LUSAKA Province Minister Bowman Lusambo is too excited about the Ministerial position he holds and his utterances against Hakainde Hichilema are exposing his abnormality, says UPND deputy secretary general Patrick Mucheleka.

Commenting on Lusambo’s attacks against Hichilema during a PF interactive discussion forum, Monday, where the former lashed out at Hichilema, describing him as a tribalist and crook, Mucheleka said Lusamabo’s remarks had exposed his abnormality because he had continued speaking without exercising maximum restraint.

“First of all, in the midst of a crisis, it is actually abnormal to continue pointing figures. The fellow is exhibiting abnormality in its highest sense! We are faced with a crisis, which has been created by his fellows, who have failed to provide leadership. When we needed President Edgar Lungu to speak to the Zambian people over the crisis, he is allowing Bowman Lusambo to be issuing careless statements. I am very surprised that this is being tolerated by not only President Lungu, but also by Zambia Police and it is not helping matters. Even when people are saying no one should be issuing careless statements, there is Bowman Lusambo! This is what excitement does, but even when you are excited, you must have boundaries because what he is exhibiting is actually abnormal,” Mucheleka said.

“This is what you get, when you get people who’ve never even understood what it meant to get PF into power because Bowman Lusambo was nowhere near; he was far away from those who struggled to put PF into power; he was never there. He was an MMD ‘die hard’ and because of that he goes beyond imagination just to please his master who’s President Lungu. These are people who are making President Lungu and PF look as if they are a bunch of jokers! The country is faced with such a serious crisis and Bowman Lusambo doesn’t even understand the implications of what is going on. As I speak, the economy has actually had to take a very serious bash because the challenges that we have faced as a country has serious complications! Obviously, when you are talking about economic implications, you must know that it will have an effect on levels of unemployment, poverty.”

Mucheleka said the party was considering taking legal action against Lusambo over his unrestrained utterances.

“We are certainly asking our legal team to seriously look at those issues Chilufya Tayali, and even the likes of Bowman Lusambo. Our legal team will be looking at those…trying to take legal action. My call is to ask President Lungu to rein in his Ministers; his PF officials should exercise restraint, especially during these trying moments for the country. It is time to reflect. We know the people have serious questions on what is going on. It is the whole failure of the entire system, otherwise, we cannot have Ministers making such careless statements, which they cannot substantiate,” Mucheleka said.

“This is why for us in the opposition, particularly UPND, we must consider taking legal action on the likes of Lusambo. He doesn’t understand the office that he holds; he is a Minister, you don’t just make careless statements.”

He wondered why President Lungu had failed to discipline his Ministers from issuing disparaging statements.

Mucheleka also wondered why the PF had been quiet on the arrest of its Chingola information and publicity secretary Evans Mulenga for being in possession of suspicious chemicals.

“The sad part is that he has no one to keep him in check; the only person who can keep him in check is the Head of State given that the police itself has been rendered useless and irrelevant because when (Kakoma) Kanganja speaks, who is listening to him? It is better for those in the opposition to listen and those in the PF should not listen. Just the other day it was (Stephen) Kampyongo who was making careless statements in Shiwang’andu, today, it is Bowman Lusambo. At what point do you exercise responsibility and exercise restraint about what you say and what you cannot say?” asked Mucheleka.

“The good part is that the Zambian people are being vindicated. Look at what has happened in Chingola, the fellow that has been named so far and who is appearing in court; it is the PF operatives and even what does Lusambo have to say about that PF operative. The police officer, who tried to conceal the information, tried to conceal information because it concerned the PF. The excitement that Lusambo has is too much that he does not understand in any way the implications of the statements he keeps making.”