People are the most important part of any development journey-Mutati

MMD President Felix Mutati has said that people are the most important part of any development journey and that any leader worth his sort should put people first.

Speaking during a rally in Chisamba where he went to drum up support for Chisamba aspiring candidate Naomi Mutateka and President Lungu, Mr Mutati said one of the things he learnt during the time he served as Minister under late President Mwanawasa was that it is important to put people at the center of development.

He said leadership was about hard work, discipline and sacrifice and that a leader who listens to the people would always be respected.

“…he said there is nothing indispensable like discipline, the second thing that Mwanawasa taught us was hard work and sacrifice. He also taught us that what is important is not the rule of man but the rule of law and the most important added Mr Mutati, was that we should always put people at the centre of development.”

And Mr Mutati said the MMD was too big to be swallowed by any political party.

He said the alliance with the PF was meant to allow the former ruling party to retain its identity and that the only way the party would do that was by fielding it’s own Parliamentary candidates.

He said the party had fielded quality MPs who would not only help in rebuilding the party and help in the running of the country as partners with the PF.

He also called on political party cadres to desist from engaging in violence as doing so would tarnish the image of the country which is the beacon of peace in the region.

He called on the leadership in political parties to ensure that they restrain their cadres as the children they are allowing to fight are related and that violence should not be tolerated by any well-meaning Zambians.

And Chisamba aspiring candidate Naomi Muteteka asked the people to vote for a woman MP for the first time in the history of the constituency.

Ms Muteteka who is the wife to the immediate past MP for the area called on voters to remember what the husband had done for the area when he represented them.

She said she was one of them unlike other candidates who have come from other constituencies whom she said would not understand their challenges.

MMD National Secretary Rapheal Nakacinda and other NEC members accompanied Mr Mutati to Chisamba.