Ex-Zambian president feels mistreated under successor's regime

by James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - Zambia's former President Edgar Lungu has said he is facing ill treatment from the Hakainde Hichilema-led government.

But Hichilema has lashed out at critics suggesting there is ill treatment of Lungu, urging his predecessor to stay clear of active politics and enjoy life in retirement.

Emmanuel Mwamba, a deputy spokesman of the Patriotic Front, the party which sponsored Lungu's candidature in the 2021 general elections where he lost power to Hichilema, said Lungu had not enjoyed peace under the current regime.

"There has been serious abrogation of the benefits of the former president. The former president should have been built a house, given vehicles, accorded an office and security but the opposite is happening. They have even withdrawn his administrative assistant," Mwamba told Anadolu.

Hichilema defeated Lungu by more than a million votes in [fiercely contested presidential election in August 2021.

The president's remarks on Friday came in the wake of a recent police raid at Lungu's residence followed by a withdrawal of police staff guarding the former president.

"The issue of what is being termed as a raid is purely a police matter arising from a complaint by a citizen. During my time in the opposition, I was taken to the police myself and did not resist because I was obliging to the law although it was not being applied correctly. So my wife has committed a crime, she has to answer to the law," Hichilema told reporters at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in the capital, Lusaka on return from a tour of the United Kingdom.

Police say the visit to Lungu's residence was a criminal investigation on his wife Esther, while the former president merely had the number of officers on his guard reduced from 13, to the lawful three.

"According to the law, he is supposed to have three police officers, how did he have 13? We are a government that follows the rule of law in order to ensure that we create a civilized society," Hichilema said.

He said if he were Lungu, he would take a back seat and allow his successor to work.

"If I were him, I would have left, like I will do when my time comes, mark this conversation, and go and look after goats, I think that's the prudent thing to do," Hichilema added.

Lungu is now Zambia's sole surviving former president and Hichilema assured that all benefits attached to the former president would be accorded for as long as he stayed within the confines of the law.