A SHIBUYUNJI United Party for National Development (UPND) enthusiast, Denis Mutumba is claiming that his life has come under threat from other members after openly criticising President Hakainde Hichilema over the welfare of party structures.
And Mwembeshi UPND Member of Parliament Machila Jamba has revoked the appointment of Mr Mutumba as Shibuyunji Constituency Development Fund (CDF) chairman following his open criticism of President Hichilema.
Mr Jamba, in a letter dated November 4, 2022 said he had revoked the appointment of Mr Mutumba with immediate effect without giving reasons.
Mr Mutumba claimed that President Hichilema had not taken kindly his open criticism and that as a result, his life was now under threat as fellow party members were allegedly plotting to harm him.
Mr Mutumba has narrated that the only crime he had committed against the governing party was to openly tell President Hichilema not to forget the people on the grassroots who suffered and sacrificed everything they had to make sure the UPND had formed government.
Speaking while sobbing with tears rolling down his cheeks, Mr Mutumba said his woes started when he chaired a CDF meeting at which he was attacked by UPND cadres who were unhappy that he had live-streamed a video in which he blamed President Hichilema for the suffering of the many party faithful who had not benefited anything from the UPND victory.
“I am being dehumanised and my telling President Hichilema the truth has but put my life at risk. We had a meeting with the sons of the soil in Shibuyunji to discuss developmental issues. I took part in organising the meeting which was attended by our traditional leaders and senior government officials.
“Last week I sent a live stream video which was shared among many people and it eventually reached the President. And evidence has shown that President Hichilema is bitter about the truth that party structures are suffering,” Mr Mutumba said.
Mr Mutumba said he was not crying because he had lost his job because he was being threatened for speaking for the people who could not speak for themselves.
He wondered why it had become risky in Zambia for citizens to criticise their own government, claiming that the country had lost its freedom.
In his video, Mr Mutumba is seen telling President Hichilema to consider the people who had suffered for the party, challenging authorities to arrest him if he had committed a crime.
He is also heard demanding for the resignation of Mr Batuke Imenda, the UPND secretary general because according to him, he was misleading the Head of State.
“I have spoken the truth, President Hichilema has neglected the party structures. Those surrounding the President are misleading him. We are just praising everything including the wrong things. Please Mr President, come to the rescue of the many cadres who suffered and sacrificed their lives for the party,” Mr Mutumba said.
