Sun, 11 Feb 2018 11:41:18 +0000
By ROGERS KALERO and VIOLET TEMBO
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu says he is “thick skinned” and will not waste time responding to insults and unwarranted attacks on him from some disgruntled politicians.
The President said there was nothing to be achieved from exchanging insults with people in the media.
Mr Lungu said, as republican president, he will not entertain politics of insults by responding to malicious lies, but he will instead concentrate on fulfilling his campaign promises so that people’s lives were improved in various sectors of the economy.
The President was speaking when he addressed the Patriotic Front (PF) ward, constituency and district leaders at Buchi Hall in Kitwe where he also emphasised on the need for discipline and loyal leadership.
“Those who want to insult me so that I also insult them back, they we will not succeed in their agenda because I am thick skinned and I will not waste time responding to their insult.
“Some of you, you say I am too tolerant, but sometimes, I think to myself, if I use my power to squeeze people who insult me, what am I going to achieve? Obviously, it is nothing. So it is a waste of time responding to people’s insults,” President Lungu said.
President Lungu, who was accompanied by PF secretary-general Davies Mwila and some cabinet ministers, also cautioned party members not to allow themselves to be misled by some disgruntled politicians who were saying PF was rotten, but were still holding on to the party they were labelling to be rotten. He said it was surprising that some former PF members who were saying the ruling party was rotten were refusing to leave the ruling party and had decided to get a court order to remain in the party.
“We have people who are saying PF is rotten, but they are still holding on to the party. Some of you, you are even supporting them. I must warn you that those people who are holding on to the party through a court injunction, may come back to continue to be members of PF depending on what the court will rule.
“For example, if the court rules that the party did not follow the procedure when expelling those who are holding on to the party through a court injunction and so they will continue to be PF members, where is that going to leave you, those disgruntled politicians.
“So I am cautioning you to be wary of some politicians. If you are not careful, they will just mislead you and leave you in the dark. Why should somebody form a political party, but refuse to be a member of that party? Instead of him leading the way of his new party, he is telling others to join the party he does not want to be a member of,” President Lungu said. President Lungu also urged PF MPs and Ministers to work with the party structures in their constituencies in addressing challenges which they may face while carrying out party programmes.
“I am happy that we have MPs here. I am urging MPs and ministers to work with the party structures. Help them in various ways because they face a lot of challenges. Before I became republican President, I was MP and Minister. I know how important party structures are,” he said
Earlier in Ndola President Lungu assured the physically impaired of Kangonga Centre for the Blind in Ndola of government assistance.
President Lungu said he was aware of the challenges the establishment was facing.
Speaking when he addressed them yesterday President Lungu said his office had been given a report and that their needs were being attended to.
He assured that persons with disabilities were not forgotten in the agenda of Zambia.
“I have been told that you have challenges of transport and wheelchairs. The First Lady is expected to come through the province and she will deliver the chairs,” he said.
