FORMER president Edgar Lungu this morning showed impressive strides in overcoming his phobia for media interviews as he spoke to BBC on the Newsday Breakfast Show.
From his time as republican president right to his post presidency days, Lungu has been known to work very hard in dodging radio or television interviews.
In 2015, without giving any explanation, Lungu chickened out of a BBC interview at the eleventh hour after his appearance on Focus on Africa had been massively advertised.
Since leaving State House in 2021, Lungu has also rejected numerous invitations from various media houses to discuss his presidency.
But this morning, the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) strongman mustered plausible courage and spoke to the BBC.
During the brief interview, Lungu complained that government had withdrawn all his entitlements as former Head of State while placing him under house arrest.
Lungu said he was virtually under house arrest because he could not leave his house without police accosting, challenging and driving him back home.
He claimed that police were planning to arrest him after creating 25 cases against him including treason.
“The good thing is am ready for that,” he said.
Lungu said he realised that government’s motivation against him was the failure to deliver on its promises but was happy because he had the support of the people.
Lungu complained that government had withdrawn all his entitlements including state security and a chef.
“They withdrew basically everything, all the entitlements of a retired president were withdrawn,” he said.
“I have ragtag security team that I have to pay for from my own resources, they have withdrawn the office8 that they had given me as a former president in kabulonga on Bishop Road, they had given me one vehicle to use as administration, they have withdrawn that, we had a chef, somebody working in the household, everything was withdrawn,” he added.
Lungu said government had written to him saying his entitlements were being withdrawn because he had returned to active politics.
Kalemba May 24, 2024