President Edgar Lungu says people should not believing cheap lies from politicians who claim that he is a drunkard because he doesn’t drink alcohol anymore.

And President Edgar Lungu says the 2021 election campaign fever has already started and those wishing to be nominated as members of parliament under the ruling Patriotic Front should show themselves.

Speaking when he met party provincial officials, Monday, President Lungu said people who claim to know him don’t know if he still drink or not.

“Some people believed what they heard about me in 2014/2015 now that I have been working with them they say ‘he is not like that after all’ because I have given them a chance to know me. Let us not allow people to mislead us by saying bad things. ‘I know him I used to stay with him in Chawama’, when you have never stayed with me before. You should ask those who lived with me they will say ’yes we know him, yes he used to drink’ but does he still drink? It’s all about cheap lies,” President Lungu said.

He predicted that UPND would lose the 2021 and 2026 elections, and mocked Hakainde Hichilema’s paranoia for eating or drinking with other people.

charged that UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema would lose in 2021 and 2026 respectively.

“Forget about eating together the man can’t even drink water given to him by friends because he thinks that they will poison him. I will not say much since you know him better. We should forget about personalities lets deal with real issues our people want improved lives. Why should a person lie about your party and you ignore it? If those people are not willing to work with us and you keep voting for them where will Southern Province be? 2021, PF is coming back and with a bigger percentage because we are reaching out to people! Of course we lost one government seat in IIlambo, in Lupososhi but that is nothing because the real test is coming in 2021. We want to make sure that we teach them a lesson. This man will lose in 2021 and he will lose in 2026 and people want to believe in him. Even a football team, if you have fumbling striker, if front liners are not scoring you substitute them very quickly. Don’t waste your money, don’t waste your energy by investing in losers!

Meanwhile, former UPND vice-president GBM charged that Hichilema is a paranoid leader who never ate food at his house.

“It is an honour to be back in this party. I am sorry to say this when I mean to be loyal I am very loyal to President Edgar Lungu. He has welcomed me I feel like home. You are such a wonderful man. I will remain loyal to you I will be always loyal to you at all time and I don’t see anything that will distract me this time. Where I went to be honest with you I was lonely now I am back to my family. Somebody who never ate food in my house, me I ate food in his house. He never drank water in my house me, I drank water at is house, is that a good leader? If I was at that level as the [party] vice-president he couldn’t trust me with food then what about you? What if he goes at State House? He will continue eating alone! Now with President Edgar Lungu, twafuma mukulya ubwali nenkonko. Nangu tabampele impiya ukubafye nabo ndi uwasansamuka. (I am from eating Nshima and chicken with the President. Even if he hasn’t given me money, I am happy to be with him).”

And Speaking on arrival at Livingstone’s Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport, Sunday, from Choma where he had travelled to commissioned the Kalomo-Dundumwezi gravel road, President Lungu said the 2021 election campaign fever had already started.

“Coming to 2021, the campaign fever has already started. We are going into 2020 so those who want to be MPs in Southern Province expose yourselves to the people and convince us why we should vote for you. It’s your deeds and not your words that will determine that you are capable or not. Please continue to be peaceful, there is no need for blood shed,” said President Lungu.