Cartel fuelling confusion in PF

Sat, 31 Dec 2016 11:36:12 +0000

By OSCAR MALIPENGA

THE cartel has launched an aggressive campaign to cause confusion and dissention in the Patriotic Front (PF), Patriotic Front (PF) founder member Wellington Musonda has warned.

Mr Musonda cited the altercations that erupted between lands minister Jean Kapata and Roan (PF) member of Parliament (PF) Chishimba Kambwili in their continued attempt to destroy and derail the party’s mobilisation process ahead of the 2021 general elections.

Mr Musonda said the cartel was very much active and was currently fuelling confusion in a bid to destroy and derail senior members from focusing on the 2021 general elections.

In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Musonda said the cartel had been targeting senior members perceived to have been left out in order to agitate total confusion that would see the party divided.

“You can tell from the way a named newspaper has been targeting senior PF officials in their coverage by encouraging them to call for early elections. It is a well calculated move and an agenda to remove the PF from power in 2021.

“If we are not careful as a party we shall be dancing to the tune of the cartel through their newspaper until 2021 so that they can remove the PF from government,” Mr Musonda said.

He said the altercations among a few senior members were being fuelled by the cartel.

Mr Musonda alerted the party to be very careful in the manner in which it had been getting statement from them for their newspaper.

And in a new twist of events, Patriotic Front chairman for elections Jean Kapata has told the Daily Nation that she has reconciled with Roan Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili following a series of altercations in the press.

She has explained that yesterday the former Information and Broadcasting Services Minister called her on phone while “crying” and unreservedly apologised to her for the story which was published in yesterday’s The Mast Newspaper No.0051 dated December 30, 2016.

The Mast carried a story under the heading “PF is my baby… and I believe in calling a spade a spade, Kambwili tells Jean Kapata off.”

But the Minister of Lands explained that following the same story, Mr Kambwili phoned her and apologised because the story was picked from a Radio Phoenix programme about a fortnight ago.

“Kambwili called me today following that story that has been published in The Mast, he has apologised and we have reconciled. If you want, call him right now and he will clarify the story in The Mast Newspaper,” she said.

Ms Kapata said when Mr Kambwili called her to apologise yesterday, she told him that she does not read The Mast Newspaper.

“Hon. Kambwili clarified that The Mast picked a story that was aired on Radio Phoenix about two weeks ago,” Ms Kapata said.

She accused The Mast Newspaper of having an agenda to bring her down but that they would not manage because she was a tough lady.

Meanwhile, Ms Kapata said there was no grudge between herself and Mr Kambwili, adding that as of yesterday they had both ironed out their issues.