ALEYA, IN FACT ALIYA KALE
…Kafwaya says the people of Zambia made up their minds to remove President Hichilema long before August 13
…Kafwaya tells Hichilema the game is already over, he should prepare to pack and go
By Adrian Mwanza
LUNTE Member of Parliament Mutotwe Kafwaya says the people of Zambia have already made up their minds to remove President Hakainde Hichilema from power on August 13, saying the verdict of the electorate was sealed long before the campaigns had even begun.
Speaking in an interview with The Mast on Saturday, Kafwaya said it was evident that President Hichilema was alarmed by the growing popularity of the opposition and had responded by resorting to the arrest and intimidation of opposition figures in a desperate attempt to silence dissent ahead of the elections.
“What we are seeing is a situation where the opposition is being squeezed so that they did not stand a chance to oust President Hakainde Hichilema in August. But this man must know that the people of Zambia have already decided that aleya [He is going], in fact aliya kale. [he went a long time ago],” he said.
Kafwaya challenged the government to publicly name the individuals it considered a danger to national security to avoid fuelling speculation and public anxiety.
He said the government had an obligation to make public a clear and transparent list of politicians and other individuals deemed a threat to national security so that citizens could make informed judgements about the basis for such allegations.
“What is happening is quite serious and we do not know who to meet since we are politicians and have to meet a lot of people. This government should give us a list of people who are a danger to the nation rather than creating the confusion it created the other day,” he said.
He said what had happened to People’s Pact 2026 presidential aspirant Dr Fred M’membe and Tonse Alliance president Brian Mundubile was unfortunate and demanded an immediate end.
Kafwaya warned that the arbitrary arrest of political leaders in the manner being employed by the United Party for National Development (UPND) administration would create widespread anxiety among Zambians and erode confidence in the country’s democratic institutions.
He said the remarks by Hichilema about using imingalato to deal with the opposition would not work for Zambia and it was high time he abandoned that.
“Do you remember that President Hichilema was categorical about engaging in imingalato and said if the opposition is dancing in this corner, he would be doing the same in the other corner,” he said.
Kafwaya said Hichilema’s plot against the opposition was confirmed by Minister of Information and Media Cornelius Mweetwa.
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