United Party for National Development (UPND) deputy chairperson for mobilization and strategy Romeo Kang’ombe says that former president Edgar Lungu should apologize to Zambians for having turned the national power utility, ZESCO, into a political “cash cow” during his time as head of state.
Kang’ombe, who is also a UPND Sesheke Member of Parliament, says ZESCO and other key national institutions are currently struggling due to the Lungu government’s mismanagement during his tenure.
“If former President Edgar Lungu were prudent in managing the national resources acquired through debt, companies like ZESCO would not be limping today. Instead of investing in alternative power supply, Lungu used ZESCO as a cash cow for political activities,” Kang’ombe wrote.
“Resources from ZESCO were used to print party regalia and PF members were employed as ghost workers. Whilst girlfriends and nieces were swimming in millions of dollars, ZESCO was dying and getting into more debt.”
Kang’ombe added that Lungu must apologize to Zambians for the several illegalities committed under his watch as president.
“We expect Lungu to apologize for this and many other crimes he committed whilst he served as president. Edgar has no moral right to talk about the economy of this country.”
Kang’ombe also described Lungu’s new United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) as a faction motivated by hate.
“The recently held rally where opposition leader Edgar Lungu was addressing children, was nothing but a competition of insults. We saw political junkies taking turns to insult the republican President as opposed to offering alternative solutions. The UKA alliance is nothing but a group of bitter souls without any solution to the challenges that our country is facing,” he stated.
The Sesheke lawmaker has urged Lungu to be appreciative of President Hichilema and the New Dawn government for their efforts to lead the nation towards economic transformation and successfully managing to restructure the debt crisis the previous government left the country rather than issuing insulting remarks against the head of state.
“We expected former president Edgar Lungu to appreciate President Hakainde Hichilema’s effort in the debt restructuring process. Edgar Lungu and the Patriotic Front left a huge debt mountain, which President Hichilema has been working tirelessly to resolve. Instead of appreciating, Lungu resorted to insulting and blaming the New Dawn Government for the problems he left. What a shame!”
Kang’ombe was reacting to Lungu’s utterances at a rally in Kitwe on Saturday, which was also attended by other opposition alliance leaders, including Citizens First leader Harry Kalaba and Peter Sinkamba of the Green Party.
