Our Civic Duty Association (OCIDA) spokesperson Bob Sichinga says while President Edgar Lungu is not a very powerful Head of State, the opposition should still unite to defeat him in 2021.

In an interview, Sichinga advised the opposition to emulate their colleagues in Malawi in order to be assured of victory.

“Nobody is talking from without, I have no malice against Mr Lungu but it is wrong for him to hold the whole country to ransom just because he wants a third term. That’s why we are encouraging everybody, come together, work together. This is almost 1991. What I am saying this is that in 1991, Kaunda was stronger than Lungu, for crying out loud. Who is Lungu in the schemes of the politics of Zambia? Where was he is 1991? Nowhere! Where was he in 1962 when there was cha cha cha? Nowhere. I was there, I started MMD with Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika and Mbita Chitala, we started MMD, I took around letters to Vernon Mwaanga to come and join the party. I was taking those letters myself,” Sichinga said.

“And I can tell you that Kaunda was powerful then, those were risks. I wrote three chapters of the MMD manifesto in 1990 at Indeco House on the seventh floor. So who is Lungu and where was he? I was there when we started the UPND together with the president Mr [Anderson] Mazoka. I was campaign manager for Mr [Micheal] Sata for the Presidential elections in 2011. I was there, I have seen the powerful. I wrote all the speeches for Mr Sata before he was elected as president, I took him to Oxford. Where was Lungu? Lungu is not as powerful as these others but what I can say going forward is form an alliance just like it was in Malawi, form an alliance because time has come to reconcile.”

And Sichinga warned that those who were stealing from state coffers would soon face the wrath of the law.

“We need to deal with this division that has been created. The country needs to be united. Form an alliance and deal with those who are stealing from state coffers. Those in PF are fearful because they have stolen and that’s why they want to divide the country. But they are misguided because the truth will catch up with them. The state will catch up with them, and when I say the state, I’m talking about the rules, laws and the constitution. It will catch with them, they will eventually have to account where they got the money from,” said Sichinga.

“Under the Anti-Corruption Act it asks, if you cannot explain the source of your income, then that’s proceeds of crime. Where are they getting this money they are donating? I can tell you the answer, they have stolen. But you can deal with them and the way you can deal with them is to form an alliance. And let the opposition be active. Are the opposition doing enough against these gains by their ruling counterparts? How many of them are actively mobilising? Have they got people campaigning on the ground right now? The state will catch up with you.”