Patriotic Front member, Bonny Tembo, says the PF’s victory in the Mangango parliamentary by-election is a wake-up call for the UPND leadership who had a feeling that they would form government in 2016.
Mr Tembo was speaking in an apparent reference to UPND president HakaindeHichilema who in June this year said that theMangango parliamentary by-electionwill not just be about electing a member of the legislature, but a litmus test for himself and President Michael Sata.
Mr Tembo, who was part of the Obvious Mwaliteta-led campaign team in Mangango, said the triumph was a demonstration that the people of Western Province had accepted the PF which will go a long way in strengthening ruling party.
He said the people of Western Province go for real issues and the resounding electoral result in Mangango demonstrates that the PF policies and development agenda is making an positive impact.
Mr Tembo, who commended UNIP for putting up a spirited fight in last week’s by-election, said the MMD has been swallowed by the UPND and they should not talk about Kaoma as it is now a closed chapter.
He said voter apathy that characterised the by-election was a result of the violence prior to the voting day, loss of voting documents as well as the mediocre calibre of some candidates.
Mr Tembo urged political parties to adopt candidates of high standard as the electorate may decide to abstain from voting because of the incompetence of the contestants.
And Mr Tembo described the working conditions under which the police and the local journalists in Kaoma are operating in as challenging and distressing.
He said the police in Kaoma only have one vehicle which constantly breaks down while the ZANIS office, which he visited, has no running vehicle, internet facilities, cameras or working telephone line.
Mr Tembo urged the relevant government ministries to equip the two institutions in the district as they are struggling to execute their duties and may be compromised if they start to seek help from elsewhere.
Bufi ba PF. You Rigged those Elections. It was a Do or Die Situation so tht you cud set the presendence for other Elections BY-ELECTIONS but UPND will win ALL the Sept Elections.
I totally agree with Bonny,upnd is an online party,they think you can win elections through online popularity.The numbers of the party keep going south and you expect to ascend to the throne….upnd really need to come out of dream land.
Iwe the whole PF is visibly shaken by the growing influence of UPND. That by election had a lot irregularities. Why did they form women clubs during elections, and dish out money? Why did the PF abuse government resources ? There was gun toting by Judge Ngoma and Masumba which scared most voters away to allow imported PF cadres to vote.
I demand that ECZ nullifies that seat for rampant electoral malpractices.
PF knows that without underhand tactics, PF was not going to win those elections.
Why is it that PF is scared to cause by elections in major cities?
@ Wanzelu,i see that you are not in Zambia yet you are talking like you actually was there in mangango and witnessed all the irregularities you mentioned.You are the people that have ruined this once vibrant party.Under AKM,when i was a member,we measured our popularity by the numbers on the ground,not online.You need to accept the fact that hh has not added any value to the party since his coming into politics.He was fine behind the scenes and should have stayed there.What evidence do you have to show that hh will scoop the 2016 presidency? I pray that you will be alive because i will bet $1000.
WANZELU, DREAM ON IF THAT MAKES YOU FEEL SEXY. UPND WITH HH IS A DEAD ISSUE, PERIOD.
Ba pf just wait with or without your “Shy president” your party will be history like MMD & Unip come the next general elections.
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THE DEEDS AND NOT THE WORDS AND FISTS.
imwe bamakaka stop backing you just don’t know what you are talking about . wait for 20 16 it will be free for all and sata will have been died. you know very well that Sata it PF ,PF is Sata . HH faka pressure . you will swallow you words . continue living in a fools paradise , with your president who is on voice mail . Catholics see what you have done to this country cos you are the ones who brought sata , thinking that, he is your member and yet he is a pretender ,
Worry about the pf/upnd margin despite all the grz support pf had.. Pf ‘s popularity is diminishing each day that passes.
UPND is too pompous and undemocratic. HH said the Mangango election was a litmus test for UPND for 2016. Let him be brave and hold a press conference the way Nevers did with the 136 votes he got from Mangango. At least he was courageous.
HH needs to answer a lot of questions because he said there is a wind from God blowing in UPND’s favour. What is he saying now???? He said God has decided that it is now UPND’s time. Let him come to the people and explain.
HH hold a press conference and answer the charges by Greyford Monde and Siamunene that you need to step down.