BEMBAS REJECT TRIBALISTS

Sat, 07 Jan 2017 09:21:52 +0000

By CHARLES MUSONDA & BENNIE MUNDANDO

EMERGING ‘rebels’ in PF will not be allowed to take their tribal politics into Bembaland, Provincial Chairman Felix Mfula has warned

Mr Mfula said PF in the region would fight tribal politics being practiced by some senior party members pursuing their selfish agenda.

In a telephone interview from Kasama yesterday, Mr Mfula said no one should use the region as a springboard for political stardom through divisive tactics.

Mr Mfula said PF leaders with such motives must just leave the ruling party and form their own political parties rather than continue to ‘masquerade’ as loyal PF members.

“First of all, as Northern Province, we shall not ascribe to tribal politics. President Lungu was duly and democratically elected at Mulungushi (Rock of Authority as PF president in 2015) and he said it himself very poignantly yesterday (Thursday) that he is our candidate for 2021.

“Whoever is doing anything that should undermine his authority in any way, is doing that out of disrespect and we cannot support that as Northern Province. That I can assure you,” said Mr Mfula.

He said the ruling party in the region shall not tolerate any machinations that smacked of disrespect to a “very honest and deeply religious President that we have in Mr Lungu.”

“My advice is that if they want, they must come out and form their own party instead of trying to masquerade as PF. We know their ambitions from way back and if they want let them form their own party instead of destabilising this party which our late President Sata worked hard to build,” he said.

He said the PF did not want dissent and appealed to the pardoned independent Members of Parliament that next time they should toe the party line.

Meanwhile, provincial elections deputy chairperson Chibwaya Muma has declared Northern Province a no-go area for Mr Chishimba Kambwili and his ‘disciples’.

Mr Muma said Mr Kamwbili should not be tempted to spread tentacles to Northern Province to sow seeds of discord to destabilise PF because the party in the region would not treat them with kid gloves.

Mr. Muma described Mr. Kambwili’s pledge to remain a loyal member of the party as ‘‘crocodile tears’’ aimed at misleading the party.