Maravi

Livingstone has taught HH a lesson - Masebo

Livingstone has taught HH a lesson - Masebo
By Staff Reporters
Tue 19 Mar. 2013, 09:50 CAT

Sylvia Masebo says the Livingstone results should teach Hakainde Hichilema a lesson that politics of insult and hatred would not take him anywhere.

And President Michael Sata has thanked the people of Livingstone and Southern Province in general for endorsing his administration's development agenda by overwhelmingly voting for the PF candidate in the just ended Livingstone Constituency parliamentary by-election.

Commenting on the PF's victory in Livingstone which saw Lawrence Evans being elected as the first ever PF member of parliament in Southern Province after getting 10,233 votes, Masebo who is chairperson for elections in PF, said people of Livingstone had rejected politics of regionalism.

Masebo, who is also tourism and arts minister, said people of Livingstone have voted for development by electing a PF candidate.

"Last time UPND with the support of the MMD won with something like 11,000 votes and we had something like 8,000 or 7,000 votes but today the tables have been turned because the people of Livingstone have rejected regionalism and violence in politics. They have rejected UPND clearly and I hope that my brother Hakainde Hichilema will learn a lesson from this," she said.

"Politics of bitterness, hatred and insults can never take you anywhere. To rule this country you need every corner of Zambia to be behind you. I am very happy that the people of Livingstone have agreed to work with President Sata and the PF government especially here in Livingstone so that we can develop the tourism sector that we have been talking about."

She said the PF would work hard to deliver development in the city.

"The people here have encouraged us to work hard through their support. We shall not segregate; we shall work with everybody including the UPND, the MMD and all the people of Livingstone. I want to thank God because every leadership comes from God and people should know that insults and hatred cannot take you anywhere as a leader," said Masebo.

And veteran politician Daniel Munkombwe said the PF was a strong party and that everybody worked hard to get the first ever PF member of parliament in Livingstone. Munkombwe said the Mapatizya formula had boomeranged on UPND.

He said it was impossible for UPND to win an election using a formula that was concocted out of spite.

"The Mapatizya formula has boomeranged on UPND. They are now finished. You cannot use a formula that is concocted out of spite, out of bitterness and hatred to win an election," Munkombwe said.

He said the election of Evans was a sign that UPND had lost control of the region.

"As far as we are concerned, the UPND is gone, it is finished. This is a sign that the party has lost grip of Southern Province. The people here have realised that they were living in an ethnic grouping which they now desire to break out of. The UPND lost in the wards in Namwala and they have lost here, this is a grand entry of PF in the region," said Munkombwe and advised Evans not to despise the people who voted for him.

And Evans thanked the electorate for giving him an opportunity to help develop the constituency.

"Immediately after being sworn in, my first preoccupation will be to take care of the water shortages and poor sanitation in the area. When I was going round campaigning, that was one of the issues that was repeatedly raised among the people," said Evans.

Meanwhile, UPND Livingstone district spokesperson Neto Halwabala said his party would not accept the outcome of the by-election.

"The violence that characterised the by-election at the hands of the PF showed that we have a lot of lawlessness in this country. Yet we are told that the country is being governed on the tenets of democracy," Halwabala said.

"There is need for civic education to be taught amongst our electorates because most people's votes were bought in this by-election."

The PF scooped the Livingstone parliamentary by election with a margin of 2035 votes.

Returning officer Elester Hajinzi declared Evans winner of the Livingstone by-election around 02:00 am yesterday.

Hazinji said the PF candidate polled 10,233 votes while his closest rival, UPND's Regina Musokotwane got 8,198 votes. The MMD's Fred Siasuntwe polled 2,034 votes.

And the Human Rights Commission has expressed satisfaction with the peaceful manner in which the just-ended Livingstone by-election was conducted.

Commission chairperson Pixie Yangailo praised the electorate, political parties and their supporters for upholding peace in the by-election in which the PF emerged victorious.

"Our preliminary assessment shows that voting went on smoothly in spite of the clash that was reported in the media between PF and UPND supporters over alleged vote buying, which has already drawn the attention of the police," she stated yesterday.

Yangailo stated that the Commission hoped that the police would deal with the matter professionally.

And in a statement issued by his special assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah, President Sata yesterday said the people of Southern Province had sent a clear message to the UPND that they were not interested in politics of insults, bloodshed and regionalism.

He said the PF would work hard to deliver inclusive development to the people of Southern Province and ensure that through unity and hard work, the people's aspirations would be met.

President Sata hoped that the UPND had picked some lessons from the Livingstone elections, and urged the opposition party to realise that the purpose of politics was to serve rather than to divide the people and seclude them from
the national agenda.

And President Sata has advised Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) president James Banda to desist from deliberately misleading the country on matters of governance.

He said there was a rising trend by Banda to issue political and unwarranted statements by purposely interpreting speeches from the Executive out of context.

Banda on Wednesday said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP)'s office should reassert its independence by not paying heed to political directives that are a nullity at law.

He stated President Sata's directives to the DPP
to investigate the source of wealth of opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema were worrying.

But President Sata said as Head of State, he was certain that he appointed a professional DPP who had been allowed to execute his tasks professionally.

"And we are comforted by the fact that there are some leaders within the opposition such as Mazabuka UPND member of parliament Hon. Garry Nkombo, who have publicly appreciated the professional manner in which this office has acted thus far," he said.

"Mr. Banda should realise that we are fully aware of our duties and limitations as prescribed by the Constitution; no wonder the DPP is able to act as professionally as we believe he is acting because we are not interfering in his job. Moreover, as the Executive we are equally entitled to complain on a matter of public interest especially when we believe there are alleged criminal activities, which we feel should be pursued; and this certainly does not amount to giving an order to the esteemed office of the DPP."

President Sata advised Banda to show leadership and halt the increasing tendency of deliberate distortions because a sober and sincere analysis of important national matters is required from him as an individual and the organisation he
represents.

"We deserve clear and factual guidance whenever we are being criticised and not opinions based on what is in the media. This government remains open to dialogue and consultation and we urge Mr. Banda and other stakeholders to utilize these available forms of engagement," said President Sata.

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, SYLVIA MASEBO

posted by MrK @ 7:27 PM