Parties hold last campaigns in Luena
By Mwala Kalaluka in Luena
Wed 04 Aug. 2010, 20:30 CAT
BUSINESS came to a stand still in Limulunga Royal Village this afternoon when the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) candidate in the Luena by-election, Charles Milupi, arrived from Mongu to address his last campaign rally.
And the MMD candidate in tomorrow’s (Thursday) by-election, Mwangala Maopu, said he has nothing to promise the people of Luena because it was they that knew their development needs.
Milupi’s motorcade arrived in Limulunga slightly before 14. 00 hours and it was received by hordes of cheering supporters that had been waiting at Limulunga Community School.
The procession took off for Luyanga Shopping Centre where the meeting was slated to take place and along the way they blocked the Limulunga-Mongu road, making it difficult for two construction vehicles that were taking materials for the Limulunga-Ushaa road project and other vehicles, to pass through.
Several other Limulunga residents joined the procession up to the meeting place shouting the ADD’s rain falling slogan of ‘cuuuu’.
When the procession passed through Limulunga Shopping area, some UPND cadres led by their deputy national spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa, raised their party symbol in the direction of the ADD procession.
Some ADD cadres were seen raising their folded and clasped hand party symbol in the direction of the UPND cadres.
However, the two groups kept their distance.
In his greeting remarks to the crowd, Milupi said the journey that had been started was now continuing.
“Tomorrow’s issue (election) is a small matter but we have to fulfil it,” said Milupi.
Milupi’s wife urged the people of Luena to cause ‘havoc’ in tomorrow’s polls.
An ADD cadre from the Copperbelt, Frank Mulonda, urged the crowd to burn the red ants that had attacked Milupi by voting for him.
Mulonda also told the people to get the money and food that they were being given and never to allow those people that were bribing them to go back with their stuff to Lusaka.
On the opposite side of the road, the MMD were also holding their last rally at the shop, which has been their campaign camp, since the commencement of campaigns in the by-election.
In his address to the sizeable crowd of MMD cadres, Maopu said he would not promise the people that he would bring stars from above so that they could be made into toys for children.
“The eight years that I stayed with you here is a long time. I came here a bachelor, I left as a married man,” Maopu said. “Today when I have left my job I have decided to come back to you so that you fulfil the words of the President and the Vice-President.”
Maopu said he did not have any promises to give the people of Luena.
“That when you elect me I will bring down stars,” he said. “Development is with you the people. It is you who know that you want. I will not beat myself on the chest and say I will bring this.”
Maopu said he would be someone willing to be sent by the people of Luena at anytime.
“I will go and lobby from where these things are found; to these people (MMD government leaders present) including our parent, the President,” said Maopu. “Whether they grant me my request or not I will not go there for good. But you can only send me if you vote for me.”
Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CHARLES MILUPI, MWANGALA MAOPU
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MMD's Maopu divulges using DEBS position for political ambition
By Mwala Kalaluka in Luena
Thu 15 July 2010, 04:00 CAT
THE MMD candidate in the Luena by-election Mwangala Maopu has disclosed how he used his government position as District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) for Mongu to propel his desire to become a member of parliament.
And Mongu district commissioner Jethro Mumbuwa, a civil servant, on Monday stood at an MMD campaign meeting in Luena’s Miulwe area and denounced all the opposition political parties that are contesting the by-election.
Meanwhile, Western Province MMD chairman Simasiku Namakando described Charles Milupi, who is re-contesting the Luena seat on the Alliance for Development and Democracy (ADD) ticket, as a foolish shepherd.
During a campaign meeting at Sikalelo village of headman Sambo in Miulwe area of Mongu, Maopu told a sizeable crowd of MMD cadres that he had been working with them since 2006 to upgrade Miulwe Basic School and allocate more teachers there.
Maopu who spoke in both Silozi and Sikwangwa said he worked with the then education minister and now Luena by-election MMD campaign manager, Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa, to upgrade the schools in Luena.
“We have held several meetings when I used to introduce myself at the time I was DEBS so that we do great works,” Maopu said. “It is not the first time that I am working with you my parents. I have worked with you in my work as a teacher. I am here to work with you.”
Maopu said in March 2006, when he was still a civil servant as a DEBS, village headman Sambo, whom he described as a parent, told him that the people of Miulwe were aware of his good works and he had intentions of going to Parliament.
“He told me that ‘from the areas where you have been, we have heard a lot of good things from you and we want you to do that for us before you go to Parliament. We want you to upgrade Miulwe School, then after we shall tell you go to Parliament,’” Maopu said.
“Most of the teachers who are there Miulwe School came there when I was DEBS…at the time the Minister of Education was Prof Lungwangwa here.”
Maopu campaigned that as DEBS, he brought a government-supported feeding programme in schools in Luena and the food was sufficient to a point that children did not just eat at school but carried some of the food home.
“Today, our children are not starving,” Maopu said.
He disclosed that just a few days earlier, he facilitated the payment of school fees for some grade nine pupils of Miulwe Basic School that were unable to meet the requirement.
“Or is there anyone whose child has not been paid for?” Maopu asked the cadres who responded in the affirmative.
“This time I have come, your own child… we want development as you saw when I was DEBS.”
Earlier, MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga said the people of Luena should vote for Maopu if they wanted to gain access to the government’s development agenda.
“We have seen that you the people of Miulwe and the whole of Luena you need to be told the truth,” Mabenga said. “If you are with an MP who is in government, things will be easy. But for 15 years you have been in opposition. What has Chrispin Sibetta done for you apart from his endless arguments?”
Mabenga said Milupi had abandoned them in the bush because he failed to honour his five-year commitment to the people of Luena by resigning from Parliament.
Prof Lungwangwa said the people of Luena had no development because they had an antagonistic parliamentarian who formed a weak link between his constituents and the government.
And Mumbuwa, who is former commissioner of prisons, said Milupi’s party did not want democracy and development.
He likened Maopu, on the other hand, to a girl coming of age.
“The party that Milupi has formed stands for Anilati Development ni Democracy (I do not want development and democracy) and that is why he resigned. If he wanted democracy and development, he should not have been independent and he should not have resigned,” Mumbuwa said. “The Pact are Pretenders Anarchists Come Together. The Pretenders are the PF and the anarchists are UPND. They are beating up people. ULP is United Lazy People’s party. They are lazy that is why they were chased from the UPND. I do not even want to mention UNIP because it is at the cemetery.”
Meanwhile, Namakando said the people of Luena should reject Milupi because he is a foolish shepherd who had abandoned them in the bush after claiming that he was better placed to lead them.
Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, DEBS, MWANGALA MAOPU
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