HH LIES, TO DENIGRATE LUNGU
By NATION REPORTER
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema, yesterday lied on radio in an attempt to pour scorn on President Edgar Lungu. He told his radio Phoenix audience that Tanzanian President, John Magufuli, travelled to New York by economy while President Lungu hired a chartered aircraft. This was a lie. Lusaka Province Patriotic Front youth chairperson Kennedy Kamba revealed that President Magufuli did not travel to New York because of the ferry disaster in that country. According to Mr Kamba, HH also lied that the £ 2.7 Million Social Cash Transfer money was not in a ZANACO account as claimed by government. “This again is a lie because a bank statement to validate the information was published in the Daily Nation,” Mr Kamba said. Mr. Hichilema, speaking on Radio Phoenix yesterday, accused government of hiding the real debt it had contracted, saying the actual amount owed was over US$ 17 million and insisted that the debt was unsustainable. He accused Government of purposefully borrowing money for capital projects in infrastructure development because that was the loophole it was using to syphon such funds by exorbitantly inflating the cost and pocketing the difference. He further said that the US$ 2.7 million meant for social cash transfer which had raised controversy was not in any Zanaco Bank account as claimed by government saying the money had been misapplied. He then turned his anger on PF media director Sunday Chanda whom he described as a coward who only exhibited Dutch courage. But speaking to the Daily Nation, Mr. Kamba said Mr. Hichilema was being economical with truth because he had positioned himself to be used as a cat’s pawn to advance an anti-China agenda sponsored by some Western countries which were scared of the Chinese investment prowess. He said Mr. Hichilema had a tendency of speaking with conviction even on issues he had no idea about because he was surrounded by ignorant individuals who were feeding him with raw and unverified information. “We actually expect more of such from him especially now that his Western allies are funding a vicious anti-Chinese campaign in Zambia in their bid to purge them out since they cannot match the economic prowess of China. “Mr. Hichilema will continue insulting the PF Government at any slightest given opportunity because he has to impress his paymasters and also try to stay relevant in politics in Zambia,” Mr Kamba said. And Mr Chanda, PF Media Director, said he has accepted the challenge and was ready to debate Mr Hichilema to test his courage.