Mumbi Phiri advises HH to tone down

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) deputy secretary-general Mumbi Phiri has advised United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema to tone down his attacks and offer constructive criticism to Government.
Mrs Phiri said it is regrettable that the opposition has developed a habit of issuing statements suggesting that the country will plunge into violence. Mrs Phiri said in an interview in Zambezi that Mr Hichilema should also stop accusing President Lungu of condoning and perpetuating violence in the country.
“President Lungu is on record condemning violence. The matter concerning the violence which occurred on the Copperbelt where the opposition was attacked is in court and people were arrested,” Mrs Phiri said.
She was reacting to issues raised by the opposition leader at a briefing in Lusaka on Friday where Mr Hichilema alleged that President Lungu was abetting violence.
She said Mr Hichilema should focus on building his party instead of unnecessarily attacking President Lungu.
“Let him focus on his party instead, because we have heard that his new party vice-president Geoffrey Mwamba has already started saying that he will take over as president after 2016 because he is sure that HH will not win. Let us wait and see if the leadership in UPND is going to agree that a newcomer takes over their party,” she said.

She urged Mr Hichilema and the UPND to offer constructive checks and balances to Government for the development of the country.
“Why are they constantly talking about violence? Are they wishing that Zambia was on fire? The answer is no. Those people who wish this country ill are jokers because we want this country’s peace and prosperity to continue for our children, grandchildren and generations to come. We refuse the violence they are talking about,” Mrs Phiri said.
She said UPND cannot be allowed to continually talk about violence in Zambia because such talk might breed violence.

Zambia Daily Mail