UPND Alliance member Nevers Mumba says the Tonse Alliance under their candidate Brian Mundubile is “dangerously” unprepared to run government.

Commenting on Mundubile’s remarks where he indicated that the country couldn’t continue keeping reserves when people are suffering, Mumba during a briefing said the Tonse Alliance had no message.

“I would like to say our colleagues in Tonse are fellow Zambians. And we love them. But they are dangerously unprepared to run any type of government on earth. They are so green that they are unable to tell the difference between foreign reserves and an expense account. They have proposed to come and eat the reserves like they did when they were in government. Let me help the Tonse colleagues because a lot of them don’t understand, to explain these reserves. These reserves give us indications of how many months we can survive without a job. These reserves tell us how we can stay for so many months as a country in case there is a catastrophe that happens because we have reserves, but our friends are not seeing the need and would want to come and share the money. That’s not what reserves stand for. And this should scare all of us. It’s not about what they said. It’s the fact that they have no clue on governance,” he said.

“Tonse has no message. They simply, to their credit, didn’t have time to organize themselves to agree on a message. They are a product of confusion. They were so confused they didn’t know which party they belonged to. They didn’t know on which party they were standing. They were against each other. And now, in the last minute, they compromise. Let’s just get power without a message. So every Zambian who loves Zambia cannot vote for this organization. They need time to understand what they want to do with power. Right now, if you ask them, what are you going to do? You are being unfair. They will tell you whatever they want. That’s why in the rallies they are not talking about their manifesto. Because there is no connection between their manifesto and what they are wanting to do when they take over power. That document, probably the presidential candidate of Tonse and his deputy have never read their manifesto. Because they didn’t have time to read it. It was written by somebody else. It’s a dangerous team that can create a crisis for our country”.

Mumba added that opposition leaders were going to have “heart attacks” if they believed that they were going to win the August elections based on the crowd attendance at their rallies.

“Let me just say, what about the crowds that they are gathering? There is this fear that, ah kwena nabafula abantu nechimwela chaisa. Mwebantu bakwalesa uwinga landa pama crowds, because I am an evangelist, incito yandi yama crowds ninebo (oh wow there is a big crowd they even get excited, people of God I am the one who can talk about crowds because I am an evangelist and my job involves crowds). The reason I talk about it is to warn our friends in the opposition that when the results are going to be read out, and you realise how badly you have performed, you might say it has been rigged because our crowds were big. Crowds have nothing to do with voting,” Mumba said.

“Those who know elections are on the ground as we speak. And if you are putting your faith in the crowds, a lot of people are going to have heart attacks when the elections are going to be announced. So please do not worry about the crowd. Anybody can get a crowd. Even a fool can get a crowd if he wants to do something. Winning an election is a science. And if you do not follow the science, you will have the crowds and lose with the crowds.”

Meanwhile, PF president Miles Sampa distanced himself from the previous regime which he alleged “destroyed” the economy, adding that he was not part of their cabinet.

“Mr Chairman, let me make a disclaimer, to disclaim myself, filya mwachilalanda (what you were saying),those who destroyed the economy of Zambia, the previous cabinet, me, I wasn’t in that cabinet. The PF that I am president of, there is only one PF. We are the ones that isolated ourselves. We were not there. Me, I was a mayor, so all those wrong things they were doing, I was not part of. I would suggest to them, they were telling me, shut up,” he said.

“Finally, me, Miles Sampa and the PF, our chairperson, we have decided we will choose Zambia, not individuals. Zambia first for the good of all of you Zambians. We told you that your future one day will not be here. But your children need to find a Zambia that is better for them. And that’s what President HH has taken Zambia to.To remain in a better shape for them when all of us are gone. That’s why we are choosing them. We are not choosing individuals. We are choosing for the good of Zambia”.

He added that President Hichilema was a kind person as some opposition leaders were “criminals” and needed to be imprisoned.

“Finally, allow me, our chairperson, to say I’m actually surprised that President HH is a kind man. Some of these candidates, they have no business being candidates. They should have actually been in jail a long time ago. There are crimes that some of them have committed, abuse of office, corruption, straightforward corruption. I would choose some of those people who are in jail. Some of these candidates should swap with people like Nickson Chilangwa. They can be released, then they get jailed, or that Kawambwa Mayor and that innocent young man, why me, they were just sending him. They should swap because some of those candidates have criminal offences of corruption and abuse of office. President HH is very kind that the government did not process them in jail,” said Sampa.

And speaking earlier, UPND Alliance Chairperson Charles Milupi urged Zambians to vote for President Hichilema as he was determined to continue developing the country.