SECRET AGENTS AFTER ME’
By ADRIAN MWANZA
SOUTHERN Province PF chairperson Kebby Mbewe says he is living in fear as his movements are being monitored by state secret agents leading to raids on his properties and those of his relatives, including his elderly mother.
And Rainbow Party President Wynter Kabimba has expressed shock with the manner in which the UPND government was conducting searches which he said were bordering on persecution.
He said that the UPND had gotten power and that it was time to start working instead of persecuting people.
And Mr Mbewe told the Daily Nation that the secret surveillance culminated into searches at his house, his sibling’s and his elderly mother’s house who was left traumatised by the presence of investigative wings who forced their way in their houses around 20:00 hours on Friday.
Mr Mbewe complained that it was clear that the investigative wings are persecuting individuals close to former Republican president Edgar Lungu.
He said he was living in fear because not only were cadres after him but also investigative wings that were closely monitoring his every move.
Mr Mbewe said that Office of the President officials were trailing him every day and constantly monitored his house and businesses.
“I have been a genuine business man which I started in 1998 and I have never worked in government or even had a contract in government so why should they treat me like a criminal,’’ he wondered.
He said that Friday’s search was the time but it was futile because they did not find anything from his mother and brothers’ houses.
Mr Mbewe said the precedent the UPND was setting was bad because they would not be in power forever, therefore it was important to treat people well.
‘’My advice to the UPND is that they should not be harsh on people because time will come when they will leave office and it will not be good if they trampled on innocent people,’’ he said.
He said a foreigner was freer in Zambia than he was at the moment because people wanted him out of Southern Province while others were monitoring him.
Mr Mbewe said he had never insulted any one hence found it strange why people were treating him like a criminal.
And Mr Kabimba said he was shocked that the people were being continuously persecuted without getting to the bottom of the issue.
“Can you imagine that they have been conducting searches but have not found anything conclusive on all the searches they have conducted.
He said he it was shocking that Mr Mbewe was being harassed by investigative wings who had searched his premises and even went on to an extent of searching his relatives’ homes who were not even politicians.
Mr Kabimba said he wondered which criteria they were using because there was lack of collaboration from the intelligence wings because they were shooting in the air with their wild goose chases.
