President Edgar Lungu has reiterated that he had nothing to do with the closure of the Post Newspapers.
President Lungu said he is a firm defender of press freedom and that insinuations that he wanted to see the Post Newspapers closed are incorrect.He said the Post Newspaper would have closed in 2015 and he has no scores to settle against the newspaper or its owner.
President Lungu was speaking during a live radio interview with Hot FM from Kawambwa in Luapula which was aired simultaneously across 21 radio stations.
President Lungu who laughed off attacks that he wants to silence the independent media ahead of elections urged the owners of the Post Newspapers to just pay up.
“Politics allows people to say and do all sorts of things but I think it is time to be tolerant, some of the things people are saying now, in their quest to be leaders. We should just take it with a pinch of salt and ignore it and say nima politics yama election,”
“But the truth that there is a lot of hot air, like Lungu has done this to freedom of the press ..….I am an advocate of freedom of the press if I wasn’t some media houses would have been closed when I became president, but about the tax, just pay your tax bwana.”
And President Lungu has challenged UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to explain to Zambian why he picked on Geoffrey Mwamba as his running mate.
He said it was very important to view presidential candidates and running mates in their totality.
“You ask yourself who is Edgar Lungu, who is Inonge Wina, when you have answers, you say can I trust them. Then you go to see who is Nawakwi, who is Mwanza can I trust them, who is HH who is GBM can I trust them? But talking about HH and his friend, last night I was saying HH has not even explained to his friends in UPND why he preferred GBM over Dr Canisius or Mutale Nalumango.We have to explain to the people why we named certain people our running mates, we have a duty to explain to our colleagues in the party.”
Meanwhile, President Lungu has reaffirmed the need for peace during campaign and election period.
He has further instructed police not to show impartiality to offenders and deal with them irrespective of their political affiliation or political stature.
“I will make sure my political party is peaceful and I will punish and admonish those in my party who do not adhere to this pledge and similarly I request my friend in the opposition to please prevail on your cadres and officials to maintain peace it is in our interest to co-exist peacefully,” President Lungu said.
“I have said to the police arrest criminals, Ba mutoba mafunde, (law breakers) arrest them do not look at the colour red or green just arrest them. Arrest PF for breaking the law, arrest MMD for breaking the law, arrest UPND for breaking the law, there should be no sacred cows in this. No sacred cows no sacrificial lambs.”
The President has spoken, wise words for all to hear but the dunderhead United Party for National Destruction (UPND) are incapable of understanding this! So sad!
Hungry Hyena and his supporters know for a fact that they wont win the August elections hence them resoprting to acts of violence and cowardice, is it not UPND cadres that posted that video of a poor woman being raped???? UPND are nothing but cowardly blood thirsty animals that should be caged in accordance with the Law!
#HungryHyena/HalenyaHalenyaMustFallForThe5thTime
2016 ECL nafuti/ Sontapo
Ifintu ni Lungu, I have spoken.
lol, Lungu, the President who assumes Zambians are fuulls & you know what? He might just start to believe his own known sense!
I think he is a real expression of MAMBALA as the easterners say. Lol
Hungry Hyena and his supporters know for a fact that they wont win the August elections hence them resoprting to acts of violence and cowardice, is it not UPND cadres that posted that video of a poor woman being abused???? UPND are nothing but cowardly blood thirsty animals that should be caged in accordance with the Law!
2016 ECL nafuti
someone give lungu a beer, he looks so sorry in that studio
LUNGU’S IS A REFLECTION OF THEIR SLOGAN: “UMUNTU NI LUNGU.” HE FIRMLY BELIEVES THAT THE REST OF ZAMBIANS ARE F00LS EXCEPT HIM. I THINK THAT THE MAN IS SICK IN THE HEAD. HOW CAN HE REALLY UTTER SUCH N0NSENSE AND HOPE THAT IT’S CREDIBLE?
Some persons live on a different planet ,when you hav the authority wht matters is not rethoric but execution/practical steps which produce results,for the past one year lungu has been singing same song of cadres but no pf or upnd cadres hav bn charged
When u ar a director of a company the share holders wants to kno profits of their investment same applies to zedians want profits has lungu brought;in my opinion -40.
Only a PF cadre would think what he said makes sense. The whole world including the US are asking you to see sense and you say fintu ni lungu. You need serious prayers ba PF. Power has made you blind and deaf.
PURE CRAP!!!
What a W A N K E R we have for a president. U.S.A and others have noticed what is going on. He is going to tarnish Zambias’ reputation as a peaceful democratic country.
I trust Ba Inonge, not minister of home affairs Edgar.
VISION, YOU ARE MYOPIC AND NEED YOUR VISION CHECKED.
Infwiti ni Lungu. Always look to the opposite of whatever Chakolwa Chagwa says. It is all lies, lies, lies.
Well said ba Lungu. We love you
If he has balls let him feature on let the people talk where people can phone in. I want to to make that call!
One word. Delusional.
Vodiga Rungu has gone so far done the slippery slope, he now believes in his own bullcrap.
Press freedom??!! The only person he is fooling is himself and clueless PF cadres whose gravy train is soon coming to an end.
Lungu has been has been schooled by by dictators who say one thing and does a different thing
Exactly & off course they rely on the assumption that their people aren’t clever enough to figure things out!
Lungu bashimwine batelele bwibwi, wezu ngwangu! Viva Eddie viva PF
“I am an elephant” says a warthog. It doesn’t make it true
Kekwkwkekemmmkekekeke awe mwe like akashimi….
Has Lungu explained why he has picked his old cow Inonge as runningmate? If he has no hand in closure of The Post, why is it that only The Post has been closed? There are so many other institutions, both private and governmental, that owe ZRA tax arrears. Lungu you are a liar.
Lungu should explain why all the mines in Zambia have not been closed for not paying the 20% mineral royalties since 2014. Why cannot ZRA collect these hundreds of millions of dollars? Why does Chakolwa borrow Eurobonds from which he has been getting backhanders instead of just collecting taxes from the mines?
The whole article displays lack of leadership skills and it suits well when he says nima politics chabe,how many pf cadres hav bn arrested for breaking the law since campaigns started,Lungu is on record saying mmembe will be sorted out.why shud it matter to lungu for HH to explain why he chose GBM.Lungu didnt explain how he will improve the well being of zambians and how he plans to reduce the debt.The reason people see Lungu better is bcz sata was worse.Lungu nimambala guys.
Awe apa bakateka kwati ifyo mulelanda nefyo mulecita nafipusanako especially on political violence and press freedom. Apart from closure of The Post, just look at how violent PF cadres are and then move to what we are fed on as news at 19.00 hours. There is some hidden hand pushing for these.
Why does government own media? The times daily mail and deadnbc can not be owned by govt and be expected to operate with freedom. No because in our weak governance system the owner will translate to being the ruling party who won’t resist the temptation to use these media for the party’s partisan objectives
“President Lungu said he is a firm defender of press freedom !!!”
Just like PF has no hand in the violence?
Does Zambia really need a LIAR like this to be in charge of the country?
Get out you useless drunken liar and thief. Be happy with the K23 million of poor Zambians money you have stolen.
You will not steal any more!
The president has not uttered anything about how he is going to address economic issues, job growth, healthcare but promoting UPND as always by trying to smear HH. When is Lungu going to pivot back the country’s economic problems? I ask any average Zambian struggling, what has Lungu and his entourage done for you lately? High petrol costs, we can’t even afford to buy mealie meal, we are struggling to put food and our children in school yet alone buy school supplies which is more a luxury these days. Why is it that Lungu and his ministers are the only ones enjoying Zambia at the moment. Here he goes putting his nose into why HH has GBM as his running mate yet we asked the same of Lungu picking an older lady just to show he for women empowerment which is not the case. Inonge ignored the…
Inonge ignored the young woman being undressed and now the lady who was gang rapped we have not heard anything from both Lungu and Mama Wina denouncing such a cowardly act by rapists and molesters. This country has gone to the dogs under the PF government and the killings and all the negative effects will not disappear under this government. Both Lungu and Kambwili are doing all they can to intimidate, harass and take away peoples, rights, freedom and the best way to take control over people by putting a leash on them. In Egypt they tired but look what happened! Lungu really needs to assess himself and his ministers. This president is not ready to lead Zambia. He’s just not ready!
The call him wise, humble, anointed one, hard working, bla bla. things he is not. I dont blame him but the imbecility of his supporters.
Never underestimate power of 5tupid people in large numbers!
@ Vilifier, you should respect divergent views, thats why your preferred candidate can not sale. There are people who are still undecided on who they are going to vote for, dont insult them. There is only one God, but you think your candidate is God, NO!!!!
@ Taliban
Respecting divergent views or respecting dogmatic 1mbecility?
Closing The Post is not solving any problems. He and ZRA should have directed The Post to pay the money in instalments. There is also an issue that ZRA is claiming more money from The Post than it actually owes the government institution. Lungu is a dictator, period. We do not want Mugabe in Zambia
Iwe Matokwani no wonder why you have such a pseudonym because your brain is stuffed with matokwani. The Post has since 2009 been failing to remit taxes and the case was before the Supreme Court which ruled in favour of the ZRA. Who are you to overrule the Supreme Court ruling? Stop hating Lungu. He has nothing to do with this. On August 15 when Lungu is inaugurated you and your UPND minions will die with envy and diarrhea. Give us a break. Shaa!
@Matokkwani, your blog simply shows that you dont read or follow matters religiously. This issue started a long time ago, the post was given a lot of time but they kept on running to the courts. The problem in Zambia is that we like politicizing everything, even straight forward issues. Lets encourage the post to pay up, and if it wont be opened after that, then we should think otherwise. Its only in Zambia where we tolerate such, thats why we are poor. Ask Messi or Neymar Jr!!!!
@ Taliban
Post here, Post there. What about ZNBC, Daily Mail, Times, Zamtel? There are no two sets of tax laws. One for Lungu supporters, other for critics.
You are right, it is straight forward issue. Let bring ALL tax evaders to Court of Law, not just opponents of blind “visionary”
Look who’s talking… does he honestly think that anyone believes what he’s saying? Perception is everything. These dudes who get the opportunity to interview these politicians should challenge them with some tough questions. In fact it doesn’t have to be tough, just simple common sense questions like:
1) the timing: why haven’t The Post been closed all these years they owed tax? Is it a coincidence that they are closed 2 months from the elections of his life? Does he see why people, including the US govt would be thinking that he has a hand in this?
2) why haven’t other many companies that owe tax not been closed down?
3) How can The Post pay their tax when they are closed?
4) Has he paid tax himself and where did he get all his money?
Simple questions like these and just…
@Maverick…Am sorry i dont agree with you, all your questions luck some critical thinking and analysis.
1. Does it mean that if its in an election year people should do the right thing? There is no right time baba, all the post needs to do is pay up and the matter will be closed. Infact the money which ZRA is demanding from the Post is in fact our money, not ECL. The US government you are citing in your example can never tolerate defaulting of Tax in their country.
2. For your own information, alot of companies have gone down (closed) due to non adherence to tax laws, please people mulebelenga. Its only that the post is in the public domain thats why we got to know about it.
3. If someone owes you money and they are failing to pay you what do you do? The post was not commited to…
@ Taliban
Crap, crap and more crap. As it appears that you are well informed, please enlighten me on two more important issues than Post troubles:
1. If elected, how PF and Lungu will deal with IMF Structural Adjustment Program and
2. Why opposition is always vilified in Government press?
By the way, if the Government owes you money and you take them to court, do you expect fair hearing or police interference with Judiciary?
Total disgrace with absolutely no vision, a man who has reduced the presidency to kids playing ichimpobwa in a school yard, what a shame! the man cannot articulate issues and only able to talk about nonsensical stuff, makes the LAW school at UNZA laughable – unfortunately this is the reality in Zambia, I can only wish this was not true
You will die of hatred!! Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”, Mt 19:14
@ Taliban
Take it easy. read what you said in #10.2 and follow your own advice instead of showing hatred!!!
It looks, you are just another paid-up crapping member of PF “intelligentsia” (LOL)
Leave Jesus from politics. Next thing, you will start talking about Christian Nation values.
Aaaaaaaa iwe! What more do you want to hear. Mr. President of course you are a defender of freedom of speech and tax defaulters ought to pay to the taxman. It is logical. I have been paying PAYE, Personal levy, Road Tax, Tax on electricity, water and all vat inclusive taxations.
Aaaaaaa! Bwana President ifintu niwe! You have clinched my vote at 12:15 pa August 11 wamona ka?
According to UPND logic, we should not pay taxes.
No that is according to your corrupt mind.Why are Times of Zambia ,Daily Mail who owes billions still running.?
@ Red Alert
You don’t have the facts. If you have, your as.s has a right to share your findings about defaulters otherwise you’re just an emotionally driven piece of freak. Your god M’membe defaulted even on arrangements to pay in instalments despite his product selling K10 a copy. He was used to cutting deals with previous Governments.
RED ALERT,
Times of Zambia and Daily Mail are parastatals. This means that as a Zambian citizen who pays tax you are also owner of these companies. Should these companies pay tax to you? Zambians, please think and understand issues beforeyou makefools of yourselves on this forum!
@ Maikalange
And according to your inbred 1mbecility pastorals are exempted from paying taxes? 1MBECILE
Don’t mind these wanker dandruff crazy Baldheaded goons who don’t understand the value and importance of Tax settlement. Who don’t even understand ZRA autonomy, operations and power, how many companies ZRA has shut down. Ranters who are delusional and driven by hate, loath, lack of governance knowledge and skills, some region minded emotional dwarfs. One Zambia one nation. Haters wanna hate but ifintu no Lungu.
Staunch defender of press freedom? And he puts kambwili as Chief barker? Kambwili who controls DeadNBC yet he is a minister not the deadNBC director. Does Lungu understand press freedom? Press freedom is independence. Independence especially from government control! Show us how you staunchly defend this Mr lungu
The PF manifesto promised to privatize Daily Mail and Times of Zambia.
Tell us Mr liar Lungu, are you going to sonta this as one of PFs achivements?
hehehe fried!!!!!!! and thats the first radio interview? nomba debate ati shani?
Paying Lip Service, people need to see action
HH and GBV do not make another leadership for Zambia, even if we believed that Lungu was not a good leader. Fortunately Edgar Lungu is one of the best leaders Zambia has ever had. We are very fortunate to.have him as our President which.is why people think.he is God sent.
Abash!
Can Mmembe and his friend also explain the DBZ loan repayment and money they owe former Zambian Airways employees who have not been paid. These guys are crooks and did not even remit NAPSA for their employees and departure taxes for the clients that flew on Zambian fimofimo uko. Let him pay
Well spoken Mr. President. You have my vote. I guess a number of these under 5 party bloggers will be dusted into oblivion after August 2016. I have been travelling around Zambia of late and l can attest that its Sontapo fever everywhere apart from the neganega corridors.
VISION-LESS, SENSELESS LEADER OF KAPONYAS. Zambians should know better than to put Lungu back in office – VOTE for an Independent person and move on Lungu does not have the interests of the Zambians at heart…! he is a just playing games with the nation.
A president who fails to address the nation, one who fails to address university students – how can such a man develop a nation of 14 million people…!
vote wisely
HH promised to.mobilise mass protests if the Post was closed. We are still waiting Mr HH. Have you failed to.mobilise even one cadre, or no one takes you seriously? And why do you like empty threats Sir?
The case of PF thugs ……Never underestimate power of 5tupid people in large numbers!
And thus Lungu lies and lies like Hitler invading Poland or recent Russia invading Cremia and denies same.
Lungu is a liar and thief.
Chagwa please shut up. Do not fool yourself with your idocy.
You, your ilk, thugs, militia and cadres are squarely behind the
closure of the Post. You thought you would achieve your nefarious
end by closing the nespaper. Instead people have come to hate you more
for that. Now that the move has backfired, you want to pretend that
you are clean? Shame on you. You want to lie through you vima
big teeth. Today your name is topping the list of modern African dictators,
thanks to your draconian action of closing the Post. Everything you
attempt is backfiring. Uli muchibe mune. Nombalina walatampa kwi
inyela wila. You have complicated your situation you *****.
“He has further instructed police not to show impartiality to offenders and deal with them irrespective of their political affiliation or political stature”….. Ba LT, please, are these his exact words or what? NOT TO SHOW IMPARTIALITY really? Or did you mean to say, NOT TO SHOW PARTIALITY? Which is it, kanshi?
Ala bwafya. Ba journalist bashino nshiku aka cisungu kalabashupako. The correct word in that statement is actually ‘partiality.’
Journalists desperately need schools in our country. Government isn’t interested In training them cos its only interested i in manipulating these half baked products
Why is Lungu still character assasinating HH and making him more popular getting people sympathise with him? Lungu should just tell us his plan for the next 5 yrs. Lungu had no plan in 2015 and has no plan in 2016. The man is clueless and visionless. As for the Post Tax issue who believes Lungu when he says he is not involved? We know that Lungu has closed the Post as part and parcel of his grand election rigging plan. Has Lungu paid tax on the K23.7 million he stole and made from govt road contracts? Lungu is a hypocrite and nobody believes or trusts him. Viva HH & UPND.
Bloggers please have respect for the presidency especially from the opposition, be reminded that the more your insult, the more you are depriving yourselves a chance to say something sensible that can make others believe in you. You are just de-campaigning yourselves. Your insults signifies lack of merit in your comments. No one in Christian nation can be convinced through insults. Have respect for the presidency, most of you are failures of some sort or maybe frustrated such that you can’t speak sense but only insult. Even in a home a father or a parent who insults all the time CONNOT be respected and taken seriously. I can also insult, badly for that matter, but I know this is not the right time for such nonsense, but time for serious business when need to elect our leaders.
Shaka,
You are very right. In my family, everyone has decided voting against these guys in the UPND because of their attitudes. They have already lost seven votes.
“A bemba is a devil”. From the Zambia Reports archives. Elizabeth Chitika Mulobeka and Nevers Mumba, do you remember this song? Elizabeth, you were the villain at that time and you quoted that song in your defence.
Love him as the majority do, or hate him as the minority do, Edgar Chagwa Lungu is back.in office 8/11. Or should i say that we will not allow him to move an inch until 2021?
Ba GBV ati restrictions on his choppers. Iwe kapalala just say that you are too broke to hire a chopper and HH is not helping you, well.he doesnt if you did not know that. By the time 8/11 comes you will be bankrupt ba GBM nga tamwa mwishiba HH. He put you as RM so that he can use your money to campaign for him.
Big liar bwana Lungu, lets not defend freedoms only when its convenient for us
Yeah right,you are such a staunch defender of constitutional freedoms that you didn’t dare defend freedom of the judiciary when MCS was disobeying court orders that RB be given permission to travel out.
Who doesn’t know that the con woman Inonge Wina is the one who drew the equation that made Edgar Lungu a PF President and that now she’s being rewarded for her crooked deeds. That woman is frail, feeble, worn and old fashioned and has nothing to add to the modern and fast moving world. If PF wins this August, gogo Inonge will be around 80 years old at the end of the 5 year term.
Old age is a blessing bane. We are blessed to have people at that age to be actively involved in leadership. Moses in the bible led the people of Israel up to age 120. Also the equation she drew you are talking about was to save Zambia from the people who allegedly killed Sata. To me she is a smart woman to out wit all these people and hence she deserves to be where she is.
This man fought his tooth out to be PF president and later on Zed president and his ready to do the same to stay in power.
But his the most arrogant and stupid president we have ever had.
You cadres that support wrong doing have just cost your party votes. The money that membe has not paid is not the presidents but our money. You are so used to be asking for funding, how will this stop? That is why they is this begger mentality. I thank the pf govt because they have allowed the institution madated to collect tax is for the first time closing the gaps. From this its the Dbz loan. Same individual awe sure akose and he should stop behaving like a spoilt brat.
….I don’t fancy interviews were the interviewee is the one who prepares the questions in advance of the interview…they even rehearse with image builders how and what to respond….
If i were you ka Lungu i wud ve packed all my bags and start running towards Malawi mountains.Because you ve just sweared at the US,EU and the UK.And to be honest with you,no poor country does that and survive.Especially when they are feeding you with their grants and aids.You owe them more than you have.They are now looking for a way to eliminate you,Everybody knows how the US works,they choose which president will rule a certain country especially weak countries.As for Zambia,they ve already chosen HH.Its not Lungu against HH anymore,Its now Lungu against US,EU & the UK.just like TUPAC me against the world.
You did well to warn Lungu not that he will take any notice. Experience is the best teacher for fulls. He will see, he really should have known better than to mess with the powers that be. Greater dictators have had to face up to the reality of the world we live in. Who is Lungu?
Red bull, in your wet dreams!
Hahahahaha! Wait wait! Let me get this!! This president is worried for opposition’s choice of running mate? He thinks the opposition has made a mistake in picking the running mate. Why he has such love towards his opposition!
And wait…the opposition running mate was once a trusted minister of defence in the current government? But he is Not good enough to be a running made in the opposition party? No….there is definitely something amiss here! What is this president not saying out loud! How dumb and dim are his target audience? How dull are those Zambians?
GBM even acted as President at some point! He is the correct running mate for HH. He will bring the Northern and Luapula vote. GBM is more principled than Edgar: He defended the Chitimukulu when Edgar as Minister of home affairs sent the police to harass the Mwine Lubemba! We have not forgotten that!
Principled? GBM? What are principles? Beating up your wife is principles?
@ Prince Chaos
No, that is not principle. Principles are been CONVICTED EMBEZZLER and PARDONING CONVICTED RAPIST and then sharing same platform with FELLOW CONVICT
Thats what happens when you put a drunkard in the highest office in the land. Before he makes decisions that will affect 13 million souls he first pours himself a full bottle of JEMASONI.
He is lying. Edgar has learnt Political Hypocricy too quickly. At this rate, if he is re-elected, Zambia will be worse than Zimbabwe by 2021.
As ur employer mr lunge u are fired. Will have security escorted u out of the building. We dont like liers in our company Zambia.
What of the US? balimiteka ubushya you still give them prays and worship how long has the so called African Americans have had a fare deal or share? Be wise for what’s written in the Bible will come to pass. Study or read the book of revelation it will open your mind for GOD ALMIGHTY will open your mental calibre and you will become wise.
@ chibs
I just hope that your “mental calibre” manage to understand simple thing without calling on God to justify actions of CONVICTED LIAR EMBEZZLER
Ji don’t see sense in this chagwa, any way he is packing to go to chawama, where he caom from. State house teyabachakolwa iyo.
PF supporters have breached the physiological barrier of stup!d!ty. They have gone where no !d!ot has gone before (insert Star Trek soundtrack here) 🙂