UPND deputy secretary general Patrick Mucheleka says it is unfortunate that PF deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri is justifying the killing of State prosecutor Nsama Nsama and UPND sympathizer Joseph Kaunda in last weeks’ shooting
Last week, Phiri said young people should stop moving umungulu (purposelessness) of following political party leaders in the name of offering solidarity because no one was worth dying for.
But Mucheleka, in an interview, said Phiri should be condemned.
“What is she saying about Nsama Nsama? Nawo mungulu? Because he was caught up in the fracas created by President Lungu, Stephen Kampyongo, Kakoma Kanganja and Nelson Phiri. Mumbi Phiri should not in any way justify such inappropriate actions by the State. I am not sure if she has read the bill of rights which allows people to assemble, express themselves freely, including if they so wish to give solidarity to their leaders, in the same way we have seen PF cadres being allowed to accompany Ronald Chitotela (Tourism Minister) and Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya, including some chiefs from Luapula over their appearance in court for corruption. Mumbi Phiri never uttered a single word because it was within the rights of those people to give solidarity. In the same vein, it is within their right to give solidarity to Hakainde Hichilema. Why are they so scared of him?” Mucheleka asked.
“Mumbi Phiri thinks everyone has forgotten; there is a case in Kaoma where Lawrence Banda was killed in her full view. She knows who killed him, she is actually an accomplice in murder. Time is coming when she will be asked to explain what happened in Kaoma. She thinks she can joke around over people that get killed and she thinks she has gotten away with it. Why didn’t she carry her own children? You cannot justify murder. What Mumbi Phiri is saying is useless, it must be condemned.”
He said police officers must not allow any politician to use them.
“This is the problem we have with putting people in such positions, people like Kampyongo, these people have lowered the bar. They can joke and think they have killed a chicken just because they are in power. For the Zambian people, the only weapon we have is a voter’s card. After killing Nsama, the same people who killed him are attending his funeral. This must not be justified by anyone. Time is coming when no one will be scared of a gun and people power will triumph. The same machinery they bought instead of buying medicines and improving the lives of the people, those things will be used against them. The same police officers will turn against them,”said Mucheleka.
Phiri last week said it was very annoying that youths were being ferried from far places to offer solidarity.
“I hear there were some who were ferried as far as Mazabuka and Monze. Wanina (you board a) bus to go and give solidarity to a person who has children. A person has seven lawyers to represent him. Who are you who doesn’t even have a lawyer? Mwema youths lekeni ukwenda umungulu. Nga ni Mumbi Phiri baita ku police alikwata abana seven, let those children escort me. Nga niba Hakainde, balikwata abana batatu. Nga niba Kambwili, he has got five children, paliba lawyer, paliba doctor lekeni abana besu baletushindika. Umungulu ati solidarity. Umungulu weka weka (Youths, stop moving aimlessly. If it is me who has been summoned, I have seven children who can escort me. UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has three children, Chishimba Kambwili had five children, among them there is a lawyer and a doctor, let our children escort us. You are moving aimlessly in the name of offering solidarity),” said Phiri.
“Your families remain crying. What has happened to the children of that boy who was killed? Umuntu ayafuma ku Kanyama aya ku Kaoma ukuchita ulubuli (Another youth who was staying in Kanyama went to involve himself in a fight in Kaoma). What have the families benefited? Ma statistics fye (they are just statistics). Do they take bread and butter for them to eat? Very annoying.”
