NDC vice-president Josephs Akafumba.

By Oliver Chisenga

NDC interim leader Josephs Akafumba says he can employ George Mpombo as a lawyer if the former defence minister has legal qualifications.

Recently, Mpombo told The Mast that Akafumba had been thrown to the cleaners by President Hakainde Hichilema.

This was after Akafumba asked former president Edgar Lungu to come out of hiding and apologise to Zambians for his misrule.

But Mpombo said it was time for nation building and reconciliation.

“This is the time for nation building and reconciliation. The man wants to catch the eyes of the appointing authority as he has been thrown to the cleaners. He should preach nation building and reconciliation instead of paying off old scores,” said Mpombo.

But Akafumba, a lawyer, said he did not need a job, adding that he was already comfortable with his law firms.

“I am a professional and I run law firm here [in Lusaka] and in Livingstone. So the question of food on the table does not arise,” he said. “I am comfortable, hahahaha! Mr George Mpombo must know that I am comfortable. I employ lawyers, hehehehe. If he is also a lawyer, I can employ him. I employ lawyers, Sir, so the issue of food on the table is a non-issue.”

Akafumba said he was more satisfied that Zambia was free from PF corruption and misrule, hence getting a government position was not his priority.

“Our struggle is service, have we achieved? Yes. And he must know himself, ba George Mpombo that being of value or being of service to the nation is not necessarily being a cabinet minister,” he added. “You can contribute in various ways and the fact that NDC is in the Alliance, we are contributing to governance. What more do you need? You need me just to fly a flag, that’s when you will know that we are in the Alliance?”

As an Alliance member, Akafumba explained his closeness to President Hakainde Hichilema.

Akafumba advised Mpombo to encourage Lungu to apologise instead of abating the former president’s stubbornness even when he offended people during his tenure.

“In the Alliance we have a council of presidents where President Hakainde and Mrs Nalumango are members. So isn’t that being in

government?” he said. “So, I think my brother’s comments are far-fetched. He must own up and tell Edgar Lungu to seriously consider apologising because, you know that Edgar Lungu put it very plainly and clear that if he had won these elections his first assignment was going to arrest President Hakainde for an unknown offence. But now that we have defeated that, surely, we shouldn’t tell him to come out of his hiding and come and apologise to the Zambian people?”

Akafumba said he could not imagine what Lungu would have done to the current President had he won the presidential election.

“Sometimes I even close my eyes [imagining] what would have happened to our Republican President, Hakainde Hichilema had Lungu won, because he put it very openly and clear that his first assignment was to arrest him,” said Akafumba. “Are you sure this is the

person who should not apologise to the nation, ba Mpombo? What we went through where we were being judged by the surnames that we

carried! [Shapa] Wakunguma who is back and now at State House was fired because of his name and doing the correct thing. Are you sure the PF

government should not apologise for that? How many civil servants were retired in national interest from Western, North Western and Southern provinces under PF? And you were quiet so, are you sure again that this PF government should just keep quiet about that?”

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