ECL WAS MORE DEVASTATED BY KUNGO’S MURDER THAN HIS DEFEAT TO HH – ZUMANI ZIMBA

Zumani Zimba has disclosed that former President Edgar Lungu was more devastated by the brutal murder of former North-Western Patriotic Front (PF) chairperson Jackson Kungo then his electoral defeat to President Hakainde Hichilema.

Dr Zimba, the former Presidential Political Advisor to Mr Lungu says the killing of Mr Kungo by known UPND cadres on August 12, 2021 (election day) has largely been ignored while that of Lawrence Banda, the UPND cadre had remained a point of reference at every forum a by the governing party and its leadership.

Speaking to Afro Democracy Journal (ADJ), Dr. Zimba urged President Hichilema and former President Lungu to hold talks for genuine political reconciliation. 

“I would like to share some moment of reflection with regards to the 2021 August Presidential and General Elections in Zambia. It is important to note that the 2021 Presidential and General Elections were historical in nature in many ways. There are certain perspectives and experiences at Presidential level from the point of State House that sometimes are only privy to some of us in terms of knowing what happened and how the President reacted and managed different situations which many people are not aware of,” Dr Zimba said.

Dr. Zimba said the same zeal being exhibited to fight for Banda’s justice should be equally be extended to Kungo even in his death, because it was too heavy and heartbreaking to President Lungu then as it is now. 

“The fact is that the death of PF North Western provincial chairperson Jackson Kungo was devastating news to President Lungu. A lot of people do not know that he was more depressed and more devastated by the death of Kungo than his own political defeat to President Hichilema. On that material day on 12th August, 2021, it was a very busy and fast day because everyone was voting country wide.”

President Lungu, myself and the First Lady, woke up very early and went to vote in Chawama where I escorted him because I was registered at the same polling station. When we came back to State House, he was at Nkwazi House, he needed now to reflect and just receive reports on voter turnout and later on, the results,” Dr Zimba said.

Dr. Zimba said he had a deeper conversation with Late Kungo, two hours before he was murdered in Solwezi District, North Western Province. 

“We needed to be on top of the game as State House and on my side as Presidential Political Advisor, I was busy calling different Parliamentary Candidates in various Constituencies. I was calling Provincial Chairpersons to know what was happening in their Provinces, Districts and Constituencies. Kungo was one of the people I called that morning, two hours before his death. 

Dr. Zimba says he was disappointed that PF polling agents were being chased, intimidated and beaten at polling stations in UPND strongholds in full view of state police. 

“We spoke at length. He explained the challenges for North-Western Province because many election agents for PF were either being intimidated, harassed or beaten at polling stations. I did report and confirm the situation to the President regarding the situation in North-Western, Southern and Western Provinces that PF polling agents were fighting running battles in polling stations from the three strongholds of the UPND,” he said. 

Dr. Zimba said the reports he got of beating PF members in UPND strongholds was authenticated by videos that emerged showing the brutal murder of Kungo in full view of Law Enforcement Agencies. 

“Around lunch time, videos started circulating showing how Jackson Kungo was strangled, moved up, stoned and brutally murdered at a polling station by UPND cadres. It was unbelievable and looked like it was not happening. Later on, official information reached the President. He watched the videos on how Kungo was murdered by a mob of the UPND cadres in full view of the police and army officers watching. I can assure you that that news was very devastating to President Lungu,” Dr Zimba narrates. 

Dr. Zimba said the strangling to death of Kungo created pressure from PF members that wanted the election to be petitioned but that President Lungu did not want to see more Zambians murdered like Kungo.

“I could see the pain which he expressed and showed openly. When election results started emerging at a later point, it became very tricky because Kungo’s death was the main issue at the bottom of the heart of President Lungu. He is a very responsible leader to me because he repeatedly said we needed to respect Kungo in death. So, he traveled to Solwezi with myself, State House Staff and party officials. He mourned Kungo and physically buried him in Solwezi, we escorted the President.