By Staff Reporter
Former president Edgar Lungu has no problem talking with his successor but the impression President Hakainde Hichilema has created that the duo has a cordial relationship is surprisingly misleading.
According to sources close to Lungu, there’s bad blood and the two do not talk contrary to the impression President Hichilema created yesterday that the two are in talking terms.
“Some of us who interact with the former President know that the third and last time the two spoke was when Zambia’s fifth President Rupiah Banda died. As you recall this is now well over one year. That was when President Hichilema phoned ECL to inform him about the death of Rupiah Banda and requested ECL to join him in mourning the former president to ensure he was mourned in dignity,” one source explained.
“The first two times the duo spoke was soon after the handover of power from the former to the current. And these were two separate meetings although we are not privy to what they discussed in those meetings. If there are any another times they have spoken, President Hichilema or ECL will be at liberty to share with, or explain to the public the nature of their conversations. Otherwise we can safely say the two have discussed only twice after ECL handed over power because the third and final discussion was strictly about RB’s death.”
The source further stated that position notwithstanding, former President Lungu has no problem talking with his successor should President Hichilema show interest in talking with him.
“The bottom line is that whilst President Hichilema would like the country to believe that he is enjoying a cordial relationship with ECL, the opposite is the truth,” the source said.
“The question is: why is President Hichilema misleading the public when even his ministers and senior government officials know that there is bad blood between President Hichilema and his predecessor? Ministers and other senior government officials also are not free to interact with him (ECL).”
Another source explained that the issue surrounding security enhancement at Lungu’s house in Lusaka’s Ibex Hill was supposed to be discussed with Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa who has not shown up despite promising to do that several times.
“For instance, do you know that for over one week now, ECL has been waiting for the Secretary to the Cabinet to discuss this same issue of security at his residence and other administrative issues pertaining to the Office of the Sixth President but Mr Kangwa has failed to show up for this meeting?” said the source.
“Secretary to the Cabinet is the custodian of that Act that deals with former heads of state. The former president is managed by Cabinet Office. The Act dealing with the former heads of state is clear. It even defines what constitute participation in active politics. But now it appears jogging and going to church constitute participation in active politics.”
