HH TRICKED COUNCILLORS
…He fooled them into endorsing him like children – Changala
By Mast Reporter
THE over 1,800 ward councillors who attended the meeting with President Hakainde Hichilema in Lusaka on Monday during which they were forced to endorse him as presidential candidate were tricked like little children, an activist has said.
Meanwhile, Copperbelt Patriotic Front (PF) councillors have denied claims endorsing Hichilema.
Governance activist Brebner Changala said as usual, imingalato was at play, where civic leaders were not given the agenda of the meeting, only to be shocked that the meeting was for the endorsement of the President ahead of the August elections.
In an interview with The Mast, Changala said the councillors were not given the agenda of the meeting and were surprised to attend what appeared to be a political rally.
“It is funny because those councillors were tricked as they were invited to attend a meeting whose agenda was not known, but when they reached the venue they were treated to a campaign rally. It was the usual imingalato at play,” he said.
On Monday, 1,832 out of the country’s 1,883 councillors were shepherded like school boys and girls into Mulungushi International Conference Centre where they were forced to endorse Hichilema for the August presidential election.
Changala said it was unfortunate for the United Party for National Development (UPND) to claim that over 1,832 councillors had endorsed Hichilema when it was not true.
He said the impression created that almost all the councillors had endorsed Hichilema