The situation in Milanzi is ripe for change – UNIP candidate

The situation in Milanzi is ripe for change – UNIP candidate
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Sun 18 Apr. 2010, 03:20 CAT

UNIP candidate in the Milanzi by-election Musa Banda has observed that the situation in the constituency is ripe for change.

And Eastern Province MMD chairperson Kennedy Zulu said his party’s candidate Whiteson Banda will easily win the by-election because both the PF-UPND and UNIP candidates are not campaigning. In an interview last Friday, Banda said the MMD were desperate to win the Milanzi by-election.

“You know the people of Milanzi do not want MMD because they have done nothing. Just imagine MMD ministers are bringing projects because of the by-election. I strongly feel that the situation here Milanzi is ripe for change,” Banda said.

He said the MMD government had not done anything in Milanzi.
Banda said President Rupiah Banda’s announcement that the crop marketing season would be opened next month instead of June was an act of desperation.

“I feel sorry for the President. How can he say that the crop marketing will be opened early? Surely it doesn’t make sense because the maize will still be wet and it will go to waste,” Banda said.

On MMD cadres’ allegations that he owed people in Milanzi K30 million through his business, Banda said the allegation was baseless.

“You know these people MMD fear me because I am popular on the ground. I don’t owe anybody money and I am campaigning freely here. Why is it that even during the nominations no one came to claim that debt? Even now I am campaigning. Why are those people I owe money not coming? The truth is that these MMD people fear me,” Banda said.

And Zulu bragged that the MMD would retain the Milanzi seat because candidates from opposition political parties were nowhere to be seen.

“MMD has 99.9 per cent chances of scooping Milanzi seat. I think you have seen that these other candidates are not campaigning, they have abandoned their campaigns because they have seen that there is nothing for them. We are going to thrash them or let me say tizabavuvuza thrashing them. We are prepared and we are just waiting for the day,” Zulu said.

When reminded that both UNIP candidate Musa Banda and Albert Banda for the PF-UPND pact were campaigning, Zulu maintained that MMD would thrash the opposition.

During President Rupiah Banda’s campaign rally at Kafumbwe High School, Zulu said the people of Kafumbwe had already decided to vote for the MMD.

“The people of Milanzi are already prepared. If it means voting tomorrow the people can still vote for MMD,” Zulu said.

But provincial PF chairperson Solomon Mbuzi said the MMD’s declaration that their candidate had already won the Milanzi seat raises suspicions in the minds of the people.

“They are saying they have already won, what do they mean? You can’t win an election before the actual polling day,” said Mbuzi.

The Milanzi seat fell vacant after the death of MMD’s Reuben Chisanga Banda.