‘IT’S SOUR GRAPES FOR FIRED MINISTERS’

THE Patriotic Front (PF) on the Copperbelt says ministers who are labelling President Edgar Lungu and the ruling party as corrupt after being fired are failures who want to save their faces from the embarrassment of dismissal. Provincial chairman Stephen Kainga said President Lungu was not responding to allegations of corruption against him by some disgruntled former ministers, not because he was corrupt, but because he had not time to respond to such people.

He said disgruntled politicians just wanted to gain political mileage by attacking him and the PF. Mr Kainga said in an interview in Kitwe that it would be a waste of time for the republican President to respond to whatever tantrums from disgruntled politicians.

"Whoever is fired today, tomorrow, he will say President Lungu and PF are corrupt. So it means they only see the corruption after being fired? These are failures who want to save their faces from the embarrassment of being fired.

"You know what? It does not befit the Lion to answer to the Dogs. The Lion will not respond to the barking of the Dog. Dogs back at anything.

“So when you are a leader, people will say all sorts of things so that their presence is heard, but you cannot respond to whatever an individual is saying," Mr Kainga said.

Mr Kainga has also challenged Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili to test his popularity in Roan constituency before he could think of contesting the republican Presidency on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) ticket.

Mr Kainga said before Mr Kambwili could think of contesting the republican presidency on NDC, he should withdraw his case in the courts of law so that there could be a by-election in Roan constituency which he can contest to prove his popularity.

Mr Kainga was reacting to media reports where NDC spokesperson Erick Chanda said only Mr Kambwili had the political muscle and stamina to beat the PF in the 2021 elections.

"Before Mr Kambwili can contest the republican presidency on the NDC ticket, he should first test his popularity in Roan which is his constituency. If he beats PF in Roan, then he will have the morale to even contest the republican Presidency.

"But he cannot contest the Roan constituency because he fears losing the seat to PF. If he loses the seat to PF, then the loss will send fears in his mind and he may not even contest the republican Presidency,” Mr Kainga said.