PF tribalists worry Shakas

Sat, 10 Jun 2017 08:42:46 +0000

THE emergence of a group within the Patriotic Front (PF) with tribal inclinations that wants to take over power at whatever cost, is worrying members who joined the party because of its inclusiveness and ability to pick leaders regardless of tribe, it has emerged.

“Some of us were attracted by the non-tribal exhibition of the PF after coming off from the ashes following its founding leader Michael Sata’s death where we magnanimously chose a non-Bemba to be president,” former Katuba MP Jonas Shakafuswa has said.

Recounting  events that led him to dump the UPND and join the PF in comparison with the current situation in the PF in which some people are scheming to take-over the PF on tribal grounds, Mr. Shakafuswa yesterday said it was sad that the same people who branded the UPND as being tribal had regrouped and were advocating to have a Bemba as PF president.

He said the decision by the PF to look at a national leader who would unite the party and help them win an election as opposed to tribe after the death of Mr. Sata was what made them retain power because the party had a national character as opposed to being a regional brand.

In an apparent reference to a group calling itself “the true greens” which is allegedly scheming to take over the leadership of the party, Mr. Shakafuswa said it was cheap politics for any presidential aspirant to market him/herself on the premise of tribe or region as opposed to using a nationalistic approach.

“Who is actually running tribal politics in Zambia? It is very interesting in PF circles to hear some quarters advocating for a Bemba president for the party.

“I find this interesting especially that some Bemba leaders went to town calling UPND a tribal party for its insistence that a Tonga should run the party as president.

“In fact, some of us were attracted by the non-tribal exhibition of the PF, coming off from the ashes after the founder of the party (Mr. Sata) was taken to be with the Lord, to choose a non-Bemba to be president. This single act gave PF a national character which attracted a lot of people more than the founder members to vote PF and President Edgar Lungu to lead this great country,” Mr. Shakafuswa said.

He said the election of a president needed to evolve to a level where electorates chose leaders based on their ability to lead as opposed to considering the tribe or region one came from.

“It will be cheap for a presidential aspirant to market themselves as a region or tribe instead of adopting a nationalistic approach.

“Actually, I feel politics has to evolve to a level where we elect leaders who are in good standing with Zambians unlike having tribal elements. There are Zambians of very high standing in society who do not need a tribal tag to lead this great nation,” he said.

And in a  separate interview, the PF in the Northern Province has charged that intra-party squabbles are a blessing in disguise because rotten eggs have been identified and should be purged before the 2021 elections.

Provincial Deputy elections chairperson officer Chibwaya Muma yesterday warned truant members of the party that they were in for a rude shock and would cry just like former Matero MP Miles Sampa at the right time when the reality dawns on them that they were nothing without the PF.

Mr. Muma said those who were plotting to bring down the PF were “ploughing the sands” as the ruling party could not be destroyed by a few disgruntled and power-hungry political opportunist who were laying in wait like ravens to take over power as its strength was not premised on an individual, but collective effort.

He said it was surprising that even nonentities and rejects like Mwenya Musenge were parroting the views of enemies of the party in his quest to make a fortune for himself after he was rejected by the grassroots and lost an election.

He noted that while most people in the party were disappointed with the on-going differences, the party will emerge from the current state of affairs stronger and will go into the 2021 elections more united than ever as the excess luggage that had been creating turmoil will have been purged out.

“PF is undergoing self-cleansing. We don’t even need to push people around to know which one is a true loyalists and who is fake. These power-hungry individuals have created more problems than they have helped in building and so, we should count it as a blessing in disguise when we see these problems because God works in mysterious ways to get rid of bad eggs.

“How can Mr. Musenge, a person who was rejected by the grassroots even after standing on the PF today join the bandwagon of rebels who want to create confusion in the party when we tried our best to resuscitate his political fortunes? We campaigned for him even when it was clear he was headed for defeat yet he doesn’t appreciate. These people don’t learn from other people’s mistakes and they will cry like Mr. Sampa who thought he was untouchable,” Mr. Muma said.