Chief Puta bans PF activities

Chief Puta bans PF activities
By Ernest Chanda
Sun 01 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT

CHIEF Puta of the Bwile people in Chiengi District has banned all Patriotic Front (PF) activities in his chiefdom on grounds that the party's leadership is opposed to former president Frederick Chiluba's acquittal.

According to well-placed sources at chief Puta's palace, the chief also suspects that Sata has been sponsoring his political opponents in the chiefdom.

The sources said all PF officials in the district, including the chairman Bernard Chisanga, had been summoned to the palace many times and ordered to leave the chiefdom.

“It all started on the 3rd of October when chief Puta who was aboard a ZAMSAF coach and in a company of many others went to Chisanga's home with a view of attacking him. Unfortunately for them they did not find Chisanga and his children, they only found his 11-year-old granddaughter. Upon realising that Chisanga was not at home the chief and his team started insulting Chisanga in his absence.

“Apparently, chief Puta has also not been happy with Sata's condemnation of Chiluba's acquittal. That's why he only tolerates MMD activities in the chiefdom," the source said. "In fact earlier on the chief had sent people to tell Chisanga to go to the bus so that they could attack him. Later they went round the village and started chanting various unprintables against Chisanga's name.

“Chief Puta said he did not want any PF activities and officials in his chiefdom because he suspected that the PF leader Mr Michael Sata was sponsoring the chief's political opponents in his area. You know very well that the chief is very sympathetic with the ruling party MMD so he doesn't want any other party there. On the other hand, I think he knows that the PF is quite strong there, so he thinks by banning the party then the MMD will become popular."

The source said chief Puta also wanted to block the nomination of a PF candidate for the November 19 local government by-elections.

"On 28th October this year PF officials went to see the owner of a vehicle which they had hired to ferry cadres for local government nominations. And when chief Puta knew about that arrangement he quickly summoned the owner of that truck and ordered him to ferry MMD cadres.

“But the man refused because he was a PF sympathiser and he had already been booked and paid by the PF. So he too was ordered to leave the chiefdom. Now the problem is why should a chief be so biased towards one political party? This is a multiparty state and everyone should be allowed to belong to a political party of their choice. I think the chief has gone off the mark," said the source.

Efforts to get comment from Chisanga yesterday failed as his mobile phone was off.
And when contacted, chief Puta distanced himself from the ban, saying he had no political inclinations to any party.

"That ban was sanctioned by all the village headmen because they wanted to promote harmony in my chiefdom. It was an idea from the village headmen's association that the PF activities should be banned to promote peace in the area," chief Puta said.

Asked why he allowed such a situation to prevail in a multiparty dispensation, especially that he had authority over the same village headmen, chief Puta said he could not interfere with such a decision.

“Ine nshishibepo nangu cimo, ico njishibefye cakuti bamwine mushi abene eba umfwanene ukucita ifyo. Ine mwalishiba ukuti nshabamo muma politics, ilyo lyashi lyaba village headmen's association.”

Translated as; I do not know anything about the reasons behind the ban, but all I know is that it was a decision from all the village headmen. You know very well that I don't involve myself in politics, that is a concern from the village headmen's association," said chief Puta.