FORMER president Edgar Lungu has declared the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) as a congregation of wise men and women while crowning himself to be as peaceful as a dove and and as sly as snake.
Lungu said this during an UKA-convened special prayer service at a church owned by pastor Danny Pule who is part of UKA through his little known Christian Democratic Party (CDP).
When called upon to speak at the anti-President Hakainde Hichilema religious gathering, Lungu warned against taking his political activities as comedy saying he was calculative.
“The people who think all of us are jokers ehh and they go round saying those are jokers, me I was president for seven years I can be a joking here? He questioned whilst giggling.
“I came from Chawama in 2011, I made my journey to State house in 2015. I was joking all the way, they don’t think am able to plan.”
Quoting a bible verse, in Matthew chapter 10, Lungu said his character is two-faced as he can be shrewd and play innocent as a child, at the same time.
“You know in the Bible… the Bible tells us be the serpent under that leaf or be the dove. As peaceful as the dove or as sly as a snake. So if you combine that snake, you combine that peacefulness from the dove I have both,”he said.
“I want to make this clear that’s why they (opponents) are having diarrhea, verbal diarrhea when they hear Edgar Lungu, Edgar Lungu is here (Dunamis Church) with others.”
Lungu told the gathering that he has information about a ploy to attack by the police at Kanyama UCZ by his perceived political enemies, but he beat them to their own game.
“This morning I was invited to a UCZ church meeting in Kanyama they wrote to me on the 14th of February and I said ba Bishop Rhodwell Siame nkesa (I will come) in the morning when I woke up I was told that the police have mobilized, they are at Kanyama police station. And then filled in Kanyama with junkies and UPND cadres so that as I go in and come out of church they beat me up,” he said.
“And then they come with tear-gas to restore order and law. But being the snake that I am I am here( Dunamis). We’ve beaten them mingalato, we’ve beaten them here we are.”
Lungu said he was too sneaky to be caught and that he and his friends are well read.
“We have worshiped the lord we have glorified his name, we have learnt everything, and our friends also in Kanyama were able to carry out their business baloba ilyabola-(they have caught rotten fish),” he said.
“so ine ndefwaya ukumyeba at twaba mu UKA nabanandi bonse aba elo bonse bamano (I would like to inform you that am in UKA with all these friends of mine who are brilliant)I know them individually ngabakalamba bandi ( my older brother) Chifumu Banda kale nabeshibe (I knew him a long time ago).”
Lungu said the change that he was pushing for to return to power may come even before 2026.
“Inshita nganaifika naifika (if time has come it has come) when the hour has come you can’t stop it. Those of you who know medicine and biology and so on there’s a time frame you say umwana afyalwa mu nine months but bambi balafyalwa mu eight and half abo aba lelanda ati 2026 limbi kutali (a child is born within nine months, but some are premature and born within eight and half, those saying 2026 it might be too far ),”Lungu said.
“ So abo abalelanda 2026, 2026 limbi kutali! Lesa ewishibe(Those saying 2026, 2026 it might be too far, only God knows).”
Lungu said he and his wise friends were pregnant for new leadership and only God will determine who will take over from President Hakainde Hichilema.
“Ili ifumu tukwete mu Zambia uwimite ni Lesa ekuacita determine new leadership but fwebo fwebakwete ifumo tuli abanano, ( this pregnancy we have in Zambia the one carrying the Child is God and he will determine the new leader. Us who are pregnant are brilliant) we are all wisemen and women,” he said.
Lungu mocked his successor whom he claimed was under pressure with his stunts and was itching to hold a press briefing in the evening.
“So mwilabepa kwati tuli fipuba iyo ( don’t lie and think we are too dumb no. ) I will not waste your time because I know somewhere umbi nalwala kale so kwalaba press conference naimbi icungulo ( some one is already sick, there will be another press conference in the evening),” he said.
In riding on his immunity which is still in force, the UKA boss said he was untouchable and needed no one’s permission to hold a public gathering.
Lungu dared law enforcement officers to effect an arrest as his UKA minutemen and women are geared to save his neck and that lawyer Sakwiba Sikota can bail him out.
“Elo filya bacilalanda ati I need permission, I don’t need permission from anybody, I want you to know. Umo uukanjikatamofye bakampokololako abanandi aba. (If anyone tries to arrest me my friends will come to my rescue. If I am thrown in the cells there’s a good lawyer here (Sakwiba Sikota) what’s there to be afraid of? there’s nothing to fear,” he said.
Lungu charged that he was not afraid of he’s successor but instead advised his subordinates to be afraid of people power.
“He’s just a man like me but we should be afraid of the power of the people. Umuntu ngakalipa alakalipa that’s why ndemyeba nati ili ifumo twimite limbi tukafika nalyo mu 2026 limbi kuti twapapa bwangu bwangu pantu tafishibikwa ifintu (when some is upset they really get mad, that’s why am telling you that this pregnancy we are carrying we might carry it until 2026 or we might give birth very soon, some things are not known),”he said.
As one of his supporters shouted that they were hungry Lungu assured them that hunger will be sorted out.
He signaled that he had concluded his speech because he had dared his successor enough and being a violent person, the best thing was to hand over the mic to Pule.
“I know have fought them enough (ninjishiba tabalale nshakokolepo nokukokola. Insala, twala, insala yalapwa nombaline nshakokolepo pantu ndiwalubuli naleka (they won’t even sleep, hunger will be end soon I won’t take long because I am a fighter I have stopped),”said Lungu.
The prayer service was concluded with the UKA band leading praise and worship in preparation for Pule to conduct deliverance...
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba May 20, 2024.