United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema has lambasted Vice-President Inonge Wina for suggesting that he and his party are wishing President Edgar Lungu dead, calling her “irresponsible”.
Wina made the shocking allegation in Parliament after Mazabuka MP Garry Nkombo asked her if the government expected the economy to improve after the national prayers which were conducted on Tuesday.
“Mr Speaker, the honorable Minister of Finance came to this House and painted a very gloomy picture of our economy yesterday. But during the National Day of Prayer, we heard some clergymen celebrating our economic achievements. How can you reconcile the two?” Nkombo asked.
In response, Vice-President Wina accused the opposition of wishing President Lungu dead.
“Every Christian should pray to God, whether in good or bad times. Mr Speaker, we are optimists, only pessimists are praying everyday that our country’s economy breaks down. It is the same leader who is wishing President Lungu dead. I know the people who are making comments on social media wishing that he is not well, wishing that he is ill. I hope this stops, because we need to reconcile. If the honourable member thinks the responses we give are not palatable to their ears, we wish them well,” said Vice-President Wina in apparent reference to the opposition UPND.
This incensed UPND members of parliament who then walked out of Parliament in protest, forcing the Vice-President to retract her comments, saying they had been necessitated by social media reports.
But addressing the media at his residence Saturday, Hichilema described Wina’s sentiments as irresponsible, stating that his party would never wish death on anyone.
“We are not voodoo men,” Hichilema stated. “There is no need for us to want to see Edgar LunguLungu or anyone else dead. What Inonge did is irresponsible. I don’t understand why she can be saying things like that in Parliament when the question Hon. Nkombo asked her was about something totally different.”
The UPND strongman also lashed out at Speaker of ththe National Assembly for allowing Vice-President Wina to make such remarks on the floor of the house.
“This shows that there is no leadership in Parliament. How else do you explain the speaker’s failure to protect Hon. Nkombo when he asked a very genuine question?”
