A group of young Zambians affiliated with the United Party for National Development (UNDP), the country’s main opposition party, has warned Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to refrain from commenting on the ongoing tussle between the Zambian government and the opposition, Red Pepper reports. The warning was issued on Monday, a few hours after President Museveni, who had attended Zambia’s 52nd independence anniversary, warned the country’s opposition against destabilizing a democratically-elected government.
“I would like to call upon the other guy, who I don’t know, who lost elections to remain calm and not to bring anarchy. What happens if he brings anarchy and maybe wins next time? There will only be ruins to pick up and if you are not in politics, you will destroy the economy,” Museveni said while addressing the public.
The president was referring to Zambia’s opposition leader, Hakainde Hichilema, who lost the disputed August election to incumbent President Edgar Lungu.
In a quick response, UNDP’s youth wing condemned Museveni’s statement saying he should mind his own business.
“In no delay, we strongly condemn his warning to our President Mr. Hakainde Hichilema that he should stop fanning violence in our country, when in fact he has never done so. Mr. Museveni must tame his tongue, for this is our Zambia and not Uganda where he has continued attacking the opposition,” the statement read.
Since August, Zambian opposition supporters have continued to refer to Hichilema as their [resident despite having lost to President Lungu, albeit by a small margin.
Dictatorial Lessons?
In their statement, the Zambian youth accused Museveni of teaching their president dictatorial tendencies.
“If Mr. Museveni continues abusing his opportunity to visit our country in this manner, we shall not hesitate to conclude that he is the one nurturing Mr. Lungu into a dictator. Zambia belongs to us and not Mr. Museveni and his Lungu who are daily planning on how to suppress the opposition and the media.”
Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for three decades, is having trouble with his own opposition supporters, who have been staging numerous protests in Uganda’s capital Kampala since the disputed presidential election in February.
The Ugandan president has been at at odds with his main political opponent, Dr. Kizza Besigye, who was arrested and charged with treason after he controversially declared himself president despite having lost the election.
