IN A surprising twist, Citizens First party leader Harry Kalaba has revealed new details surrounding the day he was captured under claims of attempting to acquire a gold-plated ‘iPhone 15’.
Mr Kalaba now asserts that on that fateful day, he had actually been led to believe he was meeting a pastor.
The opposition leader has since boldly proclaimed that the encounter with Zimbabwean Journalist Simba Chikanza was not a mere coincidence ,but a calculated move by state actors to tarnish his reputation.
He accused President Hakainde Hichilema of harboring a deep-seated fear of his prowess as a political adversary, a fear stemming from his notable third-place finish in the fiercely contested 2021 General Elections.
Recently, Mr Kalaba was captured on social media in one of the phone shops in Lusaka with Zimbabwean Journalist, Mr Chikanza.
Mr Kalaba and Mr Chikanza were in light moments, until Mr Chikanza started to accuse Mr Kalaba of being part of a gold mafia scandal along with Ubert Angel.
Mr Chikanza went on to allege that because of the USD$240 million funding in the gold scandal, in which Mr Kalaba used the Zambian symbol to interfer with investigations surrounding the gold scandal in Zimbabwe, many Zimbabweans suffered.
However, speaking at a media briefing, Mr Kalaba said it is Government who needs to give an explanation surrounding the matter.
He claimed that the Government Chief spokesperson, Chushi Kasanda in her response told him that he owes Zambian’s an explanation as to why he was found with a Zimbabwean Journalist.
“I was interviewed and I did explain to say look, this State operation was orchestrated in such a way that they had to lure me using the tag of a pastor. They said it was a pastor I was going to meet. Nobody told me that there was gold there. And when they say Kalaba is involved in gold, is this how a thief looks? You must follow the track record of your leader called Harry Kalaba. From the time that I came out number three, I have been attacked left, right and centre,” he claimed.
Mr Kalaba accused President Hichilema of being the one who hired Zimbabwean Journalist Mr Chikanza because he thanked him in the video.
“Here is someone fighting so hard. “Finshi baletina bamudala” (What is he scared of). “Ninshi ama jealous pamwaiche” (Why is he jealous of a youngster?” Kalaba bragged.
(Mwebantu, Wednesday, 30th August, 2023)