National Democratic Congress (NDC) president Chishimba Kambwili says President Edgar Lungu is insulting Zambians by saying he does not know how to steal because his newly acquired wealth paints the opposite picture.

And Kambwili says he can never go back to PF to be led by a corrupt person.

Meanwhile Kambwili says he had been vindicated because he told President Lungu that Margaret Mwanakatwe did not have what it takes to be Finance Minister.

On Sunday, President Lungu told Luapula PF officials that he does not know how to steal, and charged that the opposition was on a malicious campaign to brand all ruling party officials as criminals.

But in an interview, Kambwili expressed shock at President Lungu’s plea of innocence.

“Wonders will never cease. First and foremost, if Lungu says he doesn’t know how to steal, how did he steal from that poor pensioner, how did he steal her money when he was lawyer if he doesn’t know how to steal” Kambwili asked.

“So you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see that Lungu has got stealing habits because he stole from a lady and it was confirmed by the High Court and he was sanctioned. Does he think before he talks? I wonder. The record is there at the Law Association of Zambia that is why I say this man, Insoni Ebuntu (humans should have shame) but this man has no shame that’s why he does what he does. And if you don’t have shame, then you are not fit to be a human being. The man declared one million Kwacha before he got into office, one year later, he had K23 million. Let him explain what business he does for him to make K23 million in 12 months. The man has been running a ‘Presidential Market Initiative Fund’, where he has given over K30 million, let him explain to the country where he got that 30 million from.”

Kambwili insisted that President Lungu was a nobody before assuming office.

“The man before he got into State House had a house Kwa Jack (a shanty compound in Lusaka). Today, the man has houses all over. The man before he became President, his daughter was living with him at his house, today his daughter has properties all over, she has got money, the son, mention them. Let them tell us how they have accumulated that money as a family. the man before he became President had a RAV 4, before he became minister, he had one RAV 4 vehicle that was problematic and was smoking like nobody’s business, let him tell us where his family has gotten those Porsche cars from,” he said.

“So it is there for everybody to see that here is the man who is doing illegal things to acquire wealth and he says ‘I don’t know how to steal’, what a joke! But anyway, time for him to explain his wealth is coming and very soon.”

He warned that all those who were surrounding President Lungu would scamper when time came to answer for his crimes.

“And I feel sorry for him and he will feel sorry for himself, all those people he thinks are with him and supporting him will run away from him like nobody’s business. He will remain himself and his family and they will scamper in all directions. Let him not think that the people of Zambia are so stupid that they are not able to differentiate sense from nonsense. So the best I can tell Lungu is to keep quiet about corruption and theft because he cannot detach himself from those two acts,” Kambwili charged.

“If there are people who are outside government who stole arrest them. You are President how can accuse people of having stolen and then you don’t arrest them for stealing when you have all the power? That is rhetoric! If Lungu knows that there are people that were in government [that] have stolen and know they are in the opposition [and] the way they were stealing is the way they think he is stealing, why not just tell the Anti-corruption and the police to follow them up?”

Meanwhile, Kambwili rubbished PF secretary general Davies Mwila’s allegations that he had been seeking to meet President Lungu saying he could never work under a corrupt leader

“That is hallucination. Mwila and Lungu are hallucinating ine ukuya ku PF nga na li pena kwena (me? Going back to PF? Unless I am mad). There is absolutely nothing wrong with PF as a party with its genuine members but the leadership of Lungu and Mwila is rotten and I cannot work with them, the night I called Lungu, I called him win connection with Makwaza’s death. when I saw the program, there was no state involvement and on that day, I called Lungu, I called Kampyongo, I called Margaret Mwanakatwe and I called Lubinda just to advise them that give a befitting send off to Mr Makwaza because he had contributed so much to Zambian football. That is the only time I have called Lungu and he can display if they are being honest let him show the whole world and the country when I have been calling Lungu apart from the time Mr Makwaza died and I was asking them to do the right thing,”Kambwili said.

“Having his funeral pass through the stadium the way we buried Samuel Zoom Ndhlovu, the way we buried Shimwala, the way we buried Fighton Simukonda but look at the way Mr Makwaza was buried, with a mayor of the city as a Government representative! What an insult to Makwaza’s contribution. Let me just assure the people of Zambia that I will never, ever, ever, ever; mark that word, work under President Edgar Lungu even if today he appointed me as his vice-president I cannot, I cannot work under a corrupt regime, a corrupt leader, never!”

Meanwhile, Kambwili said he was vindicated on Mwanakatwe.

“I told you! because I am a seasoned politician, I am focused I know what it take s to run a country, Lungu doesn’t know what it takes to run the country when I said Margaret Mwanakatwe did not have what it takes to be Finance Minister. Some people insulted me saying Margret Mwanakatwe was a Managing Director of a bank, running a bank is not like running a country. I have just been vindicated because if Lungu listened to advice, he could not have been in a situation where he is today. Remember, I advised him over the liquidation of KCM, that it was not a correct way to do things, see what is going to follow I advised him on Margaret Mwanakatwe he didn’t listen, I have been vindicated,” said Kamwbili.