Sat, 11 Mar 2017 13:11:02 +0000
ROAN Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili yesterday uttered unprintable insults against Presidential Affairs Minister Freedom Sikazwe following an
altercation in Parliament.
Mr. Kambwili, dismissed as Information and Broadcasting Services minister, branded Mr. Sikazwe a thief, saying he was stupid and threatened to sort him out.
The incident happened when Mr. Kambwili wanted to find out from Vice President Inonge Wina what had happened to the PF government’s pro-poor policy of leaving casual jobs to Zambians and not the Chinese nationals.
The Roan MP was annoyed when Mr Sikazwe interjected and appeared to suggest that Mr Kambwili was anti-Government.
Mr. Kambwili retorted angrily, referring to the minister as “kabolala iwe”, meaning ‘‘you are a thief’’.
Mr. Kambwili told Mr. Sikazwe, who is Mpulungu PF Member of Parliament, that the PF did not belong to his father and that he would suffer after he leaves Government.
And Mr.
Sikazwe confirmed outside the House
being insulted by Mr. Kambwili. He told the Daily Nation that his only offence was asking Mr. Kambwili what was wrong with the Roan MP.
“I don’t know why Kambwili behaved like that because I only asked him what was wrong but he insulted me,” Mr. Sikazwe said.
He said Mr. Kambwili threatened to sort him out and told him that the PF was not his father’s political party.
In his question to the Vice President, Mr. Kambwili complained that Chinese were taking over jobs reserved for Zambians and were now operating quarry mines, brick manufacturing plants as well as building houses for ministers, jobs which could be done by locals.
Mr. Kambwili wondered what kind of jobs were left for Zambians because the Chinese were now undertaking works reserved for Zambians, contrary to the Government’s pro-poor policy.
Before the Vice President could respond to Mr. Kambwili, Mr. Sikazwe was heard passing a running commentary opposing Mr. Kambwili, sparking the row.
The altercation between the two senior PF members prompted leader of the opposition in Parliament Jack Mwiimbu to raise a point of order after he noticed that the quarrel was escalating.
Mr. Mwiimbu, in his point of order, alerted the Speaker Dr. Patrick Matibini that a fight between Mr. Kambwili and Mr. Sikazwe was about to erupt on the floor of the House.
He told Dr. Matibini that the altercation between the two PF parliamentarians was as a result of Mr. Sikazwe threatening Mr. Kambwili for asking the Vice President a question on casual jobs.
But the Speaker said he did not follow the quarrel between the two and urged them to cease fire and follow the proceedings
