By Staff Reporter
PF should be worried that Fred M’membe has overtaken them, says ruling UPND deputy secretary general Patrick Mucheleka.
And Mucheleka said the people of Eastern Province are slow comers towards embracing political change, going by historical trends.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Mucheleka said it should concern the PF that not only did they lose to the UPND, they also left to M’membe’s Socialist Party (SP) in their supposed stronghold of Lufubu ward in Luapula Province.
“It is PF that should be worrying. It is PF that is being buried everywhere. So us we have done very well in Luapula, we have won. So we cannot be talking about Fred M’membe or what. It’s neither here nor there, it is PF that should be talking about how Fred M’membe has overtaken them,” Mucheleka said. “He has not overtaken us, we are the ones who have overtaken the PF and at the same time Fred M’membe has overtaken PF. So it’s PF that should be worrying about how Fred M’membe has overtaken them. For us it’s eyes on the ball and we are going to deliver on our campaign promises in Luapula Province and everywhere.”
Mucheleka described the people of Eastern Province as slow comers towards embracing change.
“That’s how they are, the easterners. And it’s historical. In 1958, in fact 1960 or there about, when UNIP came on the scene they remained ANC okay, When most people had gone to UNIP. In 1991 you you know what happened when everyone else was going MMD they remained UNIP. They were the late comers to UNIP. They were the late comers to MMD. Then they turned MMD because of Rupiah Banda. They all became MMD when everybody else in 2011 was going PF,” Mucheleka said. “When everyone has moved away from PF going into UPND, including our brothers and sisters in Luapula; my cousins, my mbuyas have stuck to PF…when they hear that Edgar Lungu is no longer president of the PF then they will move to UPND. That’s how they are. And they will be more UPND than everyone else.”
But put across to him that they gave President Hakainde Hichilema 49 percent of the votes in the 2021 elections, Mucheleka said this time they had even shown the willingness to come early.
He said their own son, Agriculture minister Mtolo Phiri, who hails from Eastern Province would transform the agricultural sector which is dear to the people there.
“You must be commending us for having penetrated Luapula which they said was a bedroom for the PF. We are there we have won Lufubu ward. We have a councillor there and more are coming,” said Mucheleka. “We expected them to do the same in Kaumbwe and Lusangazi, they haven’t done that and of course we respect their decisions but we hope and know that certainly they are coming.”
