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State House has condemned former President Edgar Lungu’s claims that judicial officers had confided in him about experiencing interference in their duties.
Chief Communications Specialist, Clayson Hamasaka, on Friday described Lungu’s statements as troubling and an attempt to alarm the nation.
In a statement in Lusaka on Friday, Hamasaka pointed out that Lungu, who recently alleged that some Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) officials approached him with doubts about his election loss, should know that he was not an authorised channel for official complaints.
“As a lawyer and former President, Lungu should be aware that judicial officers have an established avenue for complaints through the Judicial Complaints Commission (JCC), not through him,” Hamasaka said.
He suggested that those allegedly reporting to Lungu may be Patriotic Front (PF) affiliates who were positioned in government institutions during his administration.
He affirmed that the UPND government was committed to a professional and politically neutral civil service and judiciary.
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Hamasaka stressed that any disciplinary actions taken against individuals acting as “political cadres” should not provoke complaints from Lungu, reiterating that “at no time has President Hakainde Hichilema or anyone at State House interfered with the operations of oversight institutions like the judiciary.”
He underscored President Hichilema’s respect for the separation of powers.
Hamasaka stated that: “The independence of the three branches of government is critical to our democracy, which President Hichilema values.”
He concluded that Lungu’s comments revealed his past interference in governance institutions, possibly suggesting that Lungu had positioned his supporters within these institutions based on political allegiance rather than merit.
“It is alarming that the former President openly states that judicial officers are confiding in him,” Hamasaka said.
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