. Lungu

By JAMES KUNDA –
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has bemoaned the high levels of conspiracy and lies among Zambians that want to see their compatriots fail.
The President said he was taken aback by some people and institutions perpetually calling for some Government officials to be fired by him on mere allegations.
“The problem, muma politics – boza (lies in politics), even in the opposition, there is boza; even in the ruling party there is boza but
I’ll not succumb and give credence to falsehood, no!” President Lungu said. “This syndrome they call PHD (pull him down) in Zambia is rife.”
President Lungu said he would ‘pull down’ any erring or corrupt officer immediately if he was convinced that such an official should be dismissed.
The President said this to journalists at Kenneth Kaunda International
Airport (KKIA) in Lusaka yesterday upon arrival from the United States (US), where he was attending the United Nations (UN) General Assembly meeting.
Mr Lungu said as ‘judge’ in the Executive and the Patriotic Front (PF), he was the one to determine whether any officer warranted being punished.
He challenged people with evidence against any erring public officer to either present their case to him or the law-enforcement agencies, stressing that he could not act on suspicion or strong rumours but facts.
President Lungu said he did not take his retreat to Mfuwe last month to identify people whom the public thought had done wrong.
“There is a lot of peddling of falsehood against one another, so if you have got facts, bring them to me. If you can’t because they are not in my jurisdiction, take them to the police, ACC (Anti-Corruption Commission) and others,” Mr Lungu said.
The President said all decisions he took were informed and he could not be hoodwinked by people that came with so many ‘self-serving’ stories.