Maravi

Mufulira residents scramble for red cards

Mufulira residents scramble for red cards
By Zumani Katasefa in Mufulira
Sun 28 Mar. 2010, 04:01 CAT

CLOSE to a thousand Mufulira residents on Friday scrambled for red cards from Catholic priest Fr Frank Bwalya who was in the area to distribute the cards in protest against President Rupiah Banda’s administration.

Fr Bwalya who is also Change Life Zambia (CLZ) executive director had earlier distributed the cards to passengers on a minibus that he boarded from Kitwe to Mufulira.

Upon reaching Mufulira, Fr Bwalya went straight to Malela market where scores of residents scrambled for the red cards from him.

The residents also got whistles from the priest which they blew while others were chanting slogans against President Banda’s administration.

“Twanaka nabo kuya bebele! (We are tired of them, they must go)” shouted some residents as the priest continued distributing the cards.

As Fr Bwalya was distributing the cards, some police officers by-passed him and laughed as the priest was busy giving out the cards.

From Malela market, Fr Bwalya walked passed the Mufulira main bus station attracting taxi drivers and other on lookers who also joined in the scramble for the cards.

“Father Bwalya! Father Bwalya! Utulandilako kanshi mulumendo fye! (Fr Bwalya, the one who speaks for us, is just a youngman),” shouted the residents as they followed him and blew whistles against the government.

Some of the residents were even heard saying that they thought Fr Bwalya was an old man when they first heard him on Radio Icengelo.

And Fr Bwalya vowed to continue distributing the red cards to Zambians, saying that he would not succumb to any intimidation.

He said he was determined to ensure that the campaign spread across Zambia like a bush fire before 2011 elections.

He said on April 17, 2010, he would launch the red and campaign in Chililabombwe and on April 18 the same campaign would be launched in Chingola.

He said after Chingola, the campaign would be launched in Luanshya.

Fr Bwalya disclosed that on the same day the campaign was launched in Mufulira CLZ members in Mansa were also flashing reds in public.

Labels: FRANK BWALYA, MUFULIRA, RED CARD CAMPAIGN

posted by MrK @ 4:12 PM