By JAMES KUNDA and SYLVESTER MWALE –
OPPOSITION United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema found the going tough when he featured on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) programme ‘HARDtalk’, anchored by interviewer Stephen Sackur on Tuesday.
Mr Hichilema’s performance on the globally renowned television show was slammed as ‘embarrassing’ by the Government.
Mr Hichilema seemed to be at pains to convince Mr Sackur why he had failed to scoop the presidency on five previous attempts but still felt he should have another go at the job in 2021.
The opposition leader could also not justify to Mr Sackur how he was looking in ‘fairly good shape’ despite claiming that he had been held under strenuous conditions in captivity on a ‘bogus’ charge of treason.
During the programme that first aired at 06:30 hours in the morning, the opposition leader constantly failed to explain his failure to recognise President Edgar Lungu despite this being the basis on which the two leaders could dialogue about reconciliation.
He insisted that the matter of Mr Lungu’s legitimacy as president  was still in court hence his decision not to recognise him as the Head of State.
Mr Hichilema said while he realised that prominent leaders including those from the United States and the United Kingdom (UK) recognised Mr Lungu as President of Zambia that could only hold if his petition was heard.
He cited an example of Kenya where former US secretary of State John Kerry withdrew a statement of that country’s commendation of President Uhuru Kenyatta prior to the Kenyan Supreme court’s nullification of last month’s poll as a scapegoat.
Mr Hichilema could not confirm whether he would be running for the presidency in the 2021 general elections but said this would be determined on the format of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) which he said should be re-constituted as the current top brass at the institution was a ‘charade’.
“Zambia is held up by Africa; it’s an example of a State that has embraced democracy…you have had a chance to run for top position in the country and you have repeatedly lost, why?” asked Mr Sackur.
In his response Mr Hichilema said: “First Steve, this is why we are challenging through the courts of law; this is the first time we are challenging the outcome because of the manner the election was managed.
“The electoral process, which basically lacks transparency and if you like integrity and that’s why we are asking the replacement of the electoral commissioners…so to turn your question around, why did we petition this time around?”
Mr Hichilema also failed to explain why he was not offering solutions to challenges such as poverty and disease that have engulfed the country from time immemorial.
Meanwhile, in response to Mr Hichilema’s persistent insinuations of  Zambia being a deteriorating democracy on the programme, Chief
Government spokesperson Kampamba Mulenga said Zambians were tired of the opposition leader playing ‘petty politics’.
Ms Mulenga, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said Government was saddened By Mr Hichilema’s ‘show’ especially the manner he discredited the country’s image.
“It is difficult for Zambians to take Mr Hichilema seriously because of the immature manner in which he is discrediting the country’s sovereignty,” Ms Mulenga said.
She said Zambians had the right to rise up and put Mr Hichilema in his place for disgracing the country in the manner he was doing.
Ms Mulenga said Hichilema should start sorting out his ‘dictatorship’ in the UPND before accusing the Patriotic Front (PF) of being authoritarian.
This, she said was because Mr Hichilema had not given an opportunity to any other UPND member to contest the republican presidency on the party ticket.
Zambian DNA spokesperson Spuki Mulemwa said in a statement that Government should be ‘firm’ on  citizens tarnishing the county’s image abroad just as they could with foreigners meddling in the country’s affairs.