United Party for National Development(UPND) Solwezi East Member of Parliament, Leaky Kintu says Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini should use the precedence set by his predecessor Amusaa Mwanamwamba to suspend then Munali Member of Parliament Mumbi Phiri and her Kawambwa Constituency counterpart Elizabeth Chitika Mulobeka for fighting at the august house to deal with PF Ministers Bowman Lusambo and Jean Kapata who clobbered Chishimba Kambwili at Parliament building yesterday.
Kintu says the thuggery behavior exhibited by Copperbelt Minister and Lands Minister Bowman Lusambo and Jean Kapata respectively was uncalled for.
Giving a point of order in Parliament yesterday, Kambwili disclosed that he was slapped twice by Lusambo who is Copperbelt Minister.
As though that was not enough, Kapata who is Lands Minister poured a full bottle of water on him for calling her a thief.
Kambwili has since reported the duo to police for assault.
When reached for a comment, Kintu said the behavior of the two PF Ministers was dishonorable.
He said serious punishment must be meted on the two MPs to deter would be offenders.
Kintu said if Speaker Patrick Matibini suspended UPND Members of Parliament for innocently expressing their democratic rights of walking out on the President in Parliament, there is no way that Lusambo and Kapata should escape his wrath.
“We(UPND) Members of Parliament) were suspended for one month for no apparent offence. As far as we are concerned, we were expressing our displeasure over certain things that are not right in our country. Coming to the issue of what happened at parliament yesterday, I think the Speaker should do the right thing…since the precedence was set by former Speaker of National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwamba when he suspended Elizabeth Chitika and Mumbi Phiri for fighting in the Parliament premises, Dr Matibini must punish Kapata and Lusambo for exhibiting thuggery behavior in Parliament. Their act was dishonorable,” Kintu said.
The PF propaganda is carrying a story, quoting unnamed witnesses that Kambwili is the one who provoked the fight.
But Kintu, who was present at Parliament during the wrangle said Kambwili did nothing wrong to either Lusambo or Kapata.
” As far as we are concerned, Kambwili did nothing wrong. He did not provoke the fight. He is a victim of physical and emotional abuse by PF Ministers” the Solwezi East MP clarified.
Kintu has since advised the PF not to go physical on Kambwili following his corruption allegations.
” The best they can do is to respond to the issues he is raising, better still, they can take him to court so that they clear their names instead of beating him or sending small boys to attack his character,” he said.