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UNIP is gone - Kamwengo

UNIP is gone - Kamwengo
By Allan Mulenga in Lusaka and Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Thu 01 Nov. 2012, 14:00 CAT

UNIP candidate in the November 8 Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election Stephen Kamwengo says his party is gone, but MMD is going much deeper into the doldrums.

Meanwhile, six Patriotic Front officials campaigning in Mufumbwe escaped death after the vehicle they were in lost control and overturned three times.

In an interview ahead of the by-election that he is contesting against Patriotic Front's Steven Masumba and MMD's Stafford Mulusa, Kamwengo said the locals in Mufumbwe have lost confidence in the MMD.
Kamwengo said it would be very difficult for MMD to revive itself.
He said MMD was cheating itself by thinking that it would retain the Mufumbwe seat.

"Of course, people had almost decided to vote for MMD, but I am telling them that 'yes UNIP is gone, MMD is the worst'. Maybe UNIP can start resuscitating itself, but MMD is going much deeper to the doldrums. The terrain around here is that when you lose power, people will lose confidence of voting for you and that is the situation here.

To make matters worse, the MMD has fielded someone from Solwezi, that is also giving us an impetus to go forward," he said.
Asked on his chances of scooping the seat, Kamwengo said Mufumbwe needed a leader who was forthright and development-oriented.
"The chances are very high. The campaigns are okay, the messages are clear to people in Mufumbwe, we need a forthright leader.

The area has lagged behind in terms of development. It is the only district which is not connected to the national grid, despite the late member of parliament, Misheck Bonshe, trying to make connections for the national grid to reach Mufumbwe," he said. "The past leaders never realised that those things people need them. This time we are saying that all those projects which were started by Mr Bonshe need to be completed. The only person who can do it is Steven Kamwengo."

Meanwhile, six PF officials survived a crush around 11:30 hours on Tuesday in Lalafuta ward, about 520 kilometres away from Mufumbwe Boma, where the their party had a meeting with the residents.

The vehicle, a Toyota Hilux double-cab registration number ABJ 944 belonging to PF Copperbelt youth secretary Chanda Kabwe was extensively damaged following a tyre burst that made the vehicle to lose control and later roll three times.

Those involved in the accident include Kabwe who was driving the vehicle, PF Copperbelt chairman Rebby Chanda, Mufumbwe district PF chairman Edwin Kafolola, Kitwe district PF vice-chairman Stanley Chandindi, Wusakile Constituency PF youth chairman Moses Musonda, and his deputy Michael Chileshe.

According to Kabwe, the six were rushed to the nearest health institution owned by the Zambia Air Force where doctors examined them as they were complaining of chest and general body pains while Chileshe was bleeding from the mouth and nose.

"The doctors looked at us and declared that we are out of danger while Michael was given some injections and he is also out of danger. We thank God we survived. It happened on our way back because we had another meeting before leaving the place for our base in Mufumbwe. Where the accident happened is part of Kafue National Park and ZAWA officers came to rescue us because there are elephants and lions, so they feared for our lives and we were rescued immediately," he said.

Kabwe said the support the PF was receiving from Mufumbwe residents was inspiring and expressed confidence that Steven Masumba would scoop the seat.

Labels: MMD, STEPHEN KAMWENGO, UNIP

posted by MrK @ 6:15 PM