By Isaac Zulu
PF needs new leadership, says Kanchibiya member of parliament (PF) Sunday Chanda.
Speaking in Lusaka yesterday Chanda was asked to comment on the return of Edgar Lungu to active politics, but the Kanchibiya member of parliament suggested that although he considers Lungu as his father, the former head of state must not be the one to lead PF.
“President Edgar Lungu is my father. He is my father politically and I will not go out in public to discuss my father’s nakedness. But as Sunday Chanda, I would suggest that we put in place a new set of leadership in the Patriotic Front then president Edgar Lungu gives back up,” Chanda said during a appearance on Radio Phoenix’s Let the People Talk programme.
He parried assertions that he has rebelled against the PF, saying politics of poverty where people keep politicking for 365 days will derail development in the country.
“We focus more on things that matter less than focussing on important issues. Politics of poverty where people keep politicking and engaging in petty arguments for 365 days is what derail development in the country,” Chanda said. “If people find it wrong for me to engage in development discourse with the government of the day, they have to excuse me. One must draw a distinction between governance, delivery and politics.”
He also called for co-existence among political players, saying Zambia has become an intolerant society.
“We have become an intolerant society politically. For once, let us learn to speak to each other. Let us coexist,” Chanda said.
He said he will not engage in toxic politics because he has a social contract with the people of Kanchibiya to effectively represent them in Parliament.
“I was elected on a social contract to represent the people of Kanchibiya in Parliament. They are the ones who gave me the mandate. And those are my masters. They might be poor or rural dwellers, but they are my masters. I represent the traditional leadership, the Church leaders as well as community leaders. I don’t subscribe to the notion where people politicise development. I will not engage in toxic politics,” Chanda said.
He also said there is need to pay particular attention to the agriculture sector in order to diversify the country’s economy.
“Kanchibiya has 25,000 farmers and only 5,000 are on FISP. So the agriculture credit window facility that the UPND government has introduced will help bring on board more farmers. This credit window facility is a sustainable way to go because farming is a business. And we need to diversity agriculture from a mono crop called maize. We cannot continue with this mono crop kind of agriculture. We need to move to a point where the agriculture sector contributes significantly to the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product),” said Chanda.
