Western province MMD Provincial Chairman Katongo Kameya has disputed rumours that his party in the province intends to expel Members of Parliament and Councillors that have accepted jobs in the ruling Patriotic Front government.

In an interview, Mr Kameya however, said that the constituency executive committees in the province and districts will monitor the working culture of those MPs who are working in the PF government.

Mr Kameya said that the President has powers of appointing any Member of Parliament who intends to offer his/her services in government so that many lives of people are improved in the country.

He said despite the MPs accepting ministerial positions in the PF under the leadership of President Michael Sata, all MMD members should pay loyalty to the party that send them to parliament in order to avoid creating antagonism in the former ruling party.

Mr Kameya cautioned that if the constituency committees will report to the provincial executive committee that those serving MMD members of Parliament were in full gear of supporting the ideologies of PF and weakening the party, will face disciplinary measures.

He said both Members of Parliament and Councillors in MMD were all answerable to the constituency executive committee and as such, rules and regulations that are governing the former ruling party should be strictly adhered to.

Mr Kameya said the works of the opposition is to offer checks and balances to the ruling party so that the national resources were equitably distributed to the people in the country.

Meanwhile, Mr Kameya has appealed to President Sata to always consult the opposition political parties whenever he wanted the services of the opposition members that he intends to put in his government.

And UPND Western Province Provincial Chairman Danny Mubita said that his party was enjoying massive support as members from other political parties were defecting to join his party in the province.

Mr Mubita who is also former Provincial Education Standard Officer in the Rupiah Banda administration said all those members that have defected have since been integrated into the UPND structures.

He said many people from MMD and ADD were working with the UPND in order to strengthen the party at the grass root level.

Mr Mubita however said that UPND does not support the appointment of its Members of Parliament to serve in the PF government.

He said very soon Sinjembela constituency Poniso Njeulu and his counterpart Chihinga Miyutu will face disciplinary action to enhance and build the party in the province.

Mr Mubita said UPND is not short of leaders adding that Njeulu and Miyutu should be booted out of the party as they have gone against the party principles.

ZANIS

Alliance for Better Zambia President Fr Frank Bwalya says he will continue speaking out against the PF government’s failed policies.
Fr Bwalya who was attacked by suspected PF cadres Wednesday morning at Flava FM radio in Lusaka said no amount of intimidation will shake him.
Unruly youths stormed the Flava FM studios with some carrying knives, and poured opaque beer on Fr Bwalya and ordered him not to go ahead with a scheduled radio interview programme.

‘They confronted us and pulled two of the people I was with and they started beating them up. When I saw this, I approached them and while in the process of rescuing the other person who was badly beaten, they turned to me poured some ‘Shake shake’ beer on me,” Fr Bwalya said.

He said after that, they told him point-blank that it was he they actually wanted to sort out.

“They tried to pull him out of the studio saying it was me they wanted but I overpowered them and that is how they ran away,” he said.

“When I confronted them I wanted to see what they were going to do and if they would throw some punches on me I was going to throw back to protect
myself and want I am telling Zambians is to arm themselves because the PF (Patriotic Front) is upto no good,” Fr Bwalya said.

He said he was sure that the people who waylaid and attacked them were PF cadres because some people had already informed him prior to this.

“I even reported to the Police but the officer-in-charge said there was nothing he was going to do because I didn’t know these people,” he
said.

[pullquote]I even reported to the Police but the officer-in-charge said there was nothing he was going to do because I didn’t know these people[/pullquote]

Fr Bwalya said the people who attacked them did so with impunity because they knew that the police under the PF had become toothless.

“Right now I am going to report this to the police so that there is a record for the international community to know about this,” Fr Bwalya said

However, Fr Bwalya went ahead with the interview and has vowed never to relent siding with the poor.

“Should we wait until people die, there are no medicines in hospitals. We know the cadres that have done this.” Fr Bwalya said.

Fr Bwalya explained that his involvement in active politics was driven by the need to protect the poor.He also reviewed that the Pope, Head of the Catholic Church has said Christians should be involved in active politics.

“Ubwato bwalifika, nomba kufumamo.. ni pa Mpoto,” (the boat has doked, now is the time to leave the boat and enter the cooking pot,) Fr Bwalya said.

Fr. Bwalya said ABZ will liaise with all other political parties on issues of common interest, although the main pre-occupation of ABZ is to let the people know what the party stood for.

He pointed out that the world has had several Christians that have gone into politics and succeeded to help the poor.

Copperbelt police commissioner Mary Tembo when contacted over the matter said that she was still waiting for a report from the officer-in-charge where Fr Bwalya had reported the matter.