EASTERN Province PF chairperson Andrew Lubusha says Lumezi constituency aspiring candidate Munir Zulu has got a mental disability.

Last week, Zulu abandoned the ruling party, claiming that Lubusha had constantly been fighting him.

But in an interview, Lubusha dismissed Zulu’s claims, saying the latter needed a mental health check.

According to Lubusha, Zulu was only angry because he was not allowed to speak at a rally in Eastern Province.

“You may need to do a mental check up on some of our colleagues. I am in rude shock! The only thing I did was to advise him that these people putting on your t-shirts are going to confuse the voters. Where there is a by-election and we are selling a different candidate, we are going to confuse the voters and believe me in his presence, the provincial chairlady asked the voters, ‘who they are going to vote for as a councilor?’ They said, ‘Munir Zulu.’ I told him, ‘have you seen what is happening? Let us concentrate on selling one candidate, then afterwards, you can continue’ that is the only crime that I committed. Then he donated seven bags of mealie meal that I never saw and he was asking me to announce at a rally that he had donated, but how could I do that when I never saw them? He has been fighting everybody, he blackmails everybody, he bullies everybody,” argued Lubusha.

“I have never fought him and I have no intentions of fighting him. How do I fight somebody with a mental disability? It is very shocking! Even when he came here, I am the one who received him, if I had any problem with him, I was definitely going to tell him. What he wanted was me to be with him throughout and to refuse to associate with the incumbent member of parliament (Pilila Jere), which was not possible. The only crime I made was to invite Jere to speak at a rally. In which capacity was I going to call him to speak to the people? The people who spoke at the rally were the mayor, Jere, the constituency chairperson and the provincial chairman. Now, which capacity was I going to call him? Everybody has passed through his drama: the Minister of Local Government (Dr Charles Banda); Kaizer Zulu (President Edgar Lungu’s former special assistant for politics); Honourable (Ronald) Chitotela (Tourism Minister)…So many people have passed through his hands, but I think we all know him; we just watch him.”

In an audio recording, Thursday, Zulu announced that he would now be standing as an Independent member of parliament in Lumezi following his departure from the ruling party, which had been necessitated by constant infighting instigated by Lubusha.

“I do not like to fight. I have been fought by the likes of Andrew Lubusha for so many years when in fact I am not even their business competitors. The only sin I have committed is not to refer to Lubusha as ‘boss.’ Comrades, I have received so many phone calls, from so many political parties, but I wish to state, categorically, I am not going to apply for adoption on any political party ticket for a simple reason. I am in the position of all the basic requirements to stand as member of parliament for Lumezi constituency, Lusaka Central, Nalolo constituency or any other constituency. But I have made a decision to stand as a member of parliament for Lumezi constituency as Munir Zulu. I am not going to stand or I am not going to apply for adoption on the PF ticket party ticket. This, in my opinion, will make my job a little bit easier. Aspiring for public office should not make one create enemies, but it seems my candidature has brought more enemies than friends. For the love of fellow human beings, those that have the privileges of having power and those that do not have, I will stand as me so that people that are in a perpetual habit of causing confusion do not bring me in their equation. If Andrew has issues with me, let him fight me as me and not because he holds the title of provincial chairman,” said Zulu.