STATE HOUSE ACCUSES ECL
“What tribe did I target and whom did I kill. Let him report me to the police so that I can answer the charges. He should not be (irresponsible). Let him tell the police which tribe I singled out for victimisation and after that, let him report me to the law enforcement agencies.
“I do not expect such recklessness from a senior member of State House team working closely with the President. I do not expect careless talk of that magnitude from that key position at State House,” Mr Lungu said.
Reacting to Our Civic Duty Association (OCiDA) statement calling for sanctions against President Hakainde Hichilema and six high-ranking government officials over democratic rights violations, Clayson Hamasaka, the State House Communication Specialist accused the government of former President Lungu of having targeted entire tribes of selected regions for victimisation.
Mr Hamasaka said in a statement yesterday that he was doubting the authenticity of the OCiDA statement because according to him, Emeritus Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu was in advanced age to be so detailed and aware of the context of the message and its motive.
According to Mr Hamasaka, the creators of the OCiDA statement were well-known schemers and critics of President Hichilema and Zambians in general who had entrusted the head of State with the mandate to govern.
“Given the advanced age of the Archbishop, it’s doubtful he would be so detailed and aware of the contexts and motives. The creators of this statement are well-known schemers and critics of President Hakainde Hichilema. They oppose peace, orderliness, and the rule of law, hence their spirited attempt to target and discredit the governance institutions and their leaders,” Mr Hamasaka said.
“Even during the height of abuses under President Edgar Lungu, where many people were murdered and others maimed by state-sponsored political thugs and the police, including instances of targeting entire tribes, no one, neither OCIDA nor any civil society organisations, called for sanctions against Zambia,” he said.
Mr Hamasaka said personal animosity towards President Hichilema by the authors of the OCiDA statement was deep-rooted and that it was reaching alarming proportions to the extent of threatening peace in the country.
He has branded the OCiDA statement as nothing but a collection of falsehoods and generalisations that did not provide specific evidence apart from being malicious.