KAMBWILI SPEAKS OUT

In the meanwhile, there were assurances that he would be evacuated but 15 days later, there was no indication that he would be evacuated and that his itinerary, indicating his travel to South Africa was cancelled without explanation.

It was at that point he said, and in order to save his life, he decided to travel by road because government had simply refused to evacuate him or allow his family to do so.

“I can confirm that the voice note that was circulated yesterday (Saturday) is mine and was recorded when I was at my lowest and desperate for medical attention,” Mr Kambwili revealed yesterday in a telephone conversation with Mr Changala, the civil rights and political activist.

Mr Kambwili said it was unfortunate that he was being presented by the system as an escapee and fugitive because he rejected to be blackmailed to turn against former President Lungu, validate Mr Sampa as PF president as conditions for his medical evacuation to South Africa.

Mr Kambwili explained that government had found a hospital to which he was to be sent and that allegations of faking his illness were malicious, and a desperate attempt to present a negative narrative to humiliate him and undermine his health status.

And speaking to the Nation in an interview, Mr Changala said it was unfortunate that government was presenting a narrative that was far from the truth, “I spoke to Chishimba Kambwili for more than six times today (yesterday). He confirmed that he was not well and was still seeking medical attention. “

Mr Kambwili, he said could not, bring himself to meet the conditions because he did not believe in what the State was demanding of him, which led to the revocation of the medical evacuation assurance granted to him earlier.

“According to the Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo, Government had concluded arrangements to evacuate Mr Kambwili by 15 January, 2024. But by the end of January, Kambwili had not been evacuated and yet his health was deteriorating. Mr Kambwili left Zambia on 30 January 2024, 15 days after government had concluded Mr Kambwili’s medical evacuation process.

Mr Changala wondered what was happening in the 15 days when Mr Kambwili was still ill and awaiting evacuation which was cancelled.

Mr Changala disclosed that as of yesterday, he had spoken to Mr Kambwili six times and that he (Kambwili) told him that at no time did he ever ask President Hakainde Hichilema to be evacauated. He explained that the voice note that has since gone viral in which he (Kambwili) is heard pleading for forgiveness from President Hichilema and begging that he should not die because of politics was solicited by the State as a condition for his evacuation.

“Mr Kambwili told me that the voice note that has gone viral in which he is heard pleading for forgiveness from President Hichilema was solicited by the State,” he said.