GBM provoked Shiwang’andu people – Kapyongo

Stephen Kapyongo

Patriotic Front Aspiring and former Member of Parliament for Shiwang’andu Stephen Kapyongo has said the people of his constituency attacked the UPND because they were provoked by Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba.

PF Cadres on Monday this week wanted to kill UPND presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema by attempting to bring down his helicopter when he went to campaign in the area.

Mwamba commonly known as GBM who is Hichilema’s running mate accused Kapyongo who serves as Local Government Minister of having sent the Cadres to attack the UPND.

Asked to comment on the incidence when he featured on a PF sponsored Let the People Talk programme on Radio Phoenix, Kapyongo claimed that the Cadres were incensed by GBM remarks against him.

Kapyongo said as a representative of Shiwang’andu and the PF Youth National Chairperson, the people there were provoked by GBM’s threats. He said the people of Shiwang’andu do not tolerate nonsense.

But the callers who phoned in during the programme told Kapyongo to be honest saying all political parties have the right to campaign on any part of the country. One caller told Kapyongo who featured on the same programme with his Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba that the time is up for the PF.

The two Ministers however maintained that the PF government does not condone violence and warned that the party will not defend anyone found wanting.

Kalaba said the PF government had delivered an unprecedented development in the last four years the party has been in government and appealed to Zambians to give it another mandate.

On the resignation of key political figures from PF to join UPND, Kapyongo said those who have left the party were selfish. He said GBM wanted to be the successor to President Sata purely because he hails from the same region with the late president. He claimed that he tried to push his way but the members refused. He claimed that GBM should have put the same pressure on HH to put him as running mate. He said Miles Sampa left after he was not appointed as cabinet Minister while Guy Scott wanted to have his wife a candidate for PF in Lusaka Central.

The duo said the PF still enjoyed good support among Zambians without explaining how.