Civil rights activist Brebner Changala says President Edgar Lungu must handover power to someone else who has a vision for Zambia, adding that his failure to govern had proved to be a danger to the country.

Commenting on President Lungu’s pronouncement at a rally in Kitwe last week in which the Head of State was hoping for a successful 2021-2026 term of office, Changala wondered why the President had continued breaking the country’s laws with impunity.

Changala demanded that President Lungu steps down on moral grounds even before 2021 because he had become a danger to the country.

“The level of arrogance in the Presidency is worrying, this is as an outcome of destruction of all institutions of governance. President Edgar Lungu says he’s leaving office in 2026 after he wins 2021, but he is neither a god nor is he a son of God, Jesus Christ who can predict the future. But worse still, President Lungu was sworn in to protect the Constitution of this land and the matter of eligibility for him to stand in 2021 is before the Constitutional Court, so what he is basically engaging in is contempt of court,” Changala warned.

“So I want to find out, because they are saying he (President Lungu) enjoys immunity and so he cannot be prosecuted, I also want to pause a question, if he enjoys immunity and he cannot be prosecuted then why does he take the oath of office? Why does he declare to protect and uphold the constitution? And what are the consequences, should he abrogate the constitution which he swore to protect? At may occasions, this is a president who has broken this Constitution. So my desire is to know, are there any consequences? This question I am posing to the legal fraternity, the Law Association of Zambia and indeed the Constitutional Court itself because it’s being taken for granted,” Changala said.

Changala charged that President Lungu had divided the country by sabotaging unity of purpose.

“President Edgar Lungu has taken the rule of law for granted, he has sabotaged the unity of this country. This country is more divided than the day he came in unknowingly, the day he came in humbly, giving a humble posture when he had other hidden agendas. My advice to President Lungu, in decency he must give up power even before 2021 because he has nothing to contribute in his current form. If anything, he is now a danger to this country. He has outlived his usefulness unfortunately and if he loves this country, it is high time he stepped aside and allowed somebody else with a fresh mind, with a vision and with a programme for this country to take over,” said Changla.

“For some reason, he has destroyed the economy and he doesn’t want to discuss that. For some reason, he has divided this country in an unimaginable manner and he doesn’t want to discuss it. He has abused the Public Order Act and mutilated the Constitution and he doesn’t want to discuss that. Whenever there is a matter for discussion, he sends Special Assistant for Press, who was not elected. President Lungu has abrogated his duty and he has no other option in ream of decency, other than to step down and stay away from this beautiful country that he has managed to destroy in a very short period of time. I don’t even think the entire party machinery is with him in this destruction, they might smile and laugh with him but in the dark corners, they discuss him in the negative because they know that their boss knows nothing.”