“Arresting HH, miscalculation and political suicide for PF”

File: HH waves at Supporters as he is driven to prison

It will be a political miscalculation and political suicide for PF to arrest Mr Hakainde Hichilema over riots at ZAFFICO. If his arrest is mishandled I see PF going into political ablivoin in 2021.

Arresting Mr Hichilema shows that advisors to President Edgar Lungu have run out of ideas, they are not telling the President the truth apart from accusing Mr Hichelima in everything and Zambians are slowly getting tired. They are telling the President what he wants to hear himself and not what’s the reality on the ground.

If indeed copperbelt is PF stronghold, how possible is it that Mr Hichilema can incite the PF members who are in majority to riot? This should ring bells to President Lungu that there is something going wrong on the ground.

Arresting Mr Hichilema will not change anything at ZAFFICO and Ndola lime. The fact of the matter is President Edgar Lungu has allowed the listing of  ZAFFICO at Lusaka stock exchange as confirmed  by Amos Chanda, and there is fear and anxiety among the workers.

If President Edgar Lungu and his people are sincere enough let them travel to the copperbelt and address the worker’s concern  at  ZAFFICO and Ndola lime than intimidating Mr Hichilema. It is not the first time Mr Hichilema has been intimidated in such a brutal manner , he was charged for treason and taken to prison for more than 100 days over traffic offence.

We are also interested to Know if President Edgar Lungu and his govt followed procedure to allow the listing of ZAFFICO on the stock exchange. If indeed the procedure was followed we don’t  think the people on the  copperbelt would have speculated or rioted ?.

The constitution of Zambia  Article 210 (2) cleary stipulates that ,The major state assets shall be sold,transferred of otherwise disposed of,as prescribed,subject to approval by National assembly signified by a vote of atleast two third of the members of parparliament.

Vincent Chaile

President for  Radical Revolutionary Party  (RRP).