NAKACINDA, HAMASAKA CLASH

By Jessica Mwansa

IT has become difficult for us in the opposition to offer credible checks and balances because President Hakainde Hichilema is always calling us a bunch of thieves and thugs, Patriotic Front (PF) Member of the Central Committee Raphael Nakacinda has said.

But State House Chief Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka had branded Mr. Nakacinda as a comedian and joker who should not be taken seriously, adding that it is wrong for those who are failing to mobilise their parties due to infighting to blame it on the President. 

Speaking to The Scoop, Mr. Nakacinda said President Hichilema had always called the PF as thugs adding that despite being called names, the party will not stop providing checks and balances.

“President Hichilema calls us the PF as thugs and now he is saying he will start arresting us for as long as we begin to regroup. I want to help Mr. Hichilema understand that we have never disintegrated. We have always remained united, and the aspect of regrouping is basically just readjusting the organizational structure of the party. Otherwise, we remain united and we are going to continue to provide checks and balances on behalf of the Zambian people,” Mr. Nakacinda said.

He said just like the PF were in power and enjoyed their reign, so should the UPND Government enjoy their stay in power before they are voted out.

“When we were ruling, we enjoyed our stay in power and thought we would be there for good but we are now in opposition. So, the UPND should also enjoy the same way before their time is up because they are leaving the Government sooner than they imagined. This tendency of threatening us should come to an end because the clock is ticking.

“Mr. Hichilema requires prayers because some of the things he is saying and his conduct suggests that there is need for divine intervention in his personal life as well as his office. We expected that in the two years of leadership, he would understand the statecraft and principles of governance but far from it, he is still behaving as though he is still at his farm,” he said.

But Mr. Hamasaka said Mr. Nakacinda and his tandem of jokers from the PF were the least of worries that the UPND and Government had as there were serious national issues worth diverting attention to.

He said the PF did not need any outside force to destabilise and disintegrate it because the infighting and power struggle among members were enough to push it into oblivion adding that he had no regard for whatever lies Mr. Nakacinda was pushing at because that was what defined him as a human being.

He said President Hichilema had no time to threaten anyone as he was preoccupied with bettering the lives of Zambians.

 “As UPND, we do not take Mr. Nakacinda seriously because he is just a comedian. I even wonder why journalists keep engaging a joker when we have serious issues at hand to address rather than responding to Nakacinda’s comedy. We do not respond to people who have no discourse. Nakacinda is just an empty head,” Mr. Hamasaka said.

Mr. Hamasaka said all the allegations made against Mr. Hichilema were false and that Zambians should not believe lies that came from the opposition who just wanted to tarnish his name.

“Allegations coming from the opposition are lies and should not be taken seriously. Mr. Nakacinda has nothing better to talk about and we, as UPND, definitely have no time to respond to people who are empty heads and have no discourse,’’ he said.