By Staff Reporters
I have no kind words for ba Edgar Lungu, says Charity Banda.
And PF Lusaka provincial youth vice-chairperson Kelvin Kaunda says former president Edgar Lungu is not doing the party and himself any good by holding on to leadership, further wondering whether he will go to Kenya as a statesman or leader of a political party.
In an audio availed to Daily Revelation, Banda, who is PF Lusaka provincial chairlady, said she has been a PF member for many years and sacrificed a lot for the party, but that she has not benefited anything from it.
“Twilabula napashili ifyongo. Ba Chilangwa mulelanda ati ba Province twalilusisha icipani (Let us not pick quarrels where there are no quarrels. And you are saying you the provincial executive committee made PF lose the election). Are you for real? Imwe mwalikwete indala. Mwalipokele ama gratuity. You had money during campaigns. I think it was wrong to keep quiet even when things were wrong,” said Banda. “Ba Chilangwa I have been in this party for so many years and I have not yielded anything. Abo ba Lungu abo (That Lungu), I have no kind words for him. He is my president… I was there when he was being ridiculed. Even you, you are one of the people that refused Lungu. So finshi ifyo mulenjeba? (So what are you telling me)? No, no. It’s not fair. Mwilaichenjelesha ba Chilangwa (Don’t try to be clever ba Chilangwa).
Banda continued.
“Me I am a very senior party member. Most of you in the central committee are new. There’s nothing that you know about PF… that’s my word. So mwilamona kwati tulifipuba. ( So don’t think that we are foolish). I am speaking on my own behalf and on behalf of all the grassroots pantu leadership efyo yaba… you don’t have to segregate the people. I repeat you are one of those that refused Lungu when you were chosen nabena Wynter (Kabimba). Tamwishibe ati abo bonse nomba baletuseka (Do you know that all those people are now laughing at us)?” Ciwamila galu kuluma mbuzi. You have been given that responsibility. Show leadership! Not nefyo mwachilalanda (and not what you have been saying).
She also reminded Chilangwa that he failed to protect Davies Mwila at the time party members rose against him.
“Ba (Davies) Mwila was being insulted in and out when you were deputy secretary general and you should have come out. But you couldn’t because imwe he had nothing to do with you. Your allegiance just goes to Lungu. Ala Lesa akamyocha,” she charged. “We have given you enough respect. But tamwatulenge ukuba ifipuba (But that does not mean that you should make us look foolish). Ba Chilangwa you are supposed to be on top of things. You and I have gone through a lot things… and you should lead by example.”
And Featuring on Prime TV, Kaunda said the only opportunity the PF has for the future is by putting in place a progressive leadership now, and if not the party may as well go into oblivion, in the same manner as the other former ruling parties, MMD and UNIP.
He warned that there will be no central committee if they fail to come up with the date for the convention by next Monday, saying they have prioritised inconsequential things like the postmortem since the party lost the elections over 90 days ago.
“How can a dead man conduct his own postmortem?” Kaunda asked, wondering how the same minds which created the problem could be trusted to resolve the problem.
He said it seemed the leaders were more focused on perpetuating their stay in office, rather than listening to the concerns of the general membership, urging president Lungu to come out of his closet and interact with the general membership.
He said when people called for the convention, the leaders were thinking about Chishimba Kambwili, saying calls for the convention were not even about Kambwili, Dr Chitalu Chilufya or Given Lubinda, but what the people wanted.
Kaunda said the idea by president Lungu of “only seeing four individuals” was detrimental to the party, saying he has created a hedge around himself, and was unable to get the views of the ordinary members.
“The other thing which keeps crossing my mind is, if we are going to have the Congress in June or July next year, and our president has been honored to go to Kenya (to head an election observer mission), in his capacity as a states person, will he go there as a states person or go there as a political figure?” Kaunda asked. “Otherwise there will be no need to go to Kenya. In what capacity? Because that honour is reserved for statesmen and women … it will not help him to continue presiding over PF.”
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