Roan PF member of parliament Chishimba Kambwili says nobody likes cockroaches because they invade the entire house when left uncontrolled.

Meanwhile, Vice-President Inonge Wina says it is wrong to refer to human beings as cockroaches.

At an Economics Association of Zambia gala dinner, Wednesday, President Edgar Lungu likened Chinese nationals to cockroaches, saying they were resilient and able to survive anywhere.

And President Lungu also said among 10 thieves, six were assuredly Bemba because they were many.

But in an interview, Kambwili, who is also NDC leader, lamented that President Lungu was more concerned about protecting Chinese than Zambians.

“What can you expect from President Lungu on Chinese? President Lungu’s prime objective is to look after the Chinese because it is the Chinese who look after him. So he and the Chinese are Siamese twins, they can never be separated, they share the same liver and everything. So when he finds time, he uses it to promote Chinese survival in Zambia, and giving us examples that do not make sense. Anyway, he was right, when you refer to a cockroach, who likes them anyway?” Kambwili asked.

“Yes, they survive but who likes cockroaches? Everybody, when they see a cockroach, they want to kill it. So he was right, Chinese are like cockroaches but do we need cockroaches? So if a person is saying he needs cockroaches and they must survive, then you must know that this person is not thinking right, that the thinking of this person is not straight.”

He said cockroaches had to be controlled or else they would invade the entire house.

“So they have sold the country to the Chinese. Everything is about Chinese, when you talk about them, you will be arrested, bundled into a van from Lusaka, taken to Luanshya, detained overnight for doing your constitutional job, just because you speak about Chinese. Yes indeed they are cockroaches who survive, but who makes the cockroaches stupid? It is the owner of the house if he is not buying Target or if he is not buying cockroach killer, the cockroach will invade and eat up everything. So his expression was correct, I fully agree with him that Chinese are cockroaches but do we need cockroaches? Have you ever met a person who says ‘I am very happy I have cockroaches in my house?’ I think he is the only one I have heard, since I was born, who appreciates cockroaches. What a man we have in State House,” Kambwili said.

And Kambwili said it was an insult for President Lungu to say that amongst 10 thieves, six were assuredly Bemba.

“Now that’s an insult to the Bemba speaking and he owes us an apology, you cannot say that. The people that are stealing in his government are not Bembas. The people that stole in the previous government were not Bembas. So let him not insult the Bemba people, they are innocent people who know no segregation based on tribe and its unfair to call them thieves. The Bible says why do you see a spec in your brother’s eye and leave a plank in your own eye? Is it Bembas who declared that they had one million when they became president and one year later they had 23 million? Is it Bembas who have built all over Lusaka? Who have built in Uganda, who have bought properties in South Africa using stolen money? Is it bombs who have become so rich during the last two years? The Bembas need respect and an apology. After all, it is the Bembas who massively voted for PF and they do not deserve to be insulted like that,” said Kambwili.

Meanwhile, Vice-President Wina said it was wrong to refer to human beings as cockroaches.

Vice-President Wina was responding to a question from Chipili Independent member of parliament Jewis Chabi during Vice-President’s question time, Friday.

“In today’s News Diggers Newspaper, under the headline “Chinese are like cockroaches, they survive everywhere”, President Lungu is quoted to have said, during the Economics Association of Zambia gala dinner, that out of 10 thieves in this country, 6 are Bembas. My question is, Your Honor the Vice-President, is your government, particularly the office of the President able to provide evidence to substantiate that demeaning statement on the Bemba coming from the Head of State?” asked Chabi.

In response, Vice-President Wina said, “Mr Speaker, you cannot call human beings cockroaches. Secondly Mr Speaker, I am not in a position to respond to this question because I do not understand the origins of it and two, I don’t have adequate information to base my response.”