HH has weaponised state institutions – Sichinga
By Adrian Mwanza
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has gone flat out and weaponised state institutions in a bid to silence the opposition, says Peoples Pact vice president Robert Sichinga.
In an interview with The Mast yesterday, Sichinga accused Hichilema of weaponising all institutions of governance, such as the Zambia Police, the judiciary and parliament, to suffocate freedoms.
He said Hichilema was using the police and other institutions of governance to fight the opposition in a bid to stay in power.
“I want to be categorical and say that President Hichilema is using state institutions like the police, judiciary, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) and others to fight and gag anyone who he deems as a threat,” he said.
Sichinga explained that the uncertainty that surrounded the eligibility of Socialist Party running mate Dolika Banda was an indication of desperation and panic by those in leadership.
He said Zambians were able to see the desperation by the United Party for National Development (UPND), who were not sending proxies to seek the disqualification of other candidates to pave an easy way for Hichilema.
Sichinga said the move was clear, that it was aimed at killing credible opposition.
“What I can tell you is that whatever happened was the work of the Head of State who really wants to silence the opposition at all costs. That is why he can send people to do what they are doing now. Even with these resignations, he is using poverty to buy them out. Hichilema has inflicted poverty on the people so that he can make them cower down and beg from him,” he said.
He said the judgment procured last week in the Constitutional Court over the eligibility of Dolika Banda was good and an opportunity for the people of Zambia to vote for a responsible leadership led by Dr M’membe and his running mate.
