PF Denies It Is Trying To Poison HH

The Patriotic Front’s (PF) Secretary General Davies Mwila has denied claims that the party is planning to poison opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema ahead of the upcoming general election in August. 

Mr Davies’ comments came in response to accusations from Senior Chief Mukuni of the Leya people, who said that the PF had been spreading false rumours regarding Mr Hichilema’s ill health and that they planned to poison their political rival. 

Mr Davies refuted the claims in an alarmingly roundabout manner, questioning just how such an attack would be possible.

“How are we going to poison him, we don’t stay with him?,” asked Davies.

“If he is poisoned then it’s the wife or his children. It is not possible for us to poison him. So those are just false allegations and he is just politicking,” he added. 

Last month, Mr Hichilema himself warned that the government was indeed trying to poison him, publishing the accusations to his Facebook page. 

“We are aware that for a long time now, this regime has been scheming on how to eliminate and stop us from seeking public office. Their latest scheme is to have us arrested, thrown into a Police cell and then poison us from there and later claim that we died of Coronavirus.But fellow citizens, we say to you that if seeking the presidency and serve you better will cost our lives, we are willing to do so,” he wrote.  

The accusations are reminiscent of HH’s arrest in 2017, when armed police stormed the opposition leader’s home and arrested him for allegedly refusing to give way to President Lungu’s motorcade, a crime many viewed as a minor traffic offense.  

Mr Hichilema was imprisoned for nearly five months, including eight days in solitary confinement without food, water, light or visitation. His arrest was condemned by the United States, the European Union and the Africa Liberal Network.