the country.

In an interview, Changala observed that the reason why President Lungu wanted the UPND to change its leader was because he was his biggest threat.

“I can tell you without a blink of an eye that PF at the state it’s in, it’s totally obsolete! Its survival now lies in the incumbency kingdom that they are ruling this country. They don’t have the mandate anymore; it’s dwindling day by day. No wonder the President cannot sleep when the UPND are failing to change leadership. Because that is where his threat is coming from and they won’t have another avenue to crush the UPND other than to influence the members of the UPND to change the leadership at the 11th hour. If you ask the PF itself, it has been in existence since 2001, but how many conventions has it gone to, to elect the executive? All they do in PF is appointing people, and many people who are in PF today are from MMD. They are hired MMD people, not legitimate by an election for the mandate. So, they must be shameful to cast a stone on UPND when they are doing the same in PF,” Changala observed.

He challenged the PF to tell the country how many conventions they had held to since the formation of the party.

“So, they must tell this country… even Michael Sata, it took him a long time before he went to a convention. Sata did not go to a convention as soon as he formed PF; Michael Sata dies with only one convention in his hand. He formed government in 2011, 10 years after he formed his party and with only one convention. So, we cannot be cheated, we are not children, PF is none-democratic itself! You throw this question back to PF, who elected the central committee of PF? Even the election of Edgar Lungu was fraudulent; ask Tutwa Ngulube, the election of Lungu was fraudulent; ask the lawyer Kelvin Bwalya Fube (KBF). PF cannot tell us that they are [the] most decent and democratic party. Who elected Antonio Mwanza from FDD? He’s a hired gun, who elected Sunday Chanda? He’s a hired gun, who elected Mumbi Phiri and the PF Secretary General [Davies] Mwila after losing the election in Chipili? These are hired guns,” he added.

“So what can they tell us? We are not dull, PF’s time is over! In fact, PF is in injury time, not extra time, but injury time. Anything can happen on penalty. So, the people of Zambia must vote only out of the eight aspiring candidates, the ninth candidate Miles Sampa, is a fluke. Miles Sampa must not be considered for anything, if anything, he is just going to help these guys to continue doing wrong things, violence, abuse of markets, abuse of citizens in the city of Lusaka. We are going to continue having these gangs if Miles Sampa is voted in because now, there is no police service, which can control the PF militia.”

And Changala said Sampa automatically disqualified himself from contesting the Mayoral by-elections when he went public about his financial status.

“First and foremost, PF has no moral right to even field a candidate as a mayor. The candidate they have fielded in Miles Sampa is a danger to himself, he’s a danger to PF and he’s a danger to Lusaka City Council. He has declared himself as hungry and looking for a job. At no time has he ever said he’s coming to serve. And the PF government, through the President of PF, Mr Edgar Lungu, they are trying to force-feed the people of Lusaka so that they can accept Miles Sampa and you can see the challenge that the President faces. The PF has lost the mandate of the party, I personally voted for the PF, but I cannot vote for them again, so this is one vote that has gone away and there are many people in my position. So, the desperation in PF is now anchored on the abuse of state resources and institutions. But I can tell you now that, out of the nine candidates, there are only eight candidates there who are eligible to be voted for, and Miles Sampa is not one of them! He has betrayed himself, he has betrayed his conscience, he has betrayed the people of Zambia and he has betrayed the PF itself on many fronts and he’s being used by the PF to garner the legitimacy, which they don’t enjoy,” Changala said.

Meanwhile, Changala said PF made a mistake by appointing Kampyongo as Home Affairs Minister.

“And it’s very wrong to put the PF National Youth Chairman as Home Affairs Minister because he is the one who has perpetrated this violence because he is in charge of violence… extra judicial misconduct where the police is no subordinate to PF militia group at InterCity [Bus Terminus]. You have even people called commando and you tolerate that? Motor vehicle number plates are being removed and you are loitering Lusaka streets and no police officer can remove them from the streets? That is anarchy of the worst kind! So, PF must just prepare to get the hell out of this town because we are fed up with them!” exclaimed Changala.