UPND behind Pilato’s self-exile - PF
FUMBA Chama popularly known as Pilato, is a self-imposed exile in South Africa under a sponsored project of the UPND aimed at denting the democratic credentials of Zambia to the international community, the Patriotic Front has charged.
And PF media director, Sunday Chanda, who accused the UPND of having sponsored Pilato’s self-exile for cheap political mileage said the ruling party had no intention of harming the satirical singer.
Mr Chanda told journalists in Lusaka yesterday that the UPND wants to use Pilato’s experience to purport that there was a breakdown of law in Zambia coupled with inherent politics of violence which has been tolerated and embraced by the PF when it was not true.
The main gist of Pilato’s sponsored exile by UPND, he said, was the preposterous claim that democracy and freedoms have been eroded in Zambia by the government of President Edgar Lungu.
He said it was imperative to state that the basis and foundation of Pilato’s self-exile holds no truth and is an attempt to merely scandalise the credibility of the Zambian government.
“We are aware that Pilato’s self-exile is a sponsored project by the opposition UPND with a very well-known foundation in South Africa. This is a foundation that has been sponsored by the UPND and they have been part of the acrimony that we saw before and after the elections.
“The idea is to get Pilato as part of their project to malign the country in the international space and part of what they are doing is that they have so far signed a contract with him to appear on international media platform and to write articles in his name to discredit Zambia,” Mr Chanda said.
He, however, said the PF remains committed to promoting peace and embrace divergent views but that citizens must also be responsible
He disclosed that Pilato has been trying to meet President Lungu for the past eight months but was not granted the opportunity because it was a preserve of the President to decide who to meet.
He said that Pilato has deliberately decided to jump bail to attract the wrath of the law and paint the government black.
Efforts to get a reaction from UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma proved futile as his mobile phone went unanswered.
The satirical singer left Zambia on January 5 this year claiming he has been receiving threats over his new song Koswe Mumpoto (rat in the pot), which has been roundly interpreted as demeaning the Head of state.