Maravi

Chief Sinazongwe dismisses Times story on UPND-PF pact

Chief Sinazongwe dismisses Times story on UPND-PF pact
By George Chellah and Namatama Mundia
Wed 17 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT

CHIEF Sinazongwe yesterday dismissed the recent media reports that 15 chiefs in Southern Province have rejected the UPND-PF Pact as a lie. And Siavonga UPND member of parliament Douglas Syakalima said chief Mwanachingwala is a fake human being.

Reacting to a story that appeared in the Times of Zambia last Saturday, chief Sinazongwe said the story was false and meant to destroy his name.

“…that we had a meeting with chiefs, which was not correct, there was no one time, no one day where we sat for a meeting with the chiefs of the valley. Where we said we don’t like UPND because they never reported to us as chiefs. I was quoted as that, it is not true! This young man rang me whilst I was in a Post Office in Kalomo,” chief Sinazongwe explained.

“He asked me a question of how many chiefs am I leading as chairperson of the Gwembe Valley chiefs and he wanted the names of those chiefs I am leading and I told him. And then you know what he wrote at the end, that we were not going to support Hakainde because he never reported to us, which was not true.”

He maintained that all the chiefs from the valley had never sat and resolved not to support the UPND.

“So I am reacting that journalists must write truthful articles not articles which are never put on record,” chief Sinazongwe said.

“We had no meeting of the valley chiefs, he was asking the names of the valley chiefs, which I gave him and didn’t know that he was going to make a story bad like that.”

Chief Sinazongwe said the reporter never asked him about the Pact.

“How can me as a chairperson of the valley chiefs tell a lie like that, that we had a meeting? This young man… I was very bad I did not record his name. I thought he was just merely asking me the question of how many chiefs that I am leading as the chairperson of the valley chiefs,” chief Sinazongwe said.

“So he narrated the story differently which is a surprise. Please kindly could you young men as journalists be recording something which is true. There was no statement that was issued.”

And Syakalima said chief Mwanachingwala always wanted to eat with the ruling party whenever the country gets close to elections.

Labels: CHIEF SINAZONGWE, PF-UPND

posted by MrK @ 3:29 PM