PF Vice-President Given Lubinda says his party still has some of its loyal members in the system who keep them informed about what is happening in government.

And Lubinda says he is shocked that the UPND ministers engaged the “clique” for further studies after attending many orientation meetings chaired by President Hakainde Hichilema.

Meanwhile, Lubinda says former Zesco board chairman Mbita Chitala is trying to launder himself in his book.

At a press briefing, Thursday, Lubinda bragged that PF still had loyal members in the system who had informed them that government was targeting lawyers who were representing them in various cases.

“We are reliably informed by some of our members within the system, and let President Hakainde not make a mistake, we still have members in the system, and they are loyal to us and when they see things happening, they inform us and now they have informed us that the list of the targeted victims are actually lawyers and law firms. And these are lawyers and law firms who are defending us. Interestingly, those law firms are those who are handling matters that affect the PF and members of the PF. On the list we have not seen a law firm that is standing against us in any matter. It is only those that are defending us,” Lubinda said.

“We have undisputed evidence that the Zambia Revenue Authority, National Pensions Authority Workers Compensation Boards and other tax agents of the state have been triggered into action to investigate the compliance levels of these law firms. And on the list of these law firms is no other than Makebi Zulu and Advocates. And it is a well known fact that Makebi Zulu and Advocates is one of those law firms that is handling the numerous cases where our members are represented.”

He said those law firms were being targeted so that they could be silenced.

“Is it far-fetched for us to think that these law firms in particular Makebi Zulu Advocates are being targeted so that they are silenced, so that they are cowed, so that they stop representing us? The new dawn government is doing this to intimidate them so that they stop providing us legal services and this is being done in a country whose President constantly claims that he is governing by the rule of law. How can there be rule of law when some citizens are denied legal representation? In a country where lawyers’ performance is curtailed by a high handedness of the government, there cannot be justice,” he said.

And Lubinda said he was shocked that President Hichilema’s ministers were no longer angels.

“We are totally shocked that the ministers who were angelised and highly spoken about by President Bally when he was appointing them have been reduced from being angelic to becoming common criminals who are being taught the art of theiveing by a clique. Angels are angels and cannot fall from grace unless they take the likeness of Lucifer. So these angels..they are no longer angels. We heard the lamentations of the President on this matter and wish to advise him that rather than chasing the smoke, he is better off watching over and sorting out his Lucifers. Because he has not mentioned the clique, we don’t know the clique,” he said.

“Warning the clique not to tempt the UPND ministers because they are very weak souls which are very vulnerable to manipulation will not help. Rather, President Bally ought to conduct more soul searching among his members. We are actually disappointed that even after the several leadership workshops where the President was sensitising his ministers and permanent secretaries, there are still weak angels in his choir. Others are questioning what kind of lectures the President offered to his ministers for them to later engage the clique for further studies.”

He accused the government of secretly selling KCM.

“We have information that the sale of KCM has reached an advanced stage. Reports reaching us indicate that the employment process of key staff both locally and abroad has already started. However, the worry of the Zambian people is that the sale is being done in secrecy. The problems of KCM are not new to the Zambian people. The Zambians and the miners in particular have vehemently objected to the idea of giving back KCM to Vedanta. The Zambian people are wary of the fact that Vedanta may come through a proxy. There was information before the elections that Vedanta contributed some money equivalent to US$300,000 and that the UPND would give back the mine to them if they assume power as consideration for the sum Vedanta contributed,” he said.

“We also know that for one to exercise an option to invest in a mine of that magnitude, they need to do an extensive due diligence to make a proper investment decisions. There is no information so far regarding any due diligence going at KCM neither have we heard any investor openly expressing interest to buy KCM. Zambians are therefore asking who is buying the mine. There is no doubt that the process to sell has already commenced. The Zambian people have therefore come to a conclusion that only those who understand the mine can buy it through this abridged process and in this case it can only be Vedanta. Can President Bally clear the air around this important matter?”

Meanwhile, Lubinda said Chitala was trying to launder himself through his book.

“I have to say that the motive in writing that book by Chitala is unfortunate. He writes in the same book that he resigned when he was told that his dismissal letter had already been written. Why was he being dismissed? He is using the book to try and launder himself, I want to make it clear that I am upset that the Ferris project has not taken off. The Ferris wheel project started when I was Minister of Tourism. A Chinese company was looking for a piece of land in which to build a Ferris wheel and the intention was that Zambians must be able to view the Victoria Falls from the air without having to pay US$200 to go on a helicopter. And the land that was available belonged to Zesco. A company was established in which Ministry of Tourism has shares, Mbita, in his book, does not say I have shares in that company,” Lubinda said.

“The shareholders are that Chinese company and the Ministry of Tourism, not me. Mbita Chitala says in his book said that the government evaluation department at the Ministry of Works and Supply is the one that went and valued the land on behalf of Zesco. 7.9 hectares valued at US$ 253,000. And Mbita Chitala in his book says this piece of land Zesco was losing K1.9 million a year. From 2012 to 2017, people were dragging their feet. Yes, it is true that the representative of that company in Zambia is a friend of mine. But he came to ask me that ‘this project that you supported when you were Minister of Tourism is now dragging its feet. I have a suspicion that some people want to be paid, there are some people who may want bribes from me but I didn’t want to give bribes, is there anything minister you can do?’ And I said to him, ‘I don’t believe that such a project should be stopped because people want bribes’.”

He said people like Chitala had destroyed the country.

“And knowing that Mbita Chitala is a chairman of Zesco, a friend, I called him to say ‘Mbita, this matter is urgent, if you don’t give this fellow a project, the fellow is being courted to go into Zimbabwe, he will go put the Ferris wheel in Zimbabwe. Mbita Chitala expected me to sit back and watch him stop such an important project? No. And Mbita Chitala said 253,000 is too little money, I actually said if the money that government evaluation department is asking for is too little, can you as board chair get a new valuation? Get a higher figure? For what I care, this Ferris wheel project must be put in Zambia so that Zambians can benefit. Are we not embarrassed that when people are advertising Victoria Falls, they advertise it as being in South Africa? It is because of people who have wrapped thinking like Mbita Chitala. It is people like Mbita Chitala who have destroyed this country,” said Lubinda, who also hinted that he would take legal action against his friend.