Thursday, March 28, 2024

Dictatorship is in President Lungu’s DNA-UPND

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Secretary General Stephen Katuka
Secretary General Stephen Katuka

The opposition UPND has charged that it is outrageous and hypocritical for President Edgar Lungu to push for its leader Hakainde Hichilema’s exit from politics.

In a statement, UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka said President Lungu should not preach democracy because this is the man who came through pangas and machetes at Mulungushi Rock of Authority before 2016 elections.

“From our side, Edgar Lungu came into Patriotic Front (PF) leadership undemocratically. But this does not bother us because we know that dictatorship is his DNA. This is the man who has been abrogating the constitution with impunity even when law is very clear on the stay of Ministers after dissolution of parliament. To date, ministers have not paid back the money even after the court that they should pay back,” Mr Katuka said.

“This is the same man who does not believe in an independent Zambia Police Service, not even an independent media. The Post Newspaper is no more today because of Edgar Lungu’s undemocratic style of leadership,” he said.

“As if that is not enough, this is the man who has seen many Zambians lose their jobs in national interest for simply belonging to particular ethnic grouping. Instead of discussing President Hakainde Hichilema, we expect Lungu to tell the people of Zambia what he is going to do to address the poverty that he has caused on the people of Zambia.”

Mr Katuka said the UPND expects President Lungu to tell the people why he has failed to complete the City market in six weeks as was earlier announced by his Vice President’s Permanent Secretary.

“We expect Lungu to tell the victims of COMESA, Mufurila fires and others what measures his government has put in place to compensate them and not discussing President Hichilema. We also expect Lungu to tell the nation what plans he has for street vendors whose life he has made miserable through his miscalculated policies. We expect Lungu to tell the nation why Zambia has the most expensive roads, ambulances and fire tenders.”

Mr Katuka has since called upon the Zambian people to denounce leaders who have no vision.

“Lungu should know that the people of Zambia are more concerned about how they are going to remove him from power since he has shown serious hunger for power that he is ready to even defy the constitution and go for a third term.”

He added, “Zambians is very unfortunate to have a leader who has no vision or any clue of how to address the challenges affecting them. A leader who has brought violence and aggression on the country. Incase leadership has gone to his head and blinded him, we wish to remind Lungu that many Zambians are sick and tired of his corrupt government and are now looking for the best way to remove him democratically.”

“We call upon all sober minded Zambians to read the UPND constitution so that they are not misled by someone who fails to understand even the national constitution,” Mr Katuka said.

24 COMMENTS

  1. Katuta just ignore the PF losers HH is giving them sleepless nights because they know that he is a real threat. Remember what happened to the impeachment motion? Just one example….

    • Spg: Real threat how? HH? Ok. Interesting. No sir the only threat that was to any government in this country is Chiluba and MMD to Kaunda and Sata and PF to MMD because these two parties showed character. Since then, there has never been any, really. What l fail to understand is why UPND and HH failed to wrestle power in 2015 when they campaigned for full 90 days when PF and ECL only campaigned for 21 days. Talking of impeachment when the ruling is the majority and those tables were going to be turned. This is politics my friend not only in Zambia but everywhere. If really a threat why resort to underhand methods like impeachment. HH is no threat becoz ECL is presido. The threat is ECL to HH’s desire to become presido and I doubt if it will be fullfuled becoz Zed unique.

    • Some politicians are a shame to Zambia. HH has been holding to power for a long time sir. Instead of talking about Lungu tell us when you will go the convention. So that we may see how democratic your party is. People are leaving your party everyday because of dictatorship in upnd.

    • Lungu is a corrupt thief and dictator.

      HH is a useless leader, unreliable, selfish and yes, a dictator.

      Both these men are not fit to run our beautiful country.

  2. Can we have a new opposition party. UPND is becoming more useless like a Knicker with a worn out elastic kikikiki.

  3. We should not let democracy die because of our selfishness.Those of us who grew in one party state will attest to the fact that Zambia under one party state was hell on earth.We all paid homage to one dictator who was the alpha and omega.Whatever he said,was taken as gospel truth.
    We need parties like UPND and other parties to exist so that our democratic principles and values are cultivated.Dictatorial regimes are not worth praising.They are built around individuals who have no respect for the masses.Ours is a democratic nation which should be cherished by all loving citizenry.

  4. The response from UPND through Katuka is what we want to hear and see more. PF have been tramping on UPND’s rights for too long and they are irritating to say the least.
    Why should it be normal for campaigns to be concerned with characters rather than plans for the electorates?

    PF can say all they want but claiming that they are the most popular party in Zambia is imbecility to say the least.
    As Lungu rightly put it, they have the key to the wallet and thats the only attraction they have nothing more

    Thank You

  5. HH giving PF sleepless nights–how?you must be crazy!!!HH is a loser and he is the only reason why UPND has failed to rule Zambia since 2006 despite PF mismanaging the national affairs.Believe you me,majority voters in Lusaka,CB,Luapula,Northen,Muchinga,Eastern and part of Central cant simply vote for HH.Visit those areas and prove me wrong!!!Moreover,it is true that HH is a dictator because he has been on top of UPND since 2006 minus any convention.PF hold primary elections across Zambia to elect leaders and conventions are conducted in PF unlike in UPND!!!all Zambians have seen this fact.
    It is a pity that this man Katuka has even grown old while suffering in opposition.He is a typical luvale man who cannot even allow his son or daughter to marry outside N/Western province as tribalism…

    • Njimbu; elected by show of hands. Those who live in glass houses should not be the first to through stones. Mayoral elections, please tell us how you will garbage collection in the city. Plans to beautify the garden city of Lusaka. Improved welfare and non politicisation of Markets and Bus stop. Equality in land distribution – Ma plots re-vamption of economic zones for more industries to create the much needed employment etc. We expect service delivery messages. HH has made it in life. Even if, he decided to hang up boots. The man will never know poverty. Neither will he go kneeling before anyone.

  6. ECL response was based on what upnd is preaching on the ground in Chawama consistuency. Chawama and kanyama is comprised of major upnd tribalists cults. They believe everything that is preached by upnd-grapevine nature.ECL, not do not comment without presidential guides, unless jokes and maybe walking in interviews.ECL, was hammering on psychology of upnd zealots .

  7. Musonda Kateule, how long did Sata remain president of PF? How long has Miyanda been president of HP? Nawakwi? Be objective in your criticism sir / madam. I’m not necessarily justifying HH’s stay but condemn them collectively and not individually

    • @ Mwelwa, the new Republican Constitution signed in 2016 now requires parties aspiring to be elected for republican office to have intra party democracy therefore, comparing Late Sata and others cannot hold water any more as this requirement was not there then hence the cure this time around in the revised constitution and HH together with his UPND are aware of this requirement in the republican constitution and have been vaguely saying that they will hold a conference but this has increased hatred towards President Lungu for signing the new constitution.

    • @Mwelwa please update yourself with the current affairs of the country. The people you’re referring to not a factor to Zambian politics anymore. HH has a big opposition party next PF therefore he must show that he’s democractic by promoting elections within upnd. But we what have seen is totally different the man is so self centered he just thinks of himself and himself alone. All his followers have stopped thinking they just think of HH in the morning, HH all the time. You can’t remove a stick in your friends eye when you have a huge log in your own. Upnd must clean it’s house first otherwise they will never rule.

  8. whats the difference between someone who has gone to up to grade 12 but did not write the exam and the the person who wrote the exam and failed? PF has never held a successful convention, that’s a fact and that makes them one and the same wife in different bottles with UPND. The only party that ever held a true convention was MMD previously (not the Mutati one)

    • Lame excuse, no wonder your party will never win a national election as long as your dictator the one you worship is at the realm. Trying to use What happened when Sata was in opposition will not happen because strategies change and the entire UPND leadership have remained with 2006 strategies to win an election.

  9. Trying to justify that HH is a dictator because he has not gone for a convention will not put food on the table.The issue here is Lungu because he holds the key to Zambia’s economic and social development as sitting president. He is the one holding the mantle to stir this country from its economic and social quagmire. It is not Lungu’s duty to tell us whether HH is a dictator or not because we can make that analysis ourselves. Let Lungu just do the job we employed him to do which so far has been very unsatisfactory.

    • ‘Trying to justify that HH is a dictator because he has not gone for a convention will not put food on the table.The issue here is Lungu because he holds the key to Zambia’s economic and social development as sitting president.’ Oh nomba you have accepted that he is a sitting president? I though UPND still believes Zambia has no president. Awee mwika tupenya mwe. Ukusabaila kwati bantu balwala uubulwele bwa menso.

  10. If you’re a Staunch logical PF then you know that our beloved late President Micheal Sata lost general elections several times but never gave up,, why should you condemn HH if he puts up a similar act?? We can not progress if we argue with hidden agendas,, some of us come on this platform to learn I, am sure there are a lot more people like me,, but unfortunately I fail to capture the sense in some comments,, HH is the eighth richest Man in southern Africa and # one in Zambia,,how does he qualify to be a loser? Unless your Father or yourself you’re financially or Academically better than him,, then he becomes a loser,, Zambia is a country with learned People hence when we talk or make a comment let us learn to be objective so that some of us can learn something,,

  11. In my own view, there is dictatorship in both the ruling PF and the opposition UPND.
    There is no sacred ???? cow.

  12. I think the bigest difference that disqualifies comparong HH from the leaders like sata, Miyanda and Nawakwi is the fact that these leaders founded their parties while HH just inherited.
    Hence when he faols to propell his ship to victory for a few times, maybe its time to relinquish and hand over. My oponion is if he does not make it on the next atempt, he hands over. maybe the next in line will make Mazoka’s spirit happy.

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