By Merlyn Mwanza
Charity Banda has warned her PF leaders that they should not think that the ruling UPND is just seated watching the uselessness they are exhibiting, for which she said former president Edgar Lungu is involved.
Speaking with Daily Revelation on the suspension of Matero member of parliament Miles Sampa for six weeks from the party for saying that PF ministers were corrupt as they were involved in awarding contracts to their own companies, Banda, the elected Lusaka provincial chairlady in the dissolved committee, likened PF to an animal farm, saying she was not a supporter of Sampa but believes that the suspension against him was unjustified.
She said the PF were in the opposition right now, but instead of consolidating their numbers, party leaders were now suspending their own party members, saying she did not feel that Sampa even committed a big transgression and that besides that he even apologized over the same in the central committee.
Banda said it was a waste of time that the central committee met from morning to late in the night, but that instead of coming up with conclusive matters they started talking about the suspension of Sampa and things surrounding the constitution, which she says should be the preserve of the general conference.
She accused acting party leader Given Lubinda and acting secretary general Nixon Chilangwa of trying to entrench themselves in those positions.
“We are shooting ourselves in the foot. And they think that the UPND is just watching. They will take advantage of this uselessness we are doing. There is this kangaroo way in which things are being done. There are those who want to look more special than the others. We want to rebrand PF but not with this nonsense,” Banda said, wondering why they even asked presidential aspirants to pay K200,000 when things were not properly laid out. “Kanshi mwalefwaya umwakulila impiya shabanenu (You just wanted to find ways to eat other people’s money) … Ba Lubinda shame! Ba Chilangwa shame!”
She said Lungu could not pretend that he was not seeing what was happening if indeed he has the interests of the party at heart and was not looking at preserving self-interest.
“He knows what is supposed to be done but he has kept quiet. This hide and seek he is doing, even the convention I don’t see it coming soon … I think they are saying tamwakaimone convention mwanya,” said Banda. “Ba Lungu whether he has resigned or not he knows what is happening. Ba Lungu is involved. He is also involved as father of the party. If ba Lungu loves PF let him come out. Why hasn’t he had a meeting with all the aspirants to even show interest?”
