Mangani, Tembo caution Hichilema against wasting scarce resources on hunting Lungu

Former Minister of Home Affairs, Lameck Mangani, has cautioned President Hakainde Hichilema against removing the immunity enjoyed by his predecessor, Edgar Lungu.

During the commissioning of the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway road project, President Hichilema vowed to recover all the funds allegedly looted under the previous regime, which he claimed had contributed to Zambia’s substantial debt.

He had promised to present a motion to Cabinet, urging his ministers to support its tabling before Parliament, with the goal of locating and recovering the stolen funds.

At a media briefing in Lusaka on Friday, Mangani, who served under late President Rupiah Banda’s government, argued that the process would be too costly for the country.

He advised the President not to entertain such a move, but to learn from past mistakes, such as the case of the late President Dr. Fredrick Chiluba, who was later acquitted.

“President Hichilema should avoid repeating the mistakes of his predecessors, including Banda, who entertained the lifting of Chiluba’s immunity.

“Hichilema should, instead, focus on addressing the economic hardships faced by Zambians,” Mangani said.

Mangani cautioned that Hichilema was elected to address the economic challenges and reduce the cost of living, rather than to divert resources into lengthy court processes.

During the same briefing, Patriots for Economic Progress leader, Sean Tembo, echoed Mangani’s sentiments, stating that time was running out for Hichilema and his administration.

“The laws of the country stipulate that for a minor offence, the police must issue a call-out and not ambush someone at night, especially if the person has not committed an offence,” Tembo said.

Tembo added that only capital offences should justify the police arresting an offender at any time of day without a call-out.

He expressed concern that 25 police dockets had reportedly been opened by the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) members to have Lungu arrested for calling for early elections.

“As a matter of fact, 2026 is very far. We need early elections as the constitution provides for such a provision under specific conditions, and Zambia has found itself in such a situation,” Tembo stated.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.