Maravi

HH campaigns in Luena

HH campaigns in Luena
By Mwala Kalaluka in Luena
Tue 03 Aug. 2010, 10:00 CAT

A fracas almost erupted in Limulunga area of Luena Constituency on Friday morning after an MMD youth drove a vehicle into a UPND procession that was receiving party leader, Hakainde Hichilema.

The near-confusion occurred along the main Mongu-Limulunga road after some MMD cadres who were at their campaign camp in Limulunga rushed and blocked the road with poles in retaliation against the manhandling of the MMD youths who went inside the UPND procession.

However, the near-fracas did not last long and Hichilema later proceeded to St Lawrence Catholic Church Parish hall, where he addressed scores of youths drawn from several areas of Luena Constituency.

A small team of police officers only arrived at the scene some minutes after the UPND procession had left for St Lawrence Catholic Church.

Addressing the youths, Hichilema who spoke a mixture of Silozi and English, said he wanted all the youths present to get about 20 votes each for UPND candidate Muyunda Ililonga by today, to guarantee his victory in this Thursday’s by-election.

“If you want change, 2011, you must start by voting Bo Muyunda Ililonga on 5th August,” Hichilema said. “That is the way you will prove to me that you want change.”

Hichilema said he wanted the youths to be the UPND’s door-to-door campaigners in the by-election.

“I have heard MMD talking rubbish, a lot of nonsense that Bo Hakainde is talking about this, where is the money going to come from?” Hichilema said.

“Look at Rupiah Banda, he came to Luena in a plane from Lusaka to Mongu. He does not know how bad the road is. He does not know the type of water the people drink. That is why we are going everywhere because the money is there.”
Hichilema said some people were going to Luena in helicopters and saying a lot of things about him and his vice-president for political affairs, Francis Simenda.

"A youth was trying to fight us when we came. There is no job but you are saying ‘cwecwecwe’, there is no school but you are saying ‘cwecwecwe’,” Hichilema said. “We have a very big agenda for the youths of this country. The power is in your hands.”

Hichilema said the UPND wanted a partnership with the youths of Luena.
“For us to win, for him Ililonga to win, for us to win in 2011 you have to be our campaign managers. Today, I am appointing you as Hakainde’s campaigners. I want door-to-door, please go out and campaign door- to-door,” he urged.

“I know some youths say ‘I am going to campaign door-to-door, no payment'. Your payment is free education…”

Hichilema said such a youth’s payment was a better future for their children.

“The bigger payment will come when we have put a government that will make you a citizen that will be able to make business on your own,” Hichilema said.

He said when the people were busy supporting the MMD by chanting its ‘cwecwecwe’ slogan, its leadership was also saying ‘checheche’ meaning that they were eating from the country’s resources.

“We want to make sure that come 2011, when you complete your education there is a job waiting for you. Hakainde has not worked for anybody. I have been working for myself and now they are saying Hakainde ki lisholi Hakainde is a thief,” he said.

“We want, number four, to give funds so that the youths can access in Limulunga the Youth Development Fund. Come 2011, we want ka office for Limulunga, the Youth Development Fund.”

Hichilema told Ililonga before asking him to address the meeting that all the youths present would vote and campaign for him.

“Don’t do what Charles Milupi did. They vote for you, you go to Parliament and resign,” Hichilema said. “Don’t behave like MMD MPs, these people are not your slaves.”

Hichilema said he wanted Ililonga to confirm publicly that he would not be a master but the people’s slave once voted into office.

“Someone was saying that Zwelopili ya lubilo fast-paced development, what lubilo has he done?” Hichilema said in reference to Milupi.

Hichilema said the people of Luena would just be wasting their time if they voted for Milupi because there was no way he would form government alone. And Ililonga, who complained of a husky voice, said the people of Luena should vote for the UPND because their party was winning elections in the country.

“We will work very hard for you,” said Ililonga.

“All the people in Zambia are changing, and it is only here in Western Province where we remained with MMD but I can see that you are also tired.”

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CADRES, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA

posted by MrK @ 7:03 PM