By Scoop Reporter
ALLEGATIONS by Minister of Home Affairs Steven Kampyongo that Hakainde Hichilema is the originator of the information concerning the procurement of bicycles for the police are baseless, the United Party for National Development (UPND) has said.
Mr. Kampyongo is reported to have claimed that Mr. Hichilema, the UPND president, is responsible for the misinformation over the source of the said bicycles.
But in a statement made available to The Scoop this morning, the UPND has rubbished these claims and have challenged Mr. Kampyongo to order the Zambia Information and Communications Technology (ZICTA) to investigate the supposedly misinformation surrounding the mysterious bicycles.
“The correct position as to what could have generated criticism and public outrage is rather the contradictory statement coming from the police and the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the source of those bicycles and the cost attached to them.
“We don’t know which of the two statements that was issued regarding the police bicycles is to be believed considering the many lies that have been told by the same people in the past. The issue which this Government should worry is not the source of the information which did not come from the UPND top leadership but whether or not the correct procedure was followed to procurement the said bicycles,” reads the statement in part.
The UPND says Mr. Kampyongo should leave HH out of the bicycle saga and instead provide reports to the nation on the serial killings, burning of markets and gassing incidents that took away lives of innocent Zambians.
“It’s unbelievable that Mr. Kampyongo remains comfortable when his ministry has not provided any report to the nation on who has been behind these incidents. Mr. Kampyongo should be aware that Zambians are still waiting for reports of the brutal incidents that took away lives and properties of innocent Zambians.
“We are aware that the Patriotic Front are looking for an opportunity to arrest President Hakainde Hichilema but we want Mr. Kampyongo to know that the country this time will not allow any trumped up charge as the case was with a traffic offence which was turned to a treason charge,” read the statement.
The UPND says it is embarrassing as a nation that Government can openly name a country not involved in the purchase of very expensive bicycles thereby embarrassing the foreign country and denting the image of Zambia.
“Our advice to the entire PF machinery is to conduct an introspection of its conduct towards public resources and relations before making unwarranted accusations against citizens as the country is bleeding from poor socioeconomic and governance policies that have left its economy broken.
“Leave HH alone and focus on the people of Zambia struggling to live descent lives and deal with corruption issues such as the mysterious 48 houses, Financial Intelligence Centre and Auditors General reports revealing colossal sums of money misappropriated by politically exposed persons,” it says.
