Mumbi Phiri clears air about men with potbellies

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) deputy secretary general has denied ever mentioning United Party for National Development (UPND) vice-president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba in her discourse about men with potbellies, Mumbi Phiri has said.
Mrs Mumbi said her statement was deliberately being misinterpreted by some sections of the media and opposition political party leaders to destroy her moral standing in society.
Mrs Phiri said it was not surprising that her statement and political discourse had been blown out of context because some media houses had an agenda to politically and morally scandalize citizens they viewed as obstacles to their political aspirations.
She said during the interview with Radio Ichengelo in Kitwe, at no point did she ever mention Mr Mwamba or referred to his belly because she was a cultured political woman who respected her husband.
Mrs Phiri said she did not care about the deliberate misinterpretation of her discourse because her moral reputation and standing in society could not be destroyed by rehearsed political attacks against her persona.
She told the Daily Nation yesterday that she was not bothered by the negative statements from the UPND national chairperson Mutale Nalumango because her moral character could not be destroyed by the political innuendoes against her. Mrs Phiri said while she did not want to comment on her criticism by the opposition, it was important for the leadership of the UPND to realise that their moral and political standing were questionable because some of them had amassed wealth through dubious deals.
She said she was not going to tire in reminding Zambians that their economic and social problems were partly as a result of the the UPND leaders who had presided over the privitaisation of many government institutions including the sale of the mines to private investors.

“I know that they are waging a war against me and they are employing the most shrewd of strategies to damage my moral and political standing in society. Let them know that I am a strong woman with a strong moral background and the potbelly story that are capitalizing on to gain political mileage is not going to destroy my moral character.
In fact let me make it clear that I did not mention Mr Mwamba in the entire interview I had with Radio Ichengelo and those who attributed my potbelly discourse to him have an agenda of twisting the truth.
I am not bothered about the malice from the UPND and some media houses and I will continue reminding Zambia that some UPND leaders dubiously acquired their wealth,” Mrs Phiri said.