Maravi

Zambia hasn't developed because of lies - Scott

Zambia hasn't developed because of lies - Scott
By Roy Habaalu in Mufumbwe and Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Tue 30 Oct. 2012, 14:30 CAT

VICE-President Guy Scott says Zambia has not developed for a long time because of lies. Addressing a rally at Wishimanga Basic School in Mufumbwe, Vice-President Scott said North-Western Province had not developed because of lies told by MMD. "Let's be serious with politics and develop this country; lies won't develop Zambia.

MMD told a lot of lies about development in this province; they lied that President Michael Sata would throw old people into the Zambezi River," said Vice-President Scott.

"But this government starting this week, you will start receiving the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). Don't listen to lies again. I know there is a problem, some people have come from MMD, others from UPND and most of you have been long standing members of PF, but let's work together and develop Zambia."

Vice-President Scott said the government would develop the province even if it did not give them a member of parliament.
And PF chairperson for elections Sylvia Masebo said it would have been immoral for the party not to adopt Steven Masumba as its parliamentary candidate for the Mufumbwe by-election.

She said Masumba had sacrificed a lot for the party. She said voting for Masumba would mark the beginning of development and progress in the province.

"Don't waste your time with MMD because they will not come back to power like UNIP never came back. I am aware that you wanted somebody else but the party made a decision. Masumba sacrificed, work with him. 2016 will be free for all, for now let's support Masumba," said Masebo.

Meanwhile, MMD campaign manager for Mufumbwe Newton Samakayi has accused the PF of importing cadres from Copperbelt and Lusaka that were allegedly harassing supporters of the opposition.

But the PF leadership in North Western Province has refuted the allegations, saying the party does not believe in importing cadres from other provinces and its campaign trails ahead of the by-election were very peaceful and successful.

And police officers in Mufumbwe have expressed happiness that parties participating in the forthcoming by-election had not engaged in violence.

In an interview yesterday, Samakayi said the situation in Mufumbwe had been relatively calm until Saturday when suspected PF cadres believed to be from the Copperbelt and Lusaka beat up MMD cadres at Kalengwa turnoff.

"We are not going to continue restraining our youths and we have made up our mind. If they come for us, we will react very badly. We will meet them with the equal measure of strength and we have mobilised ourselves. We don't want to turn Mufumbwe into a battlefield and we have been avoiding that but from now on we are not going to if they come for us," Samakayi said.

He said the people of Mufumbwe do not want to see 'alien' youths that had been imported from the Copperbelt and Lusaka, causing violence and intimidating people.

Samakayi said the PF had a problem of convincing the residents to vote for Masumba, saying the MMD's candidate Stafford Mulusa would win the elections.

But PF North Western provincial political secretary Febby Nalishuwa accused Samakayi of resorting to telling lies to the media after it had become clear that the people of Mufumbwe were no longer interested in the MMD.

"The MMD no longer exists here because people in rural areas are not interested in politics of lies. Our record is very clean in Mufumbwe.

No one has been attacked and the PF does not import cadres we work with the people there in the district. The only people that visited Mufumbwe is the Vice-President Guy Scott, secretary general Wynter Kabimba and senior party officials and they were here to drum up support for our candidate and those are not cadres, they are responsible national leaders who cannot incite violence," Nalishuwa said.

North Western Province police commissioner Eugene Sibote said the situation in Mufumbwe was "very calm" and campaigns were proceeding smoothly.

Sibote said the over 300 police officers deployed in Mufumbwe had so far managed to maintain law and order while sensitising political parties to learn to co-exist as they carry out their campaigns.

Masumba, Mulusa and UNIP's Steven Kamwengo are contesting the Mufumbwe by-elections slated for November 8.

Labels: FISP, GUY SCOTT, MMD

posted by MrK @ 6:28 PM