 The people of the press want me to stand or to sit. Sit is better. I'm not sure whether I'm addressing the press, but I think I want to address the members of the Central Committee. Allow me to address the members of the Central Committee in the presence of the press. haza maha maha maha, pwadi moha kuna hezwa kusawakia kutia, kutia nula moza kbandsastu kwa kab Cross City, muha mwiziziwe kwa uuha se ojoma kusawakia na hivala saa kmasteri na watiki na kutia. Nanda kata mwizizia na maha kabn pagatakνε mwaziaa kutia kusafika mwaziaa. Nanda kutia na maha kaba kusafika mwaziaa But we didn't conclude and we agreed that we meet today. Ever since that meeting, as you are well aware, a number of events have occurred affecting members of the party. As I speak with you today, a number of senior members of the party have fallen victim to harassment. You may recall that on my birthday, I was picked up by the police and the number of you came to give me solidarity and support. And I want to thank you more sincerely for that. Besides myself, there are a number of our leaders who have been running either to police stations or to courtrooms. Last week, Wednesday, I actually stated at court, at the subordinate court, that we should apply to the administration of the judiciary for them to give us space at the subordinate court in Lusaka for us to beholding our central committee meetings there. And that was not a joke. It was because on that particular day, there were four members of the central committee appearing before different courts for different matters. In one courtroom was Tishimba Kambuidi. In another was Nakachinda. In the third was Chandakabwe. In the fourth was Malanji. One day. And yet the previous day, I was also appearing in court. So I meant it when I said it seems like the subordinate court has become an appropriate place for us to be convening our central committee meetings. Besides those cases, I'd like to inform you, my dear colleagues, members of the central committee that as we speak today, some of our colleagues have had to travel out of town because of police callouts and court processes. Onwibo Freedom Sikazwe is to appear in court on Monday, so he's out in Kasama already. Onwibo Ronald Chitotela is also appearing in court in Kawambwa and therefore couldn't be here. Onwibo Robert Kalimi, as you are well aware, was also arrested and detained. And soon after that detention he had to rush to his constituency just to go and give comfort to his constituents because they are wondering what he has done. Only yesterday, provincial chairman for Lusaka and member of parliament for Mandevu had to spend the night in the cells. He also today has a duty first of all to his family, to go and assure his family that he's in good health and then to also assure the people of Mandevu that he's out of incarceration. Last night, Onwibo Tishimba Kambuidi called me and said, President, please excuse me if I come late because the first thing I'm doing tomorrow is to go to my lawyers. Onwibo Richard Musukwa within this period raided twice. First his house in Chilabombwe was raided, property seized. A few days later his Lusaka house raided and property seized. Onwibo Davis Chama had to travel all the way to Mongu. He traveled on Sunday for his case to be heard on Tuesday. As if that were not enough, our own secretary general acting secretary general, deputy secretary general for the sake of those who are doubting appointments, deputy secretary general Nixon Chilangwa has been bench warranted. Meaning wherever he is found he must be arrested. He must be arrested simply because he applied to the court, the subordinate court that he was supposed to appear in the high court in Lusaka on the same day when his matter was being called in the subordinate court. For that reason he has been bench warranted. Talking of which I also have to remind you colleagues, members of the central committee that during this period the matter of mausisampa against the party or against individuals in the party was also called in the high court and only this week on Wednesday or Thursday the matter of mausisampa vases the registrar of societies in which you members of central committee applied to be joined us and in which members of parliament of the party applied to be joined to the matter also came up. Now I hope you feel like I do but under such strenuous circumstances I found it too heavy to ask you to come and start pondering on such an important matter as the constitution of the party because I feel that all of you in here will be discussing court matters and police matters and not give due attention to matters of the constitution. This is the reason colleagues why after consulting colleagues we came to the inescapable position that the mood in the party now is not good enough otherwise we may do a bad job with the constitution. I would like to beseech you colleagues that you mark in your diaries for the 10th of June 2023. I hope that by then we may have recovered from this or at least may have been more hardened and I think that is even more appropriate. I pray to God that by the 10th we shall be even more hardened hardened because the trajectory that we are seeing is extremely dangerous. A few years ago we had a by election for council chairperson Fokafuwe the chairman Fokafuwe who happened to have been elected on the UPND ticket was expelled by the UPND, was expelled by Haga Indihidema himself what for? Participating in the KIP Zambia Clean campaign that was launched by the then Republican president Edgar Tagualungu the man was expelled. The expulsion was even confirmed and a by election was held. The same person who did not allow his counsellors who did not allow his members of parliament who did not allow himself to recognize the authority of the then Republican president Edgar Tagualungu. Today has 10 tables. Today he even has the audacity to admonish an elected mayor a female mayor for that matter. Our MCC Pasa Muaya member of the central committee and mayor for Kitwe is not here today. Why not? First she was admonished in front of cameras by a provincial minister. Admonished, taunted for what? The young lady even explained and said please let me clarify the statement that you have seen on social media on whatsapp was not referring to the person you think I was talking about. I was talking about somebody else. What followed? Youths went around and said we will not allow you to participate in any program that Haga Indihidema is involved in and we thought that would die there when we shocked to see that even the president himself took issue and that to comment in public colleagues those who may not know like Haga Indihima may seem not to know the president when he cracks jokes they must be clear jokes otherwise loose talk by the presidency could be taken as policy because presidents don't joke in public and the threat that was issued by Mpasa Muaya by the president is a threat to that poor woman on your behalf I have since written a letter an open letter I have written several letters to president Haga Indih and I respected him because I didn't make them open because I thought you'd respond but the fact that he doesn't even acknowledge my letters now I've decided to do an open letter and in that open letter all I'm doing is advising him that what is good for the goos must be good for the ganda it was this same central committee that guided me in October 2021 to state that the patriotic front in opposition is going to be different from the UPND in opposition we indicated that we are going to respect and recognize president Haga Indihima as president of Zambia and that will participate in all government programs I indicated that what has been the outcome whenever we appear we are kajo we are ridiculed and now it has gone to the extent of even being threatened the patriotic front reserves the right to learn from precedents we can also learn from history we reserve the right to emulate Haga Indihima himself by not recognizing him because he did not recognize not Maiko Sata not did he recognize Edgar Chagualung so my message to you colleagues in the central committee is that be on the lookout soon you yourselves will have to make decisions on these very important matters I would not like to dismiss you without talking about one very important matter Zambia as a country was founded on the bedrock of Christianity David Livingstone nailed in Chitambu and consecrated this country when David Livingstone said this was going to be a great country for Christ he consecrated Zambia when Frederick Titus Jacob Chilova entered into a covenant with God to declare Zambia a Christian nation it was not his doing after his demise this Christian nation business would have died with him but it has outlived Dr. Livingstone and has outlived Dr. Chilova meaning this is God's own desire when Maiko Chilova Sata said I am going to follow the 10 commandments in governing Zambia he was not speaking from without he was also inspired no wonder his successor also decided I am going to declare the 18th day of October to be the day of national prayer repentance and reconciliation we have always been a God fearing country and those who consider praying useless let them be for us in the patriotic front prayer on whatever day is important and if we as a country agreed that on the 18th day of October we are going to suspend all other business and dedicate that day to God so shall it be those who don't want to pray for God let them not confuse the masses and not you members of the Central Committee and not members of the patriotic front there is going to be a fundraising function fundraising breakfast for the National Day of Prayer I beseech all of you members of the Central Committee to take part not only in that fundraising but also on the day itself 18th October all of us members of the patriotic front let's start preparing ourselves now let's prepare our hearts to go and pray on the 18th day of October as a way of repenting to our God how can a person who is ruling a country that even its constitution considers itself a Christian country say a useless day of prayer as far as I'm concerned that's abominable no wonder now we are here in replacement of church with the media present brothels people advertising come in such a place there is free women in a Christian country homosexuals bening each people on that score colleagues we stand in total solidarity in total solidarity with members of the clergy I have to state here I have to state here that some of the members of the clergy were our very toxic critics they criticized us left right and center I remember the church to which I belong openly criticizing the PF government we never stopped going to church we still continue to go to church we still continue to respect the clergy we never called them names because we believe in the fact that for any country to be governed it needs critical voices and the voice of the church is one such important critical voice in the governance of a country we have had threats issued against members of the clergy purely for expressing opinion going contrary to the self praise we have been hearing that now there is freedom in Zambia arresting a member of parliament on Africa freedom day in a country that's governed by a person who says introduce freedom for the first time is shocking it is shocking colleagues if you have heard anything from me it is nothing members of the press if you think you have heard anything it is nothing on behalf of the chairperson for information and his team I would like to invite you to a press briefing on Monday come and listen to us speak on Monday we should address these and even more matters of governance Monday ten hours at the PF secretary members of the central committee I would like you to be there with us so that you also can come and listen and some of you are also allowed to come and speak I would like some of you to come and express yourselves because there are different dimensions of this matter this is also to advise you colleagues members of the central committee again like I keep saying if you have any difference of opinion it is not for the public do it bilaterally don't allow the enemy to divide us this is one united party this is one solid party and make no mistake if there is anything that's making Monday he did a must-pend sleepless nights it's just a mention of the name patriotic front let us continue to pray for those of our friends who have bereavements and I'd like to bring to your attention a fact that is already known by most of you that our provincial chairman for Lwapula today as we speak is putting his dear mother to rest there are others who have already been put to rest western province has had more than a fair share of bereavements over the last few weeks but also in southern province and I also know that there is a bereavement in the north western province which was shared on the MCC blog my dear colleagues I'd like us to stop here and invite all of you who can manage to stay a little while 10, 15 minutes lunch is served and please those of you who would like to get the cards just come and see Madam Mumbipiri she will give you details of where the fundraising breakfast cards are being sold and I'd like all of us to support the fundraising for the national day of prayer colleagues I'll not close because we didn't open any meeting this was just for me to inform you with regret that we could not proceed with considering the constitution I wish you a lovely weekend thank you very much