Ruling UPND knocks opposition for blowing hot over Lungu’s absence during US Vice President, Harris’ visit

The United States of America Vice President, Kamala Harris, did not meet Zambia’s ex-president, Edgar Lungu, because it was not part of her programme.

The opposition should, therefore, not bring commotion because people work according to what they programme, warns ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) Deputy Secretary, General Getrude Imenda.

Imenda, in her reaction to complaints by the opposition Patriotic Front, argued that the claims about Harris not meeting Lungu were out of context.

“Ms. Harris did not meet Mr Lungu because meeting him was not part of the programme and they should not even bring commotion because people work according to what they programme,” she said in an interview on Tuesday.

Imenda cautioned that being in opposition was not about destroying the things that the party in power was doing but that it was important to commend where they were doing well and encourage them to do better.

She regretted that the opposition was against Zambia co-hosting the just ended Summit for Democracy and the visit of Harris.

Imenda said had the opposition not criticised the two events, they would have had the opportunity to engage more with the people, especially the United States Vice President.

“Zambia benefited from the visit of Kamala Harris and who knows maybe we would have benefited more if the opposition never made the noise they made. Tanzania might have gotten more than us,” she said.

Imenda recalled that Zambia had in the past years received high level delegations, including the United Nations secretary general Ban ki Moon and there was no resistance.

“Now that it is President Hakainde Hichilema’s time to lead the country, because they hate him, they are trying to fight whatever things he was doing including good thing that are beneficial to the nation,” she said.

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