BY-ELECTION VICTORY A SIGN OF ZAMBIANS’ RENEWED HOPE IN PF – SG
Lusaka ~ Tue, 5 Jan 2021
By Brightwell Chabusha
PF Secretary General Davies Mwila has praised Zambians for their renewed confidence in PF.
He said the retention of the people’s confidence in PF is the result of President Edgar Lungu’s all-embracing leadership of leaving no one behind in the PF driven National Development Agenda.
PF retained the Kamimba ward in Lumezi district in Eastern Province and grabbed two seats from the UPND in Kaimbwe and Loula wards in North Western and Western provinces respectively. The Maramba ward in Livingstone was narrowly retained by the opposition UPND.
Following this victory, Mr Mwila said it was clear that Zambians want the PF to remain in power.
“This is illustrated by PF scooping 3 out of the 4 local government by-elections that were held yesterday, 4th January 2021 in Kaimbwe and Kamimba of Kasempa and Lumezi districts respectively as well as Maramba and Loula of Livingstone and Kalabo districts respectively. Northwestern and Western provinces confirmed as PF strongholds. In Kaimbwe, which was previously a UPND ward, it is significant to note that the voter turnout was 59 percent as per old voter register. Kasempa and Northwestern Province at large have long defected to PF. A similar case applies to Loula in Kalabo districts. We therefore wish to thank the people of Kaimbwe in Kasempa district and Loula in Kalabo districts who have emphatically demonstrated that North Western and Western Provinces are solidly behind His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, and they are now PF strongholds. Liberation has come, and UPND are now an unhappy memory from by-gone era,” Mr Mwila said.
Meanwhile, Mr Mwila has demanded an apology from UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and party SG Stephen Katuka of insulting citizens over the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)’s projection that President Lungu will win in 2021.
He said Mr Katuka’s reaction to the projection by EIU was offensive as he called Zambians fools for voting for the PF.
He said it was wicked for the opposition to insult Zambians for not being voted for.
“We note that Hichilema has not distanced himself from his secretary general Stephen Katuka’s offensive and insulting language when, in his reaction to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)’s prediction that his Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu and Patriotic Front candidates will win this year’s presidential and general elections, called Zambian voters ‘fools’ because they vote for PF,” he said.
“So according to Mr Hichilema and Mr Katuka, the people in Kaimbwe in Kasempa District are fools? According to Hichilema the people of Loula in Kalabo district are fools? By the same token the people of Maramba and Livingstone in general are fools for terminally reducing the opposition lead in Southern Province? And according to Hichilema the people of Lumezi are fools? So since practically, the whole of Zambia is PF then according to Hichilema, all Zambians are fools? Insulting others because they don’t vote for you is wickedness. In fact, insults in any situation are uncalled for.”
He said Hichilema and Katuka cannot insult their way to State House and has wondered why the opposition is insulting people they are seeking votes from.
Mr Mwila has advised the duo to focus on being better instead of being bitter.
He said while UPND is on Facebook “in air-conditioned rooms,” PF is on the ground expanding and working hard to developing the nation without leaving anyone behind.
“Politics is a game of numbers. PF has the numbers and has gained even more; while UPND doesn’t have the numbers and is losing even the little it had. Unlike UPND which has now been reduced to a social media party that heavily relies on a small band of cyber mercenaries who have opened multiple Facebook accounts to simulate Hichilema’s popularity (backed by their allied online propaganda outlets) PF is an expanding mass movement of the people and is everywhere ‘on the ground’ with the people. The people are PF and PF is the people,” he said.