UPND international relations chairman Mulondwe Muzungu has regretted that Zambians have a wicked and vicious dictatorship in President Edgar Lungu’s government.
Meanwhile, Muzungu, a former ambassador to Libya, says removing the current party in power in 2021, “by a massive vote,” is the only remedy to Zambia’s problems.
Muzungu feels that to the PF government, no amount of constructive criticism, correction or advice would yield any reformation at all.
“This is a government propelled by petty jealousies, envy, tribal hate, vindictiveness, violence, corruption and kleptomania. It’s a government that listens only to selfishness and greed,” he said. “It’s a government that takes pleasure in the grinding poverty among the people, hence the purging of many people from the public sector and the non-payment of their retirement dues.”
Muzungu was commenting on the removal of Prime TV from the TopStar platform, in response to a decree by information minister Dora Siliya that the government had ceased cooperation with the privately-owned TV station.
Muzungu explained that like many other actions previously taken by the PF government against media houses and individual Zambians, “the action of TopStar against Prime TV is a monstrous injustice.”
“[It] is possible only under a vicious and wicked dictatorship, which the PF government is. Such actions are obviously a manifestation of the vindictiveness and hate haboured by the PF government against innocent citizens of this country,” Muzungu said.
“This being a Christian nation, the nation is stunned that it has a government whose actions and conduct are in stark contrast with the Christian values of the nation.”
He stressed that the action by the government against Prime TV was very draconian.
“TopStar is supposed to be an organisation of the people of Zambia, considering the way it came into being. It was set up by the people of Zambia and such an organisation must never become a monster against the people that put it up,” Muzungu noted.
“The only failure on the part of TopStar as an organisation has been to yield to those draconian instructions from the PF government.”
TopStar is a joint project of ZNBC and a Chinese firm, Star Times.
Muzungu, a former minister in the UNIP government, further pointed out that the measure against Prime TV added to the PF regime’s wickedness.
He advised that come 2021, Zambians should opt to rid themselves of the “monster” in the PF.
Meanwhile, Muzungu said UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and many other Zambians, in their diverse capacities, had repeatedly rendered useful advice to the PF and President Lungu: “to rule the country on acceptable democratic precepts” but that such advice had been disdained.
“It is absolutely clear that we are dealing with an incorrigible government; the PF government, indeed, is incorrigible. This being a Christian nation, it needs a government with a human face,” Muzungu noted.
“Under the circumstances, there is only one panacea to all these problems and it is to remove the PF government from office by a massive vote, come 2021. Our duty as citizens will be to vote wisely and to protect the vote.”
He also paid homage to Hichilema, for his efforts and sacrifices, in trying to put the PF government on a democratic path.
“I pay homage to such sacrifices and I wish to take this opportunity to assure president Hakainde Hichilema that his efforts and sacrifices will not be in vain; the people of Zambia are taking note of his efforts,” said Muzungu.
“In his sacrifices they see somebody with the welfare of the people at heart. He should continue along that path.”