Africa-Press – Zambia. Democratic Party (DP) president Harry Kalaba has accused President Hakainde Hichilema of meddling in the affairs of his party through his political advisor Levy Ngoma in an attempt to destabilize the opposition party. Mr. Kalaba made the allegations during a press briefing at the party secretariat in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr. Kalaba said that Mr. Ngoma has been having secret meetings with suspected members of the DP and a named official from the registrar of societies to influence the outcome of the court case regarding DP ownership to favor the faction led by Judith Kabemba.
Mr. Kalaba said that the UPND government was ushered into power on the premise that it will restore and uphold the rule of law, but wonders why Mr. Ngoma is allegedly now getting involved in DP internal affairs, adding that all of the alleged underhand activities by Mr. Ngoma are aimed at preventing him from growing politically because he is a threat to President Hichilema in the 2026 general election.
Mr. Kalaba has charged that the country is now at the crossroads between the paths of democracy and that of a one-party state. Mr. Kalaba said that the acts being perpetrated by the President do not just take away the dignity from the Presidency but also take away the dignity from this great institution and that his party position is that the President must restrain himself from meddling in the affairs of the DP and focus on Fixing the economic challenges that Zambians expect him to be focusing on.
Mr Kalaba said that while faced with all these challenges which he promised to address when elected on August 12, 2021, President Hakainde has instead opted to spend his productive time and effort on the DP and its President.
“These acts by the President and his hired agents are not just meant to destabilize the country’s hard fought democracy but rather to entrench himself as a hardcore dictator who is ready to destroy any perceived political threat, ” Mr kalaba said.
“I have a message for you sir, you can not fight the Will of the People. A time is coming when the 2.8m will reach out to the 1.8m so as to put the interest of the nation at the fore and protect the Country’s Democracy. And judging by your actions in Kabwata, that time is fast approaching, ” he said
Mr Kalaba also said that his party has raised concerns over institutions that are meant to support governance such as the DEC and ACC being allowed to operate with independence and yet what they are seeing today is the exact opposite as these institutions are now operating under instruction from those linked to the UPND government.
“Abuse is abuse regardless of which party the perpetrator belongs to. And if an act was wrong under the PF, it still remains wrong under the UPND and I will continue to flag issues of abuse, corruption, tribalism and regionalism, bullying, etc and if President Hakainde and his Agents feel that by disenfranchising the DP, they will be able to silence me, they are wrong as my values are not driven by a Party but a greater conviction for a fair and more humane Zambia, an equitable Zambian that protects the welfare of its citizens,” he said. Mr Kalaba listed the following as challenges the president should be focussing on.
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