03/04/2022
DEFEND HH..PF damage extensive to be corrected in blink of an eye – Kazabu
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
THE failure by UPND officials to defend President Hakainde Hichilema against unwarranted attacks by the PF is worrying, says Luxon Kazabu.
Kazabu, a former livestock and fisheries deputy minister in the Michael Sata administration, says the damage that was done by the PF under Edgar Lungu is so extensive to be corrected just in a blink of an eye.
The former Nkana PF member of parliament appealed to UPND officials to “up their game in defence of President Hichilema”.
"The inability of those holding positions that are supposed to be defending President Hakainde Hichilema is worrying to all of us who know that the President where he is cannot be responding to PF leaders who are criticising him at sunrise, lunch and sunset,” he said.
“What is so difficult to in responding to the unwarranted attacks directed at the President left, right and centre? What is so difficult? You know some of us who don't hold any position (in the party) tend to be cautious because you might open your mouth believing that you are defending the party and its leadership only to step on the toes of other people."
Kazabu noted that those who hold positions that ought to speak out on behalf of the UPND and the President don't come out in defence quickly.
"You ought to wonder why they don't come out quickly? We can't leave the presidency vulnerable to unwarranted attacks by even people who have not made any contributions worth writing home about,” he said.
“I think that it is important that our colleagues who are in positions that should defend the President do so and they should always be alert. I wish I could be a spokesperson one of these days. You know the English people say ‘you hit the iron when it is still hot’."
Kazabu said the UPND cannot have leaders who just remain mute while President Hichilema was being attacked left, right and centre.
"No! We can't run a party like this. They must speak out and you know most of the statements, most of the criticism, are baseless. The people who attack the President don't have the facts of what they are attacking him for or accusing him of," he stressed.
"To some leaders in PF it's like the name of President Hakainde Hichilema has become a chorus, anything that happens they say, no." Kazabu noted that the damage that was done by the PF under the leadership of Lungu would take some time to repair.
