National Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-president Josephs Akafumba says the planned PF youth protest against party president Chishimba Kambwili is designed to compel the court to find him guilty.

Last Thursday, PF Secretary General Davies Mwila revealed that the party structures would have peaceful protests against the insults being hurled at President Edgar Lungu by NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili for seven days in an effort to protect the Head of State from ridicule.

Mwila also ordered PF structures around the country to put Kambwili on house arrest the next time he insulted the Head of State.

But commenting on this development in an interview, Akafumba observed that the planned PF youth protest against Kambwili was an attempt to compel the court to find him guilty.

He also said protesting against Kambwili was a non-issue because there were more important matters that people needed to protest against, such as the escalating mealie-meal prices.

“Those things they are doing are not necessary, protesting to show solidarity for someone is not necessary at this point. But then that is what a lawless State does, we have just lost it as country! Look, Chishimba Kambwili has been arrested already, the man was locked up and he will be taken to court. So, in such a situation, citizens in a country where there is the rule of law, they would let the courts handle the matter. But in Zambia, under PF where there is a complete breakdown of law and order and it’s a lawless State, that’s where you see the PF now trying to indirectly tell the court to say ‘can you convict this man!’ That’s what they are trying to do, they want the courts to convict Kambwili. To them, Kambwili is guilty until proven innocent,” said Akafumba.

“Those cadres who are wasting time demonstrating over a matter, which is already before court, surely, they have better things to do; one of them is to demonstrate against the escalating prices of mealie-meal. So, if I were them, that’s one thing that I would be protesting about than wasting time protesting over a matter, which in fact, to me, is a non-starter,” said Akafumba.