Battle lines drawn for Mufumbwe, Milanzi by-elections

TODAY marks the end of a grueling campaign period for the two parliamentary by elections in Mufumbwe and Milanzi.

The two seats fell vacant after the deaths of Misheck Bonse and Rueben Chisanga Banda respectively.

Three candidates, Elliot Kamondo, 45, of United Party for National Development (UPND), Stephen Kamwengo, 37, of UNIP and the ruling MMD’s Mulondwe Muzungu, 68, are vying for the seat in Mufumbwe.

In Milanzi, the MMD is fielding Whiteson Banda, UNIP has floated Musa Banda while Mr Albert Banda is standing on the Patriotic Front ticket.

Campaigns over the last three weeks for Mufumbwe have been hectic and sometimes brutal.

It could be blamed on the ‘imported’ cadres from Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces, but the reason the seat is bitterly contested is that it may just shape the political landscape of North-Western Province.

Forget the Solwezi Central seat won by Watson Lumba, of the UPND (backed by Patriotic Front) last November, Mufumbwe is the real battle for the province.

Solwezi may be the region’s metropolis, but it has become a cosmopolitan town since the opening of Kansanshi and Lumwana mines. So, Mufumbwe gives a fairer representation of North-Western Province.

Whoever wins today’s poll will have bragging rights going into next year’s general elections. The MMD wants to retain the Mufumbwe seat, the UPND wants to keep the momentum after winning Solwezi Central and ward by-elections in Solwezi, Mwinilunga and Zambezi.

With due respect to the UNIP candidate Mr Kamwengo, a Lusaka-based businessman, the real battle is between Mr Kamondo and Mr Muzungu.

No wonder the violence was between supporters of these two candidates.
While Mr Kamondo, a prominent local businessperson, narrowly lost the 2006 polls to the late Mr Bonshe, Mr Muzungu, a veteran politician just recalled from his diplomatic job in Libya to re-enter politics, is a two-time former MP.

Mr Kamwengo and Mr Kamondo both want to develop Mufumbwe if elected MP while Mr Muzungu says he would simply continue developmental programmes of the party in Government.

In Milanzi, residents are going to the polls today to elect an MP in a by-election following the death of Mr Banda after a road traffic accident.

It is probably unprecedented in the history of Zambian politics that the electorate from one constituency could go to the parliamentary polls three times in less than five years.

The late Mr Banda from the ruling MMD scooped the seat from UNIP in 2008, after late Chisani Banda, during a by-election but he too could not finish his term because he suffered the same fate as his predecessor.

Now the people would be electing a new representative who will pick up the mandate from where Mr Banda left off and represent the people of Milanzi in Parliament.

The MMD, PF-UPND pact and UNIP are contesting the by-election.
The MMD is fielding 35-year-old Whiteson Banda, who is largely considered to be a son of Milanzi.

The PF-UPND pact has Albert Banda, an engineer who has just given up his job at Zamtel in Lusaka.

The former ruling party UNIP is fielding Musa Banda, another man who is also considered as a native of Milanzi.

The Milanzi by-election has largely been peaceful and in the last two weeks. The constituency experienced increased political activities because the three political parties vying for the seat were criss-crossing the villages in a bid to woo voters.

But yesterday, all the political parties were upbeat to hold final campaign rallies and this happened simultaneously in different parts of the constituency where the politicians presented their candidates as the best.

Yesterday’s campaign activities started as early as 05:00 hours when the contesting political party supporters went round the villages with megaphones and other public address systems to capture voters.

MMD campaign manager Eustarckio Kazonga said the MMD was the most preferred to win the election because of incumbency.

He said the ruling party was taking development to Milanzi even when it was not time for elections.

“It is certain that we are winning the elections because our works are there for everyone to see,” he said.

MMD candidate Whiteson Banda pledged to work with traditional leaders, women and the youth to bring development to Milanzi.

“I have the advantage to represent the people of Milanzi effectively because I am coming from the party that is in Government and I was born and raised in this area where I know the needs of the people,” he said.

But the other candidates were not to be outclassed. UNIP’s Banda said he had been conducting developmental programmes in Milanzi and this election was a mere formality.

“I have helped to build a teacher’s house at one of the schools. I have also been conducting football tournaments for youths who are now staying away from alcohol abuse,” he said.

The pact candidate, Mr Banda said he was the most educated man among the three candidates and his education would help him represent the people of Milanzi effectively.

He said the ruling party had failed to take development to the constituency and that the PF would do so if he went to Parliament.

There are concerns the people of Milanzi may be experiencing voter fatigue but electoral officer Greyson Nkhata, who is Katete district council secretary, is optimistic the turnout would be higher than in the previous elections.

“We have been doing voter education and the three political parties contesting the elections have also done a lot of work to educate voters. This is why we expect the voter turnout to be large,” he said.

All the election materials and other logistics were delivered on time ahead of the elections.

Milanzi, which has 19,700 voters and 40 polling stations, is one of the biggest constituencies in Zambia. It borders Mozambique.

By and large, the three contenders in the by-election have been speaking one language during the campaigns.

They believe Milanzi needs development. In any case, the political campaigns were centred on promises to build and develop roads, clinics, bridges, schools, markets, dams and agriculture.

However, the decision on who becomes the next MP for the constituency rests on ballots the people of Milanzi would cast after the voting ends at 18:00 hours today.
[ Times of Zambia ]