By Isaac Zulu
Kantanshi member of parliament Anthony Mumba has said that if the PF will maintain its leadership after holding the convention it will not go anywhere.
But speaking when he featured on Diamond TV PF acting secretary general Nickson Chilangwa, who appeared to be high on something, said that the PF has got members who have their own rantings, saying he does not want to go into trivialities.
Mumba said that if the crop of leaders that made the PF lose power to the UPND in the August 2021 general elections are maintained at the helm of the PF, the party will not go anywhere.
“One thing I am going to tell you is that after the convention the status quo will be the same people that failed the 2021 general elections, that failed president Edgar Lungu, PF will not go anywhere. Now I am slow to talk about this because this has landed me in problems. I have been accused that UPND has paid me. I have been accused. What did Chilangwa describe me? A hired gun. I don’t want that type of politics,” Mumba said. “I think that the people of Kantanshi know that I have put them at the centre of my work. The people that are genuinely in the PF know that my contribution has never, never been about dividing the party. I have just been member of parliament for PF for one and half years. I was independent but I applied on the PF ticket myself. And I should bear the consequences of belonging to this grouping.”
And Mumba said that the person with credentials of a leader as PF president and be a game changer has not yet come forth.
“The candidate whom I believed myself would be a game changer, could stand up tall and could provide credentials of a leader of this modern 21st century has not come forth. I talked to him. I won’t mention names. I don’t want to be drawn into divisions. For the benefit of those listening to your question the one that I thought would be the game changer has not up to now made his mind,” Mumba explained. “For me, I will speak frankly, I haven’t even looked at them (PF presidential aspirants) because I had focused on this particular individual who has not come through.”
He also said that the suspension of Matero member of parliament Miles Sampa from the PF is a recipe for division in the party.
“I think that he was talking about former ministers who had contracts and whatever. And that has landed him into problems. But look, everybody can see that it is pointing to one thing…it is pointing to the president of the PF. So I would just urge the leadership which is there, let us avoid these unnecessary divisions,” he said. “Okay, let’s take a rock example. Suppose Miles went on the 31st, suppose he went through. What would be the first thing that he would do? Won’t he go for the same people that suspended him? Now, would that create unity in the party? Would that create inspiration in the party? So I can only urge the players to just fair the game.”
But speaking when he featured on Diamond TV, PF acting secretary general Nickson Chilangwa said the PF has got members who have their own rantings, saying he does not want to go into trivialities.
“PF is big, PF is depth, PF has character. You cannot just stand here and say crucify him, crucify him. And that it shall be done. I am saying for us, PF is big, PF is deep, PF is huge,” Chilangwa said. “The CEO of PF is me Nickson Chilangwa. And you see I don’t want to go into trivialities. I am above that. Don’t drive me into that agenda. Mwimbikamo mufyabupuba ine nakana. Our party is clean. We have got members who have got their own rantings and their own positions on certain matters.”
He said that the PF leadership will not act on UPND members casting aspersions on members of the PF, saying those individuals are job seekers.
“You shall not stand on the platform and say crucify him, crucify him. And Nickson Chilangwa will be running to crucify people. No sir! We interrogate their character. Just because those characters stood yesterday to cast aspersions on one of our members, and you think I will stand. No sir. It will not be like that,” said Chilangwa. “They cannot be the ones to cast aspersions on any of our members for us to take action. Our people, our members, our structures must be the ones to drive me. Imwe balefwaya incito kuli Hakainde Hichilema. Those characters want jobs. Those ministers standing on one leg. Just because they are ministers, they have this thing around them and you think it’s okay for them to speak.”
