Tue, 13 Feb 2018 08:35:39 +0000
By BENNIE MUNDANDO
WE have wasted more time on giving negative publicity to the opposition instead of highlighting what we have achieved, a PF fundamentalist has warned.
Gift Kasaro told the Daily Nation that if left unchecked the party risked making the same mistake that MMD made when they concentrated on demonising Michael Sata but ended up making him more popular.
Mr. Kasaro advised party members not to exhaust their energies on responding to trivial matters brought by the opposition but concentrate on explaining the ruling party’s developmental agenda for Zambia.
“I wish to propose and submit that we, at all levels, should compulsively observe sometime of not mentioning any opposition political parties nor their leaders. Instead, we must aggressively highlight our tremendous achievements to the Zambian people in line with our campaign promise as enshrined in our party manifesto, a social contract consummated through the ballot on August 11th, 2016.
“We must be honest enough with ourselves and acknowledge how the MMD party in Government then made PF and our former president Michael Sata more popular through what was intended to be negative publicity which instead turned to be free positive publicity to the electorate even in the remotest areas of Zambia,” Mr. Kasaro noted.
He said it would be naive for the PF to ignore the potential negative effect that came with continued attention given to the opposition political parties and their leaders in their daily discourse within and outside the party realms.
“Let us concentrate on empowering our youths and women with priority to our members. We need to support President Lungu in his desire and commitment to develop our nation. Let us spend more time and energy highlighting the numerous developmental achievements we have scored since assuming office. For example, why are we not talking about the construction of over 650 health posts countrywide and 34 Hospitals and upgrading of clinics to district-level hospitals? he wondered
He said the opposition’s ego was to divert the attention of Government and people from delivering its promises hence the need for the PF to “grow thick skinned” and focus on delivering on the social, economic and political aspirations of the Zambians.
