Fri, 19 May 2017 13:13:46 +0000
By BENNIE MUNDANDO
CHISHIMBA Kambwili should stop prancing as a messiah for Zambia because we have not forgotten how he demonised people with opposing views to those in power when he was still in government, Republican Progressive Party (RPP) leader James Lukuku has charged.
And former Luanshya councillor Gershom Mpundu said only a sadist would condemn the Luanshya Municipal Council for facilitating a peaceful removal of vendors from the streets to make the town clean.
Commenting on Mr. Kambwili’s attacks on the Luanshya municipality and Luanshya mayor Nathan Chanda in particular, Mr. Lukuku said he was appalled by the double standards the Roan parliamentarian was playing to get attention from Zambians after he was fired from Government.
He said Mr. Kambwili’s propensity to discrediting those in power was premised on hypocrisy and insincerity as there was no iota of truth in claims that the people were being victimised when the vendors voluntarily left the streets following successful engagement.
He said it was the responsibility of local authorities to clean the toens and that Mr. Kambwili was wrong to wage war against the council simply because he had fallen out of favour with Government and was not part of the process to make Luanshya clean.
“Since when did Mr. Kambwili start speaking for the Zambians? What we are seeing on Mr. Kambwili’s face today are crocodile tears aimed at attracting sympathy from Zambians because he is no longer occupying the office that made him intimidate people with impunity.
“Was it not the same Mr. Kambwili who rejoiced over the firing of 1000 nurses who were demanding for better conditions of service? Was he not the same person who threatened workers at ZNBC with dismissals for demanding better salaries?
“So, what has changed now that he should start behaving like he is the messiah for Zambians? People have not forgotten what he did while he was in power and should not politicise the removal of street vendors in Luanshya because no one removed them by force,” Mr. Lukuku said.
And Mr. Mpundu charged that those who were attacking the council for a commendable job were doing so out of malice to tarnish the image of the local authority.
He said the people in Luanshya were happy that sanity had returned to the town, but that disgruntled individuals were mobilising vendors to go back to the streets.
“Luanshya is now one of the cleanest towns on the Copperbelt after vendors were removed from the streets and that decision was arrived at after consultations with all stakeholders which included the vendors,” he said.
Mr Mpundu said those brewing confusion in Luanshya must stop being petty but should instead look at the broader picture which aimed at making Zambia clean.
