LUNGU CHALLENGES HH OVER MINE HANDOVER

By SIMON MUNTEMBA LUNGU CHALLENGES HH OVER MINE HANDOVER PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has challenged Hakainde Hichilema to deny if he did not ask for $300, 000 from Vedanta Resources in exchange for the mines if he won the presidential elections. President Lungu said he had information about the day, time and the person MrHichilema phoned asking for additional US$300, 000 to surrender the mines to them if he won. Speaking in Ndola yesterday, Mr Lungu said he had information that the UPND leader has been soliciting favours from Vedanta Resources promising to give them back the mines if he wins the elections. He challenged Mr Hichilema to deny if he did not call Vedanta Resource asking them that the US$100, 000 he had received to help them get back the mines was not enough, and asked them to give him US$300, 000 to surrender the mines to them if he wins. “Bashi maini mwilabepwa iyoo, ulya ununtu nalimwikata pa phone elo aletuminaumunankwe ati US$100, 000 yachepa bikenipo ibe US$300,  000 bola naikosa but twalawina elyo ngatwawina tukamipela imigodi. I challenge him to deny because I will give him the details and time, and the man he spoke to,” President Lungu said. President Lungu said Mr, Hichilema has an insatiable appetite to sell the country’s assets to foreigners for personal gains. The Head of State also warned the opposition leader not to take his patience and peaceful coexistence as a weakness. He warned Mr Hichilema against undermining his authority as he did when he blocked the presidential motorcade in Mongu. “He cannot say he wants to be here where I am, HH can go to Lusaka or Solwezi. But the rules of the game now is that for security reasons he can’t be where the President is. Filya achitile ku Mongu nganikumbi nga alifwa ulya. (What he did in Mongu he would have died if it was in other countries. So, my patience should not be taken for weakens,” he said.