By Patson Chilemba
Former Kafue district commissioner Grace Ngulube has rejected her appointment as information and publicity secretary in the PF women’s league, saying she can’t accept new comers in the central committee giving her “a chola boy position.”
Ngulube was among the new appointments announced into various PF structures yesterday, but speaking with Daily Revelation, Ngulube said the position was too small for her considering what she described as her input into the growth of the party from its inception.
“That is a junior position, I think people they know me but they don’t know my background and the effort I have contributed in PF to be where it is. I am the first provincial chairlady for Lusaka Province. I am the first provincial political secretary for PF,” Ngulube said. “I have served under five committees, national committees, and there is no way, on top of that I am a former DC. I served as a senior government official who reports directly to the president. And there is no way someone can sink so low and appoint me as a chola boy, as a IPS, which means information and publicity secretary.”
She said she felt insulted by the party leadership.
“That is a junior position and it’s an insult to me. You cannot sink so low for someone who fought for the party and who recruited you people to be in PF. We were once arrested, we were eating kandolo. I moved the entire country with Michael Chilufya Sata. My father was a soldier, in some areas he used to tell the president that this area I know I can go, ‘okay go and see that MMD person, he was closer to me. Go and make the structures.’ They were not there,” Ngulube said. “What I have gone through and other people who know me in PF…I have been quiet for so long. I was thrown out of the office in 2015 but I worked for the party. I was quiet and I continued working with the party. But I was pushed out like I am a nobody. So for me giving me that position it’s an insult.
“Two years ago they called me to be the constituency chairperson for Kafue West…but I said that is a junior position. I was once a chairlady. I worked under Paul Lumbi, those were the first members of the central committee. I worked with Chipimo…Lifwekelo…Guy Scott. I worked with Wynter Kabimba, I think he joined in 2005. Even ba Given Lubinda, those people they found me in the party.”
She wondered how she could work with “her juniors” from her junior position.
“Giving me a junior position to be a Chola boy! No, no, no I cannot allow that. People they don’t know my contribution in PF. The structures built on us as women. The people in the central committee, they just came yesterday, some they came pamalilo (during the funeral of late president Sata) and throwing the members of the party who know the foundation,” said Ngulube. “This is more than frustrating the members on the ground. I have been receiving calls not only in Lusaka Province. It’s countrywide. It’s better you join nashala neka party because there you will be respected.”
