WE CAN’T EAT LECTURES
…Zambians want a practical, working president – Changala
By Mast Reporter
ZAMBIANS are looking for a leader with solutions to the country’s poor economy and not the one who will lecture them forever, governance activist Brebner Changala has said.
Speaking when he featured on KBN TV’s Big Hour programme Wednesday, Changala said the current leadership had lost direction.
He accused President Hakainde Hichilema of resorting to giving long lectures to the poor, angry and hungry citizens at the expense of offering solutions.
“You cannot have a Cabinet or a President who fights citizens day in, day out. You cannot have a President who is divisive to the extent of not caring about how the people will feel about his abusive actions. That man was elected to give us a daily updates. Not to lecture us,” Changala said.
He said Hichilema should face the reality that his government had failed.
“He should not run away from reality but tell the people why he has failed to govern the country without lecturing the nation,” Changala said.
He said Hichilema’s speeches were creating panic and sadness among Zambians as they projected his personal agenda aimed at dividing the nation.
“He was not elected to lecture citizens. Hichilema’s speeches sometimes worry me. But they reveal his personal agenda. There is a target that he wants to shoot at and destroy,” Changala said.
He said Hichilema had moved key institutions such as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to his office to pursue his political opponents using institutions of governance.
“He admitted the other day. In the same building built by criminals, the admission was that he is a chief spy who followed [former foreign minister] Joe Malanji and spoke to heads of states in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Turkey. I was a bit scared. I was perturbed and disturbed,” Changala said.
He said Hichilema should be told that a government was a system and it was for institutions established by the law mandated to pursue criminal activities.
Changala said Hichilema had a country to run, not to pursue individual;s because doing so was an abuse of prerogative.
He said the presidency under Hichilema was dented because it fell short of justice but was obsessed with vengeance.
“When Malanji or anyone is convicted, they will seek the prerogative of mercy from the presidency. Now, how does he get it when the President has decided to become the arresting officer, the judge and the jury, and the spy?” Changala said.
He said the institutions of governance should be independent and separate from any form of political interference.
Recently, during a UPND mobilisation meeting organised by the Lusaka provincial leadership, Hichilem boasted how he personally supervised the investigation and arrest of Malanji.
Changala reminded Hichilema that when Zambians voted him in 2021, they didn’t give him a blank cheque to conduct himself in whichever way he wished.
He also said it was a total abuse of office for Hichilema to appoint his political party members to lead independent institutions such as the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).
“It is well known that Zaloumis [Mwangala ECZ chairperson] and Speaker of the National Assembly Nellie Mutti are pure UPND cadres who have been seen in the party regalia,” Changala said.
