Wed, 12 Apr 2017 06:16:35 +0000
By BENNIE MUNDANDO
IT IS a blatant lie and professional misconduct of the highest order for the Mast newspaper to insinuate that people in Mongu walked out on President Edgar Lungu before he could give a speech because that is the exact opposite of what happened, Western Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu has said.
The Mast newspaper yesterday reported that a large crowd of Mongu residents on Saturday walked out on President Edgar Lungu before he could address them as they allegedly left the arena where the Kuomboka ceremony was taking place immediately after UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and his entourage left.
The tabloid reported that after realising that people had started leaving the arena and moving towards Mr. Hichilema’s convoy as he prepared to start off, the Ngambela cut short the programme and removed the slot where President Lungu was supposed to address the people.
But Mr. Mubukwanu charged that the Mast newspaper was being mischievous and lying as no one left the arena before President Lungu’s convoy left the place and that the decision not to allow President Lungu to speak at the ceremony was arrived at long before the event in order not to politicise it.
He said he was appalled with the level of professional misconduct exhibited by the Mast as the tabloid was feeding Zambians with lies to propagate its own agenda of demeaning the President.
He said on the contrary, more people wanted to have a glimpse of President Lungu as he drove past the streets of Mongu after the ceremony while more yearned to see him but could not due to the multitudes attending the Kuomboka ceremony, adding that it was sad to read stories depicting an incident which never happened.
“At no point was it agreed that President Lungu would speak at the ceremony. Actually the presidential address was not even on the programme because the President himself made it clear that he did not want to create a scenario where some people start thinking he was in the province for political reasons and that is why he promised people here that he will come at the right time to talk about Government’s developmental agenda.
“When his convoy left, people thronged the road to have a glimpse of him and others complained that they wanted to see him but his convoy did not pass through where they were. But this is kind of unprofessionalism the paper wants to propagate is unfortunate and surprising,” Mr. Mubukwanu said.
Meanwhile, Daily Nation staffer Sandra Machima who covered President Lungu’s stay in Mongu reports that business came to a standstill in the town as President Lungu’s convoy made its way from the airport to the palace.
