By Hakainde Hichilema, UPND President

Minister of Health Dr. Chitalu Chilufya went to attend court in a matter where he is alleged to have engaged in corrupt practices, we were in shock by the level of disrespect of the Judiciary. He was flanked by literally hundreds of cadres and so-called sympathisers that overwhelmed the court premises. Their presence was domineering and designed to intimidate the courts, dissuading them from carrying out their noble constitutional mandate.

The sheer arrogance of Dr. Chilufya and those around him sent a clear message to the justice system that the PF are above the law. They essentially carried the day by leaving the presiding magistrate no choice but to adjourn the matter on account of the malignant presence of cadres in the courtroom. It was indeed a sad day for the Judiciary and an example of the breakdown of the rule of law in our country, under a corrupt and visionless PF leadership.

A man in Dr. Chilufya’s position is supposed humble himself under the circumstances and allow an unhindered due process. Numerous allegations of corruption under his Ministry have been made in addition to what he is being charged for. We recently heard of a large amount of money, approximately $17 Million US dollars, being paid to a non-existent company called “Honeybee” then later clarified to be an individual. This transpires while millions of Zambians are unable to access essential medication, leading to avoidable loss of lives. The young people of our country are in need of jobs while PF officials are allocated huge contracts in a questionable manner as evidenced by recent voice recordings of the practice. We still do not know who owns the 48 houses, as well the 49 properties noted in the last FIC report.

We call on well-meaning Zambians and most importantly, the Judiciary, to condemn this demonstration of impunity.

When our time comes, we shall strengthen the separation of powers, of the three arms of government, and ensure judicial independence. The rule of law will be restored, and we would send a strong message of our stance against corruption by ordering a sitting Minister under investigation to step down until the final determination of the matter.

By: Anthony Bwalya – UPND Member

Yesterday, I listened to comrade Kelvin Bwalya Fine (KBF), address a number of national issues on the Hot Seat program at Hot FM.

I must say, I have an ounce of respect for Mr. Fube because this is a man I have sat with in his office and have had an opportunity to interact with. He is a brilliant thinker.

Yet in public leadership, being an exquisite thinker alone is not and will never be enough; especially when this quality is overshadowed by a lack of foresight, and underpinned by both duplicity and hypocrisy of character. This erodes public trust in any individual seeking public office, and when one is short on public trust, they remain with zero political capital.

Comrade KBF was asked to share his thoughts on whether or not he would be open to work with others (HH) in an alliance, and his thoughts were nothing short of pompous, self-assuring and presumptuous.

As a gentleman I know he is, all KBF should have said was he was focused on pursuing his own personal ambitions to become Republican President and not willing to subject himself to the leadership of another.

That would have been sound and perfectly acceptable, because as politicians, we all thrive on ambition.

Mr. Fube was, however, quick to refer to “third party” sources who had previously failed to work with Mr. Hichilema but could not demonstrate good judgement by only taking these discredited third parties for their word only. The individuals whose judgement Mr. Fube courts to form an opinion on HH are bonafide political prostitutes, opportunists and flipfloppers who have been known to switch sides for personal benefits. These individuals cannot possibly be trusted to give an objective view of a political competitor when their primary preoccupation is survival – no Sir.

And if we are to take KBF on his word, both MCS (God keep him) and Edgar Lungu are “better” in their thinking, planning and perception of problems and solving them. This is the only thing that explains why and how KBF was happy to prop up and defend the candidatures and presidency of the two men.

If KBF wants to argue that he is a better thinker and planner than both MCS and indeed the diabolical ECL, then he owes Zambians an apology for the mess the country has found itself in today. Our social and economic problems are a direct consequence of the failed leadership of the Patriotic Front (PF) and the presidencies of both MCS and ECL, both of which he helped create and fervently protected and defended – until he decided he too wanted to be president.

I have personally welcomed the candidature of KBF because it adds to the temple of public debate, but the lack of consistency of judgement and his appetite for double standards, the same thing he accused ECL of on the issue of Chitotela and Chitalu Chilufya, should make the public look deeply into the underlying character of the man – is he honest and consistent enough to be trusted with the highest office in the land?

I think not.

Zambia and Zambians, much more than ever, need servants and not political opportunists and assassins.

Mr. Hakainde Hichilema has not been in opposition all this while because it is or has been nice being in opposition, but because of his dedication to serving this country and its people. Those who joined politics for privilege and self-service have been crisscrossing the political arena out of convenience – Mr. Hichilema has held his ground, and the public have learnt to trust and rely on his consistency of leadership and judgement and the numbers bear witness.