PF chief sets record straight on Kang’ombe

By SILUMESI MALUMO and SANFROSSA MANYINDA
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) secretary general, Davis Mwila, has refuted claims that he instructed Kitwe Mayor, Christopher Kang’ombe to start campaigning and position himself in Kanfinsa Constituency.
And the PF on the Copperbelt have lifted the suspension of Mr Kang’ombe and former Kitwe District Commissioner Binwel Mpundu in the spirit of unity of purpose.
Mr Kang’ombe upon being suspended from the party on Wednesday told media houses that what he was doing had blessings from Mr Mwila.
The Kitwe Mayor said that there would be two constituencies in Kanfinsa once the delimitation exercise was done and he was told to start marketing himself by Mr Mwila.
But Mr Mwila said yesterday that he only instructed Mr Kang’ombe to campaign three years ago when the incumbent Member of Parliament informed the party that he would not recontest the seat.
Mr Mwila said a year later the incumbent MP went back to the party hierarchy that he had decided to recontest the seat come 2021.
He said “I told Kang’ombe to start campaigning so that people in the area can know because the MP did not want to recontest the seat.
Mr Mwila said now that the incumbent MP had informed the party that he would go ahead to recontes, all aspiring candidates including Mr Kang’ombe were told to stop any campaign activities.
“I agree that I told Mr Kang’ombe to campaign but that was three years ago and this was not a recent issue,” he said. Copperbelt PF chairman Nathan Chanda has since warned Mr Kangombe and Mr Mpundu as well as Kalulushi Mayor Rashidah Mulenga to always use the recommened channels of airing their grievances and not resort to taking the matter to so-cial media.