05/03/2024
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON THE SECURITY OF THE NATION IN LIGHT OF THE ALLEGED STATEMENT BY THE FORMER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT, MR. EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU, THAT CITIZENS WOULD RISE AGAINST THE PRESIDENT BEFORE 2026.
DELIVERED BY
HONOURABLE JACK J. MWIIMBU, MP
MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND INTERNAL SECURITY
MADAM SPEAKER,
LET ME THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON THE MATTER OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE RAISED BY HONOURABLE MICHELO KASAUTA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR BWEENGWA CONSTITUENCY. THE MATTER OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE IS ON THE SECURITY OF THE NATION IN LIGHT OF THE ALLEGED STATEMENT BY THE FORMER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT, MR. EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU, THAT CITIZENS WOULD RISE AGAINST THE PRESIDENT BEFORE 2026.
MADAM SPEAKER,
ZAMBIA IS A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY. THE NEW DAWN ADMINISTRATION FORMED GOVERNMENT TO AMONG MANY ISSUES FOSTER A BETTER DEMOCRACY AND RESTORE THE RULE OF LAW, ORDER, RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS INCLUDING LIBERTIES AND FREEDOMS. BY CREATING A GOOD GOVERNANCE ENVIRONMENT, WE HAVE SEEN OUR CITIZENS ENJOY LIBERTIES AND FREEDOMS AS WELL AS MORE ECONOMIC INVESTMENT. THIS SITUATION HAS SECURED FOR US THE COOPERATION OF OUR PEACE-LOVING CITIZENS WHO HAVE TRUST IN THE VISIONARY LEADERSHIP OF OUR PRESIDENT, HIS EXCELLENCY, MR. HAKAINDE HICHILEMA.
MADAM SPEAKER,
THE GOVERNMENT HAS PERFORMED WELL ON THE GOVERNANCE SCALE AND THERE IS NO KNOWN OR LATENT ACTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO WARRANTY CITIZENS TO FORCE THE PRESIDENT TO GIVE UP POWER AND CALL FOR ELECTIONS BEFORE 2026. WE ARE SAFE AND SECURE. THE STATE OF THE NATION IS STRONG. WE ARE NOT HOWEVER, GOING TO DISMISS AS EXAGGERATION THE ALLEGED PRONOUNCEMENTS BY MR. EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU INDICATING THAT PEOPLE WOULD RISE AND FORCE THE PRESIDENT TO GIVE UP POWER. BEING FORMER HEAD OF STATE, PERHAPS THERE COULD BE SOMETHING HE KNOWS WHICH GOVERNMENT IS NOT AWARE OF, COINCIDENTALLY SIMILAR STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE BY SOME SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY AND OTHER POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS. AS SUCH SECURITY WINGS SHOULD TAKE INTEREST IN THE MATTER. THERE COULD BE SOME COVERT OPERATIONS BEING UNDERTAKEN. WE ARE NOT GOING TO FOLD OUR ARMS AND LAMENT. THIS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN SITUATIONS WHERE FEW CARELESS POLITICIANS HAVE CONVINCED A WHOLE NATION THAT IT IS ON THE BRINK OF A CIVIL WAR. WE AS A RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT SHALL ENSURE THAT THERE IS LAW AND ORDER IN THE COUNTRY.
MADAM SPEAKER,
IN THE RECENT PAST, GOVERNMENT HAS NOTED WITH GREAT CONCERN MANEUVERS BY THE FORMER PRESIDENT AIMED AT ATTRACTING UNDUE ATTENTION FROM SYMPATHISERS. SEEKING ATTENTION, THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAS RESORTED TO DESPERATE MEANS, UNFORTUNATELY SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES ARE REPULSIVE. IT IS NOT RIGHT TO MOCK CITIZENS BY FAKING BEING AMAZED AT PRICES OF GOODS, FAKING BEING KIND TO THE PEOPLE HIS GOVERNMENT DEFRAUDED AND EVEN MAKING CARELESS PRONOUNCEMENTS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ENDANGER PUBLIC SECURITY. THIS IS AN UNFORTUNATE AND CARELESS BEHAVIOR FROM A FORMER HEAD OF STATE.
MADAM SPEAKER,
WE ARE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED WITH THE BEHAVIOR MANIFESTED BY THE FORMER PRESIDENT ON 27TH FEBRUARY, 2024. THIS IS BECAUSE THE RECENT BEHAVIOR IS PART OF HIS HISTORY OF A PECULIARLY VICIOUS FORM OF VIOLENCE THAT CITIZENS WITNESSED DURING HIS SEVEN-YEAR RULE WHICH LED TO A BREAKDOWN OF LAW AND ORDER IN THE COUNTRY. SADLY, THROUGH SUCH BEHAVIOR, COUNTLESS ZAMBIANS SUFFERED HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE. HE MUST READ THE TIMES. THIS IS NOT TIME TO FAN AND PERPETUATE VIOLENCE. RATHER, IT IS TIME FOR THE NEW DAWN ADMINISTRATION TO HEAL THE DIVISIONS HE CREATED AND RE-BUILD THE ECONOMY THAT HIS REGIME LEFT IN A MESS. TODAY, MANY OPPOSITION PARTY LEADERS IN ZAMBIA TALK AS IF THEY WERE ENEMIES OF GOVERNMENT ENGAGED IN WAR. THIS SHOULD STOP. THEY MUST CONTRIBUTE TO THE REBUILDING OF THE NATION THROUGH POSITIVE CHECKS AND BALANCE.
MADAM SPEAKER,
THE FORMER PRESIDENT’S BEHAVIOR AND THAT OF FORMER GOVERNMENT LEADERS REPRESENT AN EXTRA-ORDINARY PHENOMENON: PURE DESTRUCTIVE AND UNPATRIOTIC. THEY ARE NOT POLITICIANS WITH GENUINE CONCERNS TO GROW THE ECONOMY OR TO IMPROVE LIVELIHOODS. THEY DO NOT WISH TO TAKE REIGNS TO FOSTER DEVELOPMENT. THEY SEEK ONLY TO DESTROY EVEN THE LITTLE THAT THEY LEFT WHICH THE NEW DAWN ADMINISTRATION SEEKS TO MEND. THEY DO NOT AIM TO HELP ANY PARTICULAR SECTION OF THE SOCIETY. THEY DELIGHT IN THE SUFFERING OF OUR CITIZENS. SOME OF THEM EVEN ADVOCATE VIOLENCE TO ADVANCE THEIR SELFISH DESIRES. EVEN IF THEY SEEM TO CHAMPION THE WORD PATRIOTIC, THEY SELDOM PRACTICE PATRIOTISM IN THEIR UNDERTAKINGS. THEY TRY TO DISGUISE WHO THEY REALLY ARE WITH THE VENEER OF SYMPATHETIC POLITICAL VOCABULARY. BUT WE KNOW THEM, THE PEACE-LOVING ZAMBIANS KNOW THEM.
MADAM SPEAKER,
THE NEW DAWN GOVERNMENT SHALL UPHOLD THE SUPREMACY OF RULE OF LAW AND MAINTAIN LAW AND ORDER FOR OUR CITIZENS TO ENJOY LIBERTIES AND FREEDOMS. SIMILARLY, WE SHALL UPHOLD NATIONAL SECURITY WHICH IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR CITIZEN’S LIVELIHOODS, ACCESS TO GOODS AND SERVICES, AS WELL AS THE FREE EXERCISE OF CIVIL, POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS. WE SHALL NOT CONDONE ANY ACTIVITIES THAT UNDERMINE NATIONAL SECURITY.
I URGE ALL PEACE-LOVING ZAMBIANS TO REFRAIN FROM ANY ACTS THAT MAY BRING OUR CHERISHED PEACE AND NATIONAL SECURITY INTO JEOPARDY.
MADAM SPEAKER, I THANK YOU.
