Party Headquarters, Lusaka, Zambia – We appreciate the role General Olesugun Obasanjo is trying to play as an elderly African statesman in discussing the political developments in Zambia. Sometimes, however, we feel he is trying too much, especially when it comes to the seemingly hapless but nevertheless reckless comments he keeps making regarding the on-going trial of Hakainde Hichilema.
For those without history to this article, General Obasanjo is a former military ruler whose military regime ran the affairs of Nigeria between 1976 and 1979.
Hichilema on the other hand is a political player in Zambia who has lost elections five times and the losses seem to have left him bitter and angry at the political system and democracy in Zambia.
Especially after being beaten twice by President Edgar Lungu in 2015 and 2016. It is clearly painful
Despite losing elections every five years like clock-work making him the’ biggest loser’ in the history of Zambian politics, Hichilema always comes out fighting saying the Electoral Commission of Zambia and the entire Zambian people stole the polls from him and only him alone.
Recently he has come up with a new mantra “I won’t accept the results and Edgar Lungu is not my President I don’t recognise him,” a trend seen as fanning anarchy here in peaceful Zambia.
Things worsened on 8th April because instead of just stewing in his hate and contempt, Hichilema defied police and an entire security detail and did not give way to a Presidential motorcade as per requirement by law since independence. He has since been arrested for this charade that experts say could have ended up killing President Edgar Lungu on that day—the repercussions of the possible death, one cannot fathom.
Above are the facts as they stand in court and they remain undisputed.
However, in a bid to be relevant and to continue getting paid, Mr Obasanjo, a former military leader (to his credit in 1999 he won a civilian election in Nigeria) though a Leopard rarely changes its spots so they say, has been making all manner of poisonous statements on Zambia.
If you were not in Zambia today, you would think the serene southern African nation was on fire based on the inflammatory statements coming out of Mr Obasanjo and his boss Greg Mills, the head of the Oppenheimer financed Brenthurst Foundation. Critical questions for the reader: who heads the Foundation? What sought of relationship does he have with Hichilema? Was he in Zambia before the last elections? What kind of services did he offer to the UPND leader? Who is the Chairperson for the Foundation? Answering these questions will reveal why this cartel is bent on giving Zambia a bad name!
We all know how the Oppeinhermer’s made their money in South Africa under the apartheid regime—money from diamonds as 80 percent of black South Africans died in poverty and remain poor today.
The oppeinheimer’s swim in stupendous wealth today as they bankroll the Brenthurst Foundation through former military leader Obasanjo and Mills to make it appear as of Zambia is on fire.
Zambia is not on fire – it is a country that observes the rule of law and respects outcomes of elections until the black spot hit our history with the defiance of Hichilema funded by Oppenheimer’s Brenthurst.
Leaders have lost elections in the past and accepted results and these include our founding father Dr Kenneth Kaunda and that tenacious founder of PF President Michael Sata, Rupiah Banda, and a list does exist and it is not made up.
What makes Hichilema beaten twice different?
The entire international community starting from former US President Barak Obama, Angela Merkel of Germany, the Queen of England, Presidents Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Yoweri Museveni Uganda, Pope Francis II and indeed all leaders from functioning democracies in Africa and beyond endorsed the election of President Lungu. How hard is it for Brenthurst, Obasanjo and Hichilema to swallow humble pie and accept the poll?!
In democracy, unlike Anglo America supported Brenthurst, there is always a winner and a loser. In this case, Hichilema lost the election, President Lungu won the election. Its that simple!
It is wrong for the former military leader to coach Zambia on democracy, we have never had a military regime and neither have we exploited diamonds and gold from Kimberley to become stupendously rich at the expense of 80 percent poor South Africans.
We resent the deliberate bad press and distorted facts Anglo America and retired military ruler Obasanjo are placing on a peaceful nation like Zambia that has been embraced by the United States, the UK, France, China, Russia and everyone else.
Mr Obasanjo was once accused of being responsible for political repression in Nigeria. In one particular recorded instance, the compound of Nigerian immensely famous musician and political activist Fela Kuti was raided and gutted to the ground after a member of his commune was involved in an altercation with military personnel.
Mr Fela, the late and his family especially female family members were beaten and raped and his mother, political activist Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, was killed by being thrown from a window. This happened under Gen Obasanjo and Mr Fela’s mother’s coffin was carried to General Obasanjo’s barracks as a protest against political and military repression according to existing records.
Is this the kind of man that can condemn the administration of President Lungu, a law abiding Christian President?
As a party, we are tired of reading distortions in the international press skewed at making us look bad. From now on, every lie told about us shall be countered with the harsh truth of those peddling the lies. Stop telling lies about Zambia and President Lungu, we shall stop telling the truth about you too!
Give Justice a chance, this is Zambia, not a military regime or a Family Trust!
We conclude by advising the retired military leader to read through the statements being issued in his name in future and not just the balance in his bank account. There is more to democracy than a pay check from the Opeinheimers. General Obasanjo’s democratic credentials are not without stains! Those that come to the table with justice must do so with clean hands.
Signed by:
Mrs. Mumbi Phiri
Patriotic Front Deputy Secretary General
Issued By:
Sunday Chanda, Director for Media
Patriotic Front Headquarters
Lusaka
Tell Okavango to mind his own business and that he should go back to fight his own wars in Nigeria where Bokko Haram has and continue to cause havoc. Tell him we don’t also that, we’re God fearing pipo and don’t wear dresses like women.
If you read this article carefully, pf has officially confirmed that the treason charge on HH is has a result of the mongu motorcade fiasco, a traffic offense which the the state has already entered a nolle prosecui.
PF continue with their charade of a govt when Zambia is smouldering. This is not a time for jokes and throwing barbs at people who are worried about the viability of Zambia. Obasanjo and Mills have seen the writing on the wall. PFooIs will complain and continue to deceive themselves but Zambia is on a slide to total failure. This is now dawning on Lungu. Slogans are not facts. Zambia is completely divided, broke and heading nowhere.
Stop dignifying that Mandingo called Obasanjo with these responses. He is an amoral merchant of death with trails of treachery to his name against the Nigerian people, West African states and every human being in Africa.
Have you ever heard him condemn:
1). Kidnapping of Chiboko girls,
2). Apartheid atrocities in SA and beyond,
3). Destruction of Libya, Liberia, Sierra-Leon not mentioning Iraq?
Obasanjo even fought against the release Madiba from Robin Island.
In Kenya he was the one cheating Raila Odinga to go for a civil war. That should tell you the kind of a useless crusader he is. We don’t need him in Zambia. Our differences are not insurmountable to need him confuse a few weak deluded souls.
“What sought of relationship does he have with Hichilema…”
@ Mumbi Phiri.
It’s sort, NOT sought. Such uncouth statements written in broken English are an embarrassment to the nation.
@1.4 These mafias sponsored HH in 2015 and 2016. These people thrive on countries were there is confusion. That’s how they make money. God of zambia will punish them including their agent. HH is their friend and agent and that’s the relationship between them.
When is Mumbi Phiri going to respond to Jacob Zuma’s calling lungu an angry Dictator who arrests people for booing him? They are too scared to respond to Jacob Zuma.
Or maybe they are scared bcoz RSA is where they go for shopping, for medical treatment, abortions, buy property from the money they steal?
It’s a shame that any person trying to advise PF becomes their enemy. The article is full of defensiveness than listening to elders. The whole treason case is a shame and PF should stop fooling Zambians.
PF and trying to justifying your tribal party which has only two names it’s file and ranks Chanda and Phiri. If one is not having these names is not welcome. Just allow justice to be at the center of governance and not Zulu and Chanda deciding who goes to jail. We are watching you.
@maloza zuma is a disaster not worth responding to. SA don’t want him as he is a confirmed thieve and violator of the constitution. So no saner person actually listen to zuma
When you have a thug surrounded by 1diots this is what you get with no respect to the elderly who have tried to put some sense into Lungu’s head full of kachasu and Jameson.
Respect for the elders is earned just like you don’t have respect because of the anger in you, sorry you will also not earn any respect. Obasanjos interest in all of this is just money…..
…When you have a tribalist surrounded by buffoons, TREASON is what you get with too much respect for compromised elderlies who are trying to put rubbish into hh’s head full of hate, bitterness and denial!!
BO NDATE, WHAT SENSE CAN OBASANJO PUT INTO LUNGU. THE MAN IS SENSELESS HIMSELF. WHERE DOES HE EXTRACT SUCH SENSES.
Elderly? Certainly not Obassanjo, think again.
….l mean OBASANJO
Who cares what you meant?
I like this response because it gives out information, although a little harsh, but it’s on point, it’s readable. Not the response ba Government Spokesperson gave to Odinga from Kenya.
Obasanjo is very stupid person he handed over Charles Taylor to the Americans . I personally don’t like him
Charles Taylor, like Lungu, is a murderer. I hope he dies in jail. Lungu awaits the same fate.
How many responses are we going to hand out to the world? When you find yourself having to justify your actions all the time, then there must be something wrong somewhere. Let us also remove bitterness and be more diplomatic in the international fora.
What diplomacy, some foreigners are insulting your mother and you fold your machende and say diplomacy.Come on learn to defend your country.
Zambia has become a ‘ deep state’ defined in the recently published “No Longer Whispering to Power” The History of Thuli Madonsela, as a state in which unelected individuals and institutions take charge of government. Mumbi Phiri and Sunday Chanda are elected at the Kola Foundation, a tribal grouping, but have no business commenting on government matters. That Phiri and Chanda comment on such issues confirms that the Government draws its authority and legitimacy from the Kola Foundation!
The Bemba hegemony rules. Lungu is their puppet.
The OAU, which has been transformed into the AU was formed by Africa’s genuine Freedom Fighters. The most prominent African leaders and who formulated the birth of the OAU included Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, Tanzania’s Nyerere, Zambia’s Kaunda among others. In Nigeria the notable Freedom fighter was Azikiwe.
The AU must be wary of picking on any former African President in resolving Africa’s political issues. Obasanjo has no feelings on the pains that were inflicted on freedom fighters in the SADC region. Obasanjo is no match to Tabo Mbeki who solved Sudan’s problem. The AU can rely on Kofi Annan – but not Obasanjo – in conflict resolution. Obasanjo’s links with the Brenhurst Foundation is laced with mercenary genes and, therefore, he is a security threat to SADC region.
OBASANJO IS SIMPLY NOT THE RIGHT PERSON TO COMMENT ON PEACE-LOVING ZAMBIA. A LOT OF BAD THINGS HAPPENED IN NIGERIA UNDER HIS MISRULE. HE SHOULD JUST EAT THE BLOOD MONEY FOR WHICH MOST CORRUPT AND THIEVING NIGERIANS HAVE AN ENDLESS APPETITE. IF OBASANJO HAD AN GRAIN OF PRINCIPLES HE WOULD HAVE BEEN REFUSING THE BLOOD MONEY FROM THOSE TYCOONS WHO EXPLOITED BLACK SOUTH AFRICANS UNDER THE WHITE APARTHEID REGIME. OBASANJO CLEARLY KNOWS THAT THOUSANDS (IF NOT MILLIONS) OF BLACK SOUTH AFRICANS WERE BUTALLY MURDERED AND WOMEN RAPED BY THE APARTHEID GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS CONGLOMERATES AND INDIVIDUALS. I WONDER IF OBASANJO EVEN CARED AT ALL. TO DATE, THE SCARS OF THOSE BRUTAL MURDERS, RAPES AND SERIOUS SUFFERING UNDER THE APARTHEID WHITE REGIME CAN BE SEEN THROUGH XENOPHOBIA OF BLACK SOUTH…
…TO DATE, THE SCARS OF THOSE BRUTAL MURDERS, RAPES AND SERIOUS SUFFERING UNDER THE APARTHEID WHITE REGIME CAN BE SEEN THROUGH XENOPHOBIA OF BLACK SOUTH AFRICANS ON (WRONGLY) FELLOW BLACK AFRICANS. XENOPHOBIA ALSO HAPPENED IN NIGERIA AGAINST GHANAIANS. REMEMBER THE, “GHANA MUST GO”. SO OBASANJO MUST NOT LECTURE ZAMBIA ABOUT DEMOCRACY WHEN HE IS EATING UNDEMOCRATIC BLOOD MONEY FROM SOUTH AFRICA. HE MUST JUST ENJOY THE BLOOD MONEY WHILE BLACK SOUTH AFRICANS CONTINUE TO DIE AND TOE FOR HIM. OBASANJO IS A SHAMELESS GLATON.
WHY OBASANJO IS GOING ALL OUT ???
….IT IS NOT ABOUT DEMOCRACY BUT TYCOONS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO FURTHER ENRICH THEMSELVES
====================================
It is well known that HH has the funding of Anglo America, however, what people may not know is that in October 2014 a Brenthrust Conspiracy was hatched, this conspiracy was a conglomerate of mining businessmen who wanted to rid off President Edgar Lungu and usher in fellow businessman Hakainde Hichilema.
Attendees at the meetings included Jonathan Oppenheimer, nephew of the founder of Anglo American, Greg Mills, director of Brenthurst Foundation, Moses Khanyile, member of the Board of Armscor, and *Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria.*
The agreement was to have Hichilema reduce mining royalties for foreign…
A country burdened with 10 billion debt with only copper and you think diamond cartels would even urinate in Zambia???
Hehehehehe, anyways if it makes the kaponyas feel better by telling them diamond cartels are after their scrap copper, there you have it.
Photo evidence can prove that Hichilema has been dealing with these businessmen and was ready to auction the Zambian mines to further enrich himself and his founders.
Hichilema on several occasions was flown to Oppenheimer family’s luxurious Tswalu game reserve in the Northern Cape, South Africa. In a series of meetings run by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo (who also chairs Brenthurst Foundation), sought to bring together a secret alliance of Hichilema and Rupiah Banda to ensure President Edgar Lungu did not win the elections.
However former president Banda refused to take part in the conspiracy but Oppenheimer family and their partners pledged to support Hichilema in his bid for presidency.
Hichilema has always upheld the interests of foreign corporations at the…
What do you guys smoke in PF ???? The openhimers control diamonds on the global scene, what has improvershished country like Zambia have for them.???
THESE GUYS HAVE SEEN A SERIOUS WEAKNESS IN HH SUCH THAT THEY CAN EASILY CONTROL HIM TO THEIR BENEFIT IF HE WERE TO BECOME PRESIDENT. ZAMBIANS MUST BE VERY CAREFULL WITH HH AND HIS CHICK IN TONGUE CROOKS.
Who can want to control a Zambian president ?? For what, debt managment ? What riches has Zambia got.??
Some of you guys are delusional.
Are you aware Anglo have huge presense doing a lot of exploration in Zambia my brother?
They would not be here if Zambia had nothing to offer them… .do you agree with me?
When you see these multinationals meddling in politics of a country use it as indicator of the great economic potential ….
Remember Anglo ran mines here and they have a lot data of where all the wealth is..
so Zambia is very much on their map.
Chiweme
If they had any data of any wealth Zambia has they would have been hear long time and would not have let the Indians and Chinese buy the mines at toilet paper prices.
There maybe small pockets of undiscovered precious metals here and there but nothing major. Nothing worth the troubles for multinationals.
Or are you still hoping to find KKs oil.?
our party is always on the defensive and on the attack whenever we hear advice, we can’t take all the advise but to some advice we need somber relflection,unlike the reactionary attitude and know it all approach we take advice and critism
Well written article. I hope Obasanjo and his Anglo American thieves who robbed our mine together with HH will learn to be true with themselves.
HE President Lungu was duly elected and has beaten HH twice cleanily.
Emwe naimwee what has bankrupt zambia got that the openhimers can want?? scrap copper mines left to Indians and Chinese??
Looking at it another way, who would want to invest in a country full of theives leading a population burdened by taxes and high prices.
Mumbi Phiri has no capacity to anayse or critique the Article. Until 2011 Zambia was a beacon of Peace and Democracy. Sata started ignoring the Rule of Law ,Good Governance ,Constitutionalism and Respect for Human Rights. Under illegitimate Lungu Zambia is now a failed Police State Dictatorship. Institutions of Governance have been compromised by Lungu and PF. ZPS,Courts,ZRA, ECZ etc have collapsed and are now operating under directives from State House and professionalism has been sacrificed. Lungu has blocked the Petition Hearing becoz he knows he will be convicted of Electoral Fraud in Court. Lungu has resolved to kill the Petition by imprisoning or killing the Petitioners to gain Legitimacy. This wont work and Lungu’s dream of establishing a One Man Party Dictatorship and Rule Zambia…
How is ECL presidency “illegitimate”? How can you say this mountain of allegations? Are you in Zambia? You’re most likely to be in RSA with the DA Leader.
This seems to have turned out to be a platform for angry people who express themselves vehemently. The posts here worry me.
PF Should have written your response on toilet paper, it belongs in pit latrines of chawama were the fraudstar lungu came from.
Not worth reading…
Every one who has anything to say about the divisions in Zambia since the fraudstar ruled is conspiring against PF.
But you read the article anyway, where you in the toilet?
I did not read it…….just the heading and name of the authors is enough.
An article meant to excite the kaponyas and stone throwers in PF…….toilet paper material.
HH and Obasanjo’s mind-sets lack self-confidence, self-belief and have a low self-esteem of their own ability to thrive without the former coloniser. These are self-loathing traits and racial insecurity, all by-products of colonisation and slavery. Zambians have a job to do; the work is to dismantle this mentality completely and entirely for future generations to thrive and realise genuine and full development outcomes. The battle to deconstruct this colonisation of consciousness starts with an outright rejection of an inferiority complex. The people funding HH and Obasanjo should start by redistributing land and other national assets to poor South Africans before they can advise on democracy.
“…The battle to deconstruct this colonisation of consciousness starts with… ”
You have been independent for More than 50 yrs and you owe 10 billion and are going back begging to the IMF for help while your country can not survive without handouts and aid from the west……
@ spaka
deconstruct this colonisation of consciousness by understanding their insatiable apetite for welth and power. Anything short of that, you’re doomed
YES, AFTER-ALL THAT’S WHERE THEIR BASE IS. WITH THE KIND OF STOLEN RESOURCES AT THEIR DISPOSAL, THEY CAN IMMENSELY HELP IN THAT AREA
They will not hear anything.They will respond to anything and everything. They know it all. They never admit any thing. One of the things RB correctly highlighted after loosing elections was that “we did not listen to our people.” I can foresee this repeating itself.
PF should learn to listen to advice and not disparage anyone for the sake of it
LISTEN FROM WHO? OBASANJO? RUBBISH. WHAT HAS OBASANJO DONE TO THE MURDERED STUDENTS IN INDIA. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MOBILISING AFRICAN STATES AGAINST SUCH BRUTAL MURDERS OF AFRICANS IN INDIA AND THE ARAB COUNTRIES. HE IS WASTING HIS STINKING BREATH ON ZAMBIA.
Listen to him on what? HH’s case is straight forward. Endangering the head of state’s life is treason. That’s the law in Zambia. It’s not just a simple traffic offense of obstruction. If you are not happy with it, start a process to change it.
And please, do not post all your grievances against ECL which are not related to Mrs M. Phiri’s statement.
Olusegun Mathew Okikiola Aremu Obasanjo, GCFR is a former Nigerian Army general who was President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007.
Correct history Mumbi n Chance
Check obasanjo’s activities before, during and after his “presidency”. A RUTHLESS CANNING CRIMINAL INDEED.
This Oga Obasanjo was one of the soldiers that led Nigeria’s military onslaught against Biafran soldiers leading to the eventual surrender of the Biafrans. He has blood on his hands so who is he to preach to us peaceful people? Let him go and deal with his own rubbish in his back yard.
Zambia’s mineral resource is so vast. Obasanjo and his friends knows it through their agent HH. Instead of coming in to invest legally, they are using underhand methods. The ultimate goal is to squeeze HH’s balls once he’s president and extract undue profits from Zambia. These are thieves who make long term plans to steal our wealth.
They have an egg in RSA through the DA. They’ve targeted Zambia for some time now. But to their shame, Jehovah God is always with us and He will definitely not allow it by enlightening us through such post from Mrs Mumbi Phiri, yourself and other meaning Zambians
How can HH allow himself to be used these canning criminals. Unless he’s like them and VERY SELFISH.
But why are these leaders behaving like that, this is very dangerous!
Zambia, my once a normal nation.
Before PF……and definitely before the wannabe dictator lungu…
Endangering the head of state’s life is treason. That’s the law in Zambia. It’s not just a simple traffic offense of obstruction. If you are not happy with it, start a process to change it.
Wow, are they drunk when writing this? At least they can bother to use Google to spell “Oppenheimer” correctly? Or too lazy to click a mouse. Lazy arrogant thugs in charge
At least all those shouting here against Nigerians should check where Dangote comes from (Lungu’s best friend)
Dangote is as clean, in business, as a saint. Not Obassanjo
@ Spaka
Grow Up. Zambia’s mineral resource is so vast. Obasanjo and his friends knows it through their agent HH. And yet you can’t see the wealth. Instead of coming in to invest legally, they are using underhand methods. The ultimate goal is to squeeze HH’s balls once he’s president and extract undue profits from Zambia. These are thieves who make long term plans to steal your wealth.
We will remain impoverished, as you claim, if continuously deny this FACT.
its like there are too many dull villagers commenting here. …stop hiding in politics life is reality don’t be used by these politicians.. .accept what is right and recognize a fault. ..this is our country we only have Zambia why killing one another in the name of not been EITHER TONGA OR PF …wake up.. ..great people work in unity not in deception…
PF CAN NOT DEVELOP ZAMBIA AND CERTAINLY NOT UPND BUT WE ALL ZAMBIANS TOGETHER WE CAN.. .
PUT TRIBAL HATRED AND PARTY BARRIERS ASIDE ..
If Tongas by themselves where best to lead by now we would have had the next Obama from mongu and if you PF you can lead without others you are dreaming …eliminate evil and support good..
one day you die following these lost politicians what will you leave for descendants ? these politicians…
PF are pathetic crooks, liars and manipulators! If you are Democrats and observers of rule of law that you claim to be, why do you keep arresting your opponents without observing the same law? You manipulated the judiciary to the extent that Concourt judges failed to interpret the meaning of “14 days”.in our constitution. Other than maternity and convalescence leaves, all other days are counted on actual working days! So, PF dribbled the opposition upnd by considering the petition case in 10 days. Why is the PF scared of the petition case? Simple, they lost, but rigged the elections and upnd has hard core evidence to the effect . Cheating and stealing have never been honorary acts because sooner than later, truth usually and painfully resurfaces!