Fri, 12 May 2017 12:53:35 +0000
By OSCAR MALIPENGA
HAKAINDE Hichilema has been deceived and betrayed by his vice president for administration Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) and several other lieutenants who have deserted him barely 30 days after his incarceration over treason charges, Patriotic Front (PF) media committee member Brian Hapunda has observed.
Mr. Hapunda said it was sad how a leader of Mr. Hichilema’s standing could be reduced to a loner as a result of desertion by his followers barely 30 days into his arrest for treason.
He charged that it was shocking that only three or four of his Members of Parliament out of 54, National Management Committee (NMC) members, party members and his fellow business associates were seen escorting him to court or visiting him in jail.
In a statement made available to the Daily Nation, Mr. Hapunda observed that the people who were with the UPND president were the ones who were creating distance with him and did not want to be seen with him.
“It is business as usual even in his strongholds. Is it that people forget easily about someone’s absence?
“It is unfortunate that most of HH’s party lieutenants have abandoned him or gone into hiding including his own vice president for administration GBM yet when it was fashionable for them to be breaking the law, they were with him HH and all around him,” Mr. Hapunda said.
He said when they thought that Mr. Hichilema would win the last general elections, they all tied themselves very close to him.
“Sadly this is typical of chancers in our political circles. They succeeded in deceiving him. Unfortunately, Mr. Hichilema felt very comfortable being around these people, little did he know that they were just around him for a political or monetary benefit from him,” said Mr. Hapunda.
He was sure that Mr. Hichilema had learnt bitter lessons that in public life “you do not listen to wrong advice from people around you”.
“I am told others are busy having dark corner meetings scheming to take over from him as UPND president.
“Is it because his party UPND disapproves of his behaviour on the Mongu – Limulunga road where he refused to give way to the republican President’s motorcade?
The situation endangered the life of the republican President and that of many other road users including Mr. Hichilema himself and his supporters,” he said.
Mr. Hapunda said he was sure that it was now dawning on HH that he was surrounded by wolves in sheeps skin.
He said 30 days since the arrest of Mr. Hichilema for treason charges, opposition UPND party had crumbled and was in disarray as a result of leadership vacuum.
“UPND as a party has no systems or ideologies to stand on away from its leader,” he said.
Mr. Hapunda said political parties must strive to build themselves on strong party systems and ideologies as opposed to one individual.
