PF secretary general Davies has given Northern Province Minister Lazarus Chungu a 24-hour ultimatum in which to show cause why he should continue as party’s Provincial Chair after losing a ward by-election in Lupososhi constituency.
In the December 5 by-elections, the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) snatched the Ilambo ward seat in Lupososhi Constituency, which is a PF stronghold and coincidentally, Chungu is area member of parliament.
But this loss angered the ruling party and its chief executive officer, Mwila who announced at his briefing yesterday morning that the party had asked Chungu to either resign by himself or be fired from his position at the party.
“Although the opposition scooped the Ilambo in ward-Lupososhi, they did not win it because of their appeal or their efforts, but we lost it because of the complacency of our structures in this area, ” Mr. Mwila said.
“Lupososhi Constituency, in general, is very significant to the Patriotic Front because it is the first-ever constituency to elect a PF member of parliament in 2001. Added to this, it is a constituency that has the current Provincial Minister and interim Provincial PF Chairperson as its Member of Parliament.”
“How does a sitting Provincial Minister and interim Provincial chairman lose in his own house,” Mr Mwila wondered.
“There must be accountability for this glitch in our performance which has been generally exceptional. This is unacceptable and something must be done,” Mwila said.
“Ilambo ward will coming back to PF where it rightfully belongs, because of the PF development agenda under the leadership of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. But I want to say that as chief executive officer of the party, I have taken the issue to talk to the Provincial Chairman who is also member of parliament and Provincial Minister to make a decision whether he should keep the position of Provincial Minister or not. Failure to decide within 24 hours, a decision will be made by the secretariat. I hope you’ve understood what I mean.”
Asked what the party would do should Chungu refuse to step down, Mwila said the party secretariat would remove him forcefully.
“I did indicate to him to make a decision to step aside and I am waiting for him to make a decision. If he doesn’t, a decision will be made by the secretariat. If he cannot make a decision within 24 hours, on Monday I will be in Luwingu, so I will announce the decision in Luwingu, [which is] better,” he responded.
Mwila, however, commended his party for participating in violence-free by-elections.
“After yesterday’s by-elections, there is a pattern that is now more evident for everyone to see than ever before. There is a clear trend that distinguishes elections in our strongholds from those in opposition areas. Elections conducted in PF Strongholds are peaceful and without violence, while those held in opposition strangleholds are marred with violence and bloodshed. We wish to commend all stakeholders for conducting peaceful elections in the respective areas and we appeal to the opposition to watch and learn the way of peace from us,” Mwila said.
Meanwhile, Mwila called on the UPND to respect the country’s culture and the consensus of Zambian people on homosexuality.
“The UPND must not only learn peaceful ways as we have demonstrated in our strongholds, they must also learn to respect the consensus of Zambian people on homosexuality. The agenda of the UPND and its leader sponsored by foreign agents to legalize the homosexuality in Zambia goes against our cultural and traditional heritage as well as our Christian values. It is a shame that UPND and its leader have stooped so low as to embrace an abomination, just for the sake of foreign sponsorship to enter State House. As for Edgar Lungu and his PF house with the People of Zambia; we reject to legalise the abomination of homosexuality; and we instead choose to serve the Lord and uphold our culture,” said Mwila.
“Currency weakness makes servicing foreign loans more costly and could also drive up an inflation rate that’s already at 10.8%, the highest since 2016.
The kwacha’s depreciation is “regretable” and the central bank is looking at ways to arrest the slide, Vice President Inonge Wina told lawmakers Friday in Lusaka, the capital.
With foreign exchange reserves near the lowest in a decade, the central bank has little power to sell dollars into the market to support the kwacha.”-Bloomberg
“There must be accountability for this glitch in our performance which has been generally exceptional. This is unacceptable and something must be done,” Mwila said.
“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” No more five years.
First let’s start with Roan then we move to Northern province.
The CEO of the party that lost should be the one to resign, if that is the way you want to interpret democratic conduct.
The CEO of the party that lost should be the one to resign; if that is the way you want to interpret results of a democratic process.
Too many tinpot dictators in this party, Mwila, Lusambo Mumbi Phiri, Amos Chanda etc etc
Mr Mwila be rational. This is no time to play blame game or make one a scapegoat but take collective responsibility as party leadership.Mr Mwila,Lupososhi is a neighbouring constituency to Chipili,via the Mansa- Luwingu road.You lost to an independent MP in Chipili and no one gave you an ultimatum but were embraced within PF and even given your current position.Voters in Chipili and Lupososhi being neighbours are the same; they look at the calibre of the candidates. I was in your constituency Mr.Mwila in 2014,at Musele to be specific,and your constituents did have kind words for you.They were saying you never had any message of development for them except distributing K50/K100 notes to them whenever you had an opportunity to visit Chipili.And when you lost,it did come as a surprise…
And when you lost,it did not come as a surprise.You can do better as somebody who has first had experience with voters that side than issuing an ultimatum to a colleague who has received a similar voter lashing by virtue of his position as Chair of PF in NP and not as MP as was your case.
It should be:
‘….at Musele to be specific, and your constituents did NOT have kind words for you …’
Minister Chungu of Northern province is a victim not the cause of the loss. What is happening to PF at ward, constituents, districts, and province in terms of electoral performance is as a result of the performance of the PF central committee and Government performance. There is too much arrogance at the top. Instead introspection Mr Mwila is blaming others, that’s why you don’t change. The arrogance has already cost the PF loss of many indipendent voters.
ECL has sole candidate will cost PF dearly. The desire to win elections at all costs means PF is power hungry. If people should resign for poor performance the entire PF should leave government. PF must leave GRZ for making the Kwacha lose so much value. PF must then go out of power for failure to control debt contraction making our country to be highly indebted. Mr Mwila’ standards should apply to him as well. PF has failed to unity the country, therefore tell ecl to resign.
Vice President nonge Wina says the UPND victory in a ward in Lupososhi is insignificant as it means just catching a small fish in a big lake, PF secretary General Davies Mwila says the loss is significant as that is where PF had their first member of parliament and provincial Chairman should resign, very uncoordinated. But you Davies Mwila, when you were home affairs Minister and lost a parliamentary seat to a simple independent without resources in Chipili, who asked you to resign. Hypocrites
I saw that disjointed views too.
I guess one is building a case against someone else. They want to appear to be in a hurry to discipline someone. The truth is Davis is only responding to the threat by a disgruntled cadre.
Why doesn’t pf show such leadership when their own are accused of corruption and found wanting or When their president is implicated in corruption and theft scandals?
It’s a ward lol. When UPND lost Kafue, a whole MP seat because of fielding a loose woman, PF celebrated and sung songs. Laughing at their friends, just soldier on, the people have chosen their preferred candidate. It is called democracy. Leave the MP and minister alone. He was not the one voting.
But the VP compared winning a ward by UPND to catching a small fish in a big lake. Kansi chinabababa!! Don’t pretend.
Whats wrong with these two political parties? yesterday, it was UPND threatening Lungwangwa & friend. Just when you think the other camp may be better, they just come out worse
This character should just accept defeat as it unfolds!! You can’t always win, and in any case, one learns a lesson or two through mistakes!! This is when PF should learn about what they have been doing wrong and also please learn to listen to those that put you in this position that you call privilege. They have put you where you are and you have forgotten about them now that you have accumulated millions.
Do not blame your failures onto your colleague who’s simply a victim of your poor governance. You are bullying this person and it’s about time you resigned from government because you are no better than the next PF minister!!
chungu Bwalya should not even argue but simply take the blame happily! THERE IS COMPLACENCY IN THE NORTH PROVINCE IS BEING MANAGED!JUST TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTIONS I WAS TALKING TO ONE OF RELATIVES.AS THE CONVERSATION DEVELOPED,HE TOLD ME THAT APF IS KUYA BEBELE!. REASON WAS THAT THEY WERE NOT GIVEN TRANSPORT TO FERRY THE FARM INPUT TO THIER AREA.MY ANCESTORS VILLAGE IS IN LUPOSOSHI CONSTITUENCY AND MY LATE GRANDMOTHER WAS CHIEF CHUNGU’S GRANDDAUGHTER.IT SADDENS Me to TO PARTY WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW NON TRIPARTITE BANTUSTANS IN THIER LEADER HAS NEVER DENOUNCED THIS FORMULA OF NEITHER IN PUBLIC NOR PRIVECY!!!
No stone throwing, remember in 2016 a number of ministers and deputy lost elections to independent MPs but have since been rewarded with life sustaining appointments.
Useless statement by a party ‘chief’ concerned only about ‘winning’ all the tu ma elections. What does he actually explain to people in those areas about what is going on economically and what the PF government’s solutions are? He is quick to even divert to the dead horse topic of homosexuality. Villagers in those areas need emancipation not irrelevant populist rhetoric!
That’s the reason why you are so black like charcoal *****