Patriotic Front media director Sunday Chanda says the UPND should first come to terms with itself and put its house in order before seeking to dialogue and reconcile outside their party.

And Chanda says by asking President Edgar Lungu to apologize to Hakainde Hichilema for “inflicting pain on him”, Mazabuka Central UPND member of parliament Garry Nkombo is trying to divert people’s attention from his alleged forged Zesco letter, which he earlier presented to Parliament.

Chanda told News Diggers! in an interview that it was Hichilema who should apologize for master-minding the amendment of the UPND constitution to include Article 70, which effectively made him UPND president for life.

“We find UPND Mazabuka member of parliament Honorable Garry Nkombo’s remarks to the effect that the Head of State “should apologize” to Nkombo’s party leader, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for “false imprisonment” mischievously misplaced! His remarks are mischievous because they appear as a frantic attempt by Mr Nkombo to divert public attention from the criminal prosecution he faces for forgery after he recently produced before the floor of Parliament, a forged letter allegedly confirming a payment of K3 million in favour of Patriotic Front Secretary General Hon. Davies Mwila, which was purported to have been written by Zesco. They are misplaced because Mr Hakainde Hichilema has never been acquitted by any court of law; the State merely entered a nolle prosequi and as such, Hichilema remains accused of treason,” Chanda said.

He insisted that the UPND should first come to terms with itself before seeking to reconcile with anyone.

“Charity begins at home; the UPND should first come to terms with itself and put its house in order before Hichilema, Nkombo and the other UPND leaders can seek dialogue and reconciliation outside their party. They have been in existence for 20 years; and Hichilema has been president for thirteen years (since 2006). As he has been rejected by the Zambian people five times (2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, and 2016) and his frustration and exasperation is naturally expected; after all, he is only human. However, when frustration turns into pent-up bitterness, it becomes increasingly self-destructive and dangerous! They project their internal turmoil, pent-up bitterness and lack of internal dialogue as national turmoil. That explains Mr Nkombo’s misdirected statement – they have gone on a local and international campaign to present a gloomy picture of Zambia as a nation in tatters and civil strife. Having said that, we wish to remind Hon. Garry Nkombo that democracy and dialogue go together. Where there is no internal democracy, there is no internal dialogue,” Chanda said.

He said Hichilema should be the one to apologize for belittling President Lungu as the Head of State on several occasions.

“Why did Hichilema (in this democratic dispensation for Zambia) master-mind the amendment of the UPND constitution to include Article 70, which effectively makes him president of UPND in perpetuity, thereby, extending the “sentence?” He needs to apologize for his despotic ways! President Lungu is significantly older than Mr Hichilema. Yet, Hakainde going against our Zambian culture, has on numerous occasions belittled and used unsavoury language towards the Head of State. He, therefore, owes President Edgar Chagwa Lungu an apology for disrespecting him as his elder and his Head of State! We look forward to Hakainde’s apology. Hakainde also owes the Zambian people an explanation/apology for why he is chairman of Sun Hotels when he was negotiating chairman during the sale of the same former national asset during the privatization process of the 1990s,” charged Chanda.

“Hakainde owes the UPND and the people of Southern Province an apology for making it seem mandatory for all Southerners to belong to UPND just as he owes them an apology for pouring scorn on Southerners who support other political parties. My elder brother, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, owes this speaker an apology for aggressive language – threatening and traumatizing him and his family during a live radio that featured the UPND leader. Mr Hichilema owes the Zambian people an apology for the smear campaign of his own country locally and internationally that seeks to arrest and falsely imprison the nation’s progress!”