The opposition Socialist Party has insisted that President Hakainde Hichilema is a puppet of the western countries.
Socialist Party leader Fred M’membe recently accused President Hichilema of being a puppet of the west.
Dr. M’membe’s accusations against the Head of State were criticised by United Party for National Development (UPND) deputy National Chairman Andrew Banda.
Mr. Banda, the eldest son of the late former President Rupiah Bwezani Banda, argued that President Hichilema was not a puppet of the west.
He said President Hichilema was a genuine Head of State elected by millions of Zambians.
The Socialist Party (S.P) has, however, issued a follow up statement insisting that allowing AFRICOM base called ‘office’ in Zambia would constitute not only an unacceptable violation of the country’s sovereignty.
SP Copperbelt Provincial Spokesperson Joseph Kangwa said Mr. Banda is defending President Hichilema because he is seeking a job from the New Dawn government.
“Calling President Hakainde Hichilema a puppet of the west is not disrespecting the people who voted for him as opposed to United Party for National Development (UPND) deputy national chairperson, Mr Andrew Banda’s sentimental statement published on 02 June, 2022 in the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper. Contrary to Mr Banda’s view, Dr Fred M’membe has no history of disparaging Zambian presidents; he just calls a spade a spade. You do not need to be in the opposition party to know that President Hichilema is a puppet of the west, but we understand Mr Banda’s predicament as he may have also been a puppet of the late Presidents during his service in the foreign mission under the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD). Being part of the privatization of the Zambian Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) in 1997 which resulted in millions of Zambian people losing their jobs, and triggered the periods of intense economic turmoil that engulfed the Copperbelt and Zambia from 1997 hitherto, and allowing the American government to open its U.S. Africa Command in Zambia is evident enough to tell that Mr Hakainde Hichilema is indeed a petty bourgeoisie and a puppet of the west. However, It can only take a genuine leader to see that, not a simpleton person,” Mr. Kangwa said.
He said President Hichilema is driving the agenda of the capitalists at the expense of the majority suffering Zambians thereby putting the country’s sovereignty at great risk.
“That said, it is imperative to answer some of Mr Banda’s questions. “If HH is a puppet, then who is a leader, is Fred himself a leader?” He asked. In simple terms; a leader is a servant of a group of people having authority to lead or direct and do what is best for them and the country. A puppet is a person controlled by another. In this case, President HH is the puppet of the West in the sense that he is driving the agenda of the capitalists at the expense of the majority suffering Zambians thereby putting our sovereignty at great risk.On the contrary, Comrade M’membe is the living legendary of Zambia. He is a beacon of democracy and free press we are enjoying today. Dr M’membe played a key role in the revolution of one party state to multiparty democracy. Since then He has always been in the forefront in the transformation from one government to another,” Mr. Kangwa said.
He continued:”Mr Banda and UPND should know that allowing AFRICOM base called ‘office’ in Zambia would constitute not only an unacceptable violation of our country’s sovereignty, but the whole Africa. It would be an insult of the highest degree to the devoted men and women who sacrificed to death until they brought independence to Zambia. Mr Banda and his superior should ask themselves a question as to why president Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, his father the late president Rupiah Bwezani Banda, the late president Michael Chilufya Sata and Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu refused that request. And why the former South African president Thabo Mbeki mobilised the African leaders by that time to oppose the move.”
Mr. Kangwa said President Hichilema should always protect and defend Zambia and it’s sovereignty.
“If President Hichilema is a puppet, why did Zambians vote for him?” Mr Banda questioned. Well, the truth is that Mr HH is the first and most unpopular person to have been elected as President in our history. Approximately 50 per cent of the 2.8 million people UPND have been bragging about voted for HH out of frustration as people got fed up with the Patriotic Front(PF) government and because HH was the only one close. Others voted for him out of sympathy of him losing five times. Otherwise, he was never a choice of all those 2.8 voters. That is probably the reason Mr Banda admitted that some people still cannot believe that HH is the Republican President and it is clear that Mr Banda is among those people even though he intentionally could not admit it.
“The advice of the Socialist Party under the able and competent leadership of Dr Fred M’membe who has lived his whole life defending our country’s democracy and its sovereignty is that the UPND should respect the Zambian people who entrusted their whole future to lead them, not to death but to freedom and abundant life. And President HH should always remember that he had sworn to protect and defend at all cost the Zambian Constitution and sovereignty of our country as such, we do not expect him to do the opposite. The people have the power,” Mr. Kangwa concluded.