UPND PLOTS CLEMENT TEMBO ARREST?

By SILUMESI MALUMO AND ADRIAN MWANZA

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) acting President Given Lubinda has alleged that the UPND has directed law enforcement agencies to arrest the party’s Kabwata parliamentary candidate, Mr Clement Tembo.

Mr Lubinda said the UPND want Mr Tembo to be arrested for unknown offences.

And Mr Tembo told the Daily Nation in an interview that he was aware of the threats and   plot to have him arrested.

 “Meetings are being held by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and Anti –Corruption Commission (ACC)  to frame something against me, but I am not worried. This intimidation will not stop me from campaigning to win the Kabwata seat,”Mr Tembo said.

“Why are they targeting me? It is because they have seen that Kabwata is behind me. They can not stop this because it is the ordinary people who choose leaders,” he said.

He said UPND have realized that they chose someone not known in Kabwata and no wonder even their own members  petitioned  his adoption.

He said Zambia is a  democracy and citizens should not be threatened for participating in elections.

And Mr Lubinda said it is shocking that all this time the UPND have been quiet now that Mr Tembo is contesting the Kabwata by-election they want him arrested.

Mr Lubinda however, said the former ruling party will not be intimidated by UPND’s manoeuvres.

He also urged Mr Tembo not to be scared of whatever the UPND are planning to do.

“Let me advice you our candidate, do not be afraid of these moves by UPND. It will not go anywhere. They know that you are a threat in this by-election, this is why they want to intimidate you,” he said.

Mr Lubinda however said even if Mr Tembo was arrested, the party would continue campaigning until the end of campaigns on January 19, 2022.

“This happened in Lusangazi where our candidate Patrick Banda was arrested but despite that we continued campaigning,” he said.

Meanwhile Mr Lubinda said the UPND are a bunch of thieves.

He said the concession they have signed with a South Africa non profitable NGO is total theft.

He said it is shocking that the UPND want to do a road project of about 2, 200 km at a cost of US$3.7 billion.

He said this means 1 km will cost about US$1.8 million which has never happened in the country’s history.

“They called as names that we are thieves and Zambians believed. One kilometre under PF was costing US$1 million but them it will cost US$1.8 million. Who are thieves?  It’s them,” Mr Lubinda said.