PF deputy secretary General Mumbi Phiri says the UPND have resorted to using witchcraft during campaigns in order to win elections.

Speaking when she called in on UNZA Radio’s Lusaka Star Programme featuring PF media director Sunday Chanda, Tuesday, Mumbi also condemned UPND national chairperson Mutale Nalumango for referring to President Lungu only as ‘Edgar.’

“UPND have reached a point where they have nothing to do anymore. Look at their behaviour; how can Mutale Nalumango, who should be teaching us about culture and respect, she is the one referring to President Edgar Lungu, who is someone’s husband and has children and grandchildren, as ‘Edgar.’ I know Mrs. Mutale Nalumango’s first name, if I referred to her by her first name as ‘Witila’ at that age with grey hair, what would she feel like? They have lost respect! And UPND have increased on their lies, it’s good people have now realised that they are a bunch of liars,” Phiri argued.

“Lies have caught up with them, that’s why they have now resorted to witchcraft and we have heard from a chief who supports them, he has told us that they sleep at the grave yard. When HH was incarcerated, we heard that they went to Congo, they said it themselves. However, their witchcraft will not work in Zambia because we have declared ourselves as a Christian nation and we have proclaimed Jesus Christ as our saviour, they won’t go anywhere with their witchcraft!”

And Chanda disputed widespread reports that police used live ammunition on the UPND crowd in Sesheke last Saturday as there were no casualties or deaths recorded from the incident.

“Do you know what would happen if live bullets were used against the crowd in Sesheke, we don’t even need to belabour that point. When you have a crowd and live ammunition are fired, you don’t need to be told that live ammunition were used here. And if you have vehicles that block the road of the security detail for the Head of State and there is a threat, it happens with everyone who has a weapon, you can fire in the air to scare away any threat, it’s allowed. But if you say live ammunition was fired at a crowd, you would have had casualties and deaths! So, if live ammunition was fired at the crowd, how come our colleagues are not showing us the evidence of fatalities? Or even any of their vehicles that was hit at by bullets? ‘Tatuli baiche!’ (We are not kids!). Talk about teargas canisters, yes, those are used for crowd control, but if you say live ammunition was used, how?” Chanda wondered.

And he claimed that UPND cadres provoked the police by blocking the road that President Lungu was supposed to use and later marched to where the Head of State was lodging.

“Our colleagues are not being candid enough on this issue; the President was going to use that road, they were told you cannot hold your meeting today, and from what we have gathered, they held a meeting very close to the holding residence for the Head of State in Sesheke. And from what we heard, they started marching towards the holding residence of the Head of State in a clear act of provocation that led to that clash that we heard about. There is no need for all this drama, if only our colleagues could show maturity and if Mr Hichilema could tone down on his desperation and arrogance,” said Chanda.

“There is a lot of evidence of violence and misconduct by the UPND, talk about all the blockages of the road. You get all the planks, the stones and all sorts of objects and put on the road, which the Head of State is going to use. What kind of lawlessness is that? You know this road is going to be used by the Head of State, you go ahead and block that road and you have a responsible opposition leader who knows his cadres are doing that and he keeps quiet. When Sata was in opposition he said I don’t want to spill blood and destroy this country because I want to find an intact society when I become President. Any responsible leader will say to his supporters to avoid violence for the sake of the nation.”