MAKEBI, MWIIMBU DIFFER OVER ECL

But Mr Zulu said it was not the first time in history that people had risen against their own government and called for the resignation of their President on account of high cost of living and perpetuating misrule.

“In their quest to make everything political, the UPND government is missing the point and the target they are expected to deliver. If indeed the reason for going against former President Lungu is his advice against violence and police brutality, then this is the most incompetent, impotent and inept government ever not to understand and comprehend basic English language. At no point did former President Lungu advocate for violence in his advice against police brutality,” Mr Zulu said. “What Mr Mwiimbu is alleging against former President Lungu is a figment of the imagination of the UPND government because this is a regime that has never known anything civil apart from violence.

“President Hichilema while in the opposition called for early elections and should we begin to think that he was advocating of removing former President Lungu using violence,” he said.

He said what Mr Mwiimbu said in Parliament was informing Zambians about the mindset of the UPND leadership, that when President Hichilema called for early elections, he was then advocating of violence against former President Lungu.

“The lamentations of former President Lungu were to the extent that there is misrule in Zambia and that is what may cause citizens to rise. Let the

UPND put their house in order and act grown up by addressing the challenges Zambians are facing because only then will President Hichilema avoid citizens, who are acutely stressed by hard economic times from rising against him. Let Mr Mwiimbu stop thinking about violence because the President can resign or even dissolve Parliament and call for early elections,” Mr Zulu said.

However, Mr Mwiimbu in his ministerial statement accused the former head of State of engaging in some overt operations, stating that government was not going to fold arms and lament over the matter.

“We are safe and secure. The state of the nation is strong. We are not however, going to dismiss as exaggeration of the alleged pronouncements by Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu indicating that people would rise and force the President to give up power. Being a former head of State, perhaps there could be something he knows which Government is not aware of. Coincidentally, similar statements have been made by some senior members of the clergy and other political party leaders. As such, security wings should take interest in the matter,” Mr Mwiimbu said.

“There could be some covert operations being undertaken. We are not going to fold our arms and lament. We have seen a situation where few careless politicians have convinced the whole nation that it is on the brink of civil war. We as a responsible government shall ensure that there is law and order in the country,” Mr Mwiimbu said.