Masumba blames HH for UPND riots

Mon, 19 Dec 2016 13:34:31 +0000

By Oscar Malipenga

HAKAINDE Hichilema is to blame for the riotous behaviour exhibited by his unruly cadres at the Lusaka High Court last week because he could have stopped them from rioting, Former Mufumbwe Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament Stephen Masumba.

Mr Masumba, who is also former Deputy Minister of Youths and Sports Development, alleged that the UPND leadership instructed their cadres to engage in such unruly behaviour.

He said this in reaction to Mr Hichilema’s allegations that President Lungu instructed the police to teargas and arrest the unruly cadres at the High Court last week.

“…I think that is political drama for HH to start thinking so low and wanting to accuse the President (Lungu) of being behind the arrest of UPND thugs at the High Court last week.

He said as a leader, Mr Hichilema was expected to have refrained his cadres from the riotous behaviour exhibited at the High Court last week.

Mr Masumba said cadres were the kind of people who worked under instructions, adding that the riotous behaviour exhibited by the UPND cadres appeared to have been instructions from their leader.

He alleged that the unruly behaviour of UPND cadres was an indication that Mr Hichilema himself was a captain of thugs within UPND.

“…Lungu is actually a very good President that is why some of us have been working comfortably and quietly with him because of his humility,” Mr Masumba said.

He said President Lungu was one of the few Presidents who had been coming out in the open to blame the behaviour of his own members whenever they went wrong.

Mr Masumba said he was disappointed with Mr Hichilema and the UPND for demeaning the integrity, dignity and decorum of the judiciary.

“….when you look at what is happening today, it is like the judiciary has been rendered quite useless by Mr Hichilema and this is a person who wants to become a President. What kind of leadership is he going to exhibit if he cannot respect his own institutions?

“So to me, HH is not that kind of a leader whom we, the youths of today, can trust. Such kind of leaders, if trusted would disappoint everyone by putting the country on fire,” Mr Masumba said.

Mr Masumba further warned Mr Hichilema not to think that he could cause the breakdown of law.

“We are also capable of meeting UPND cadres but we are coming from a party being led by a matured President who has always restrained us from confronting the UPND cadres in Lusaka. “If we wanted to rise up in numbers, we can command our cadres to deal with the UPND cadres. I don’t think HH would still be in existence because Lusaka is a political headquarters for the PF,” Mr Masumba said.