PATRIOTIC Front secretary general Davies Mwila did not instruct cadres to hijack bus stations, claims party deputy spokesperson Frank Bwalya.

On Tuesday January 17, 2017, Mwila met PF officials in Kabwe and told them that they had the power to share land amongst themselves before advertising the rest.

Mwila also castigated them for failing to take over the running of bus stations in the town saying it was unacceptable to have UPND cadres ‘in charge’.

“Yalya ama plot ba mayor, nimwe mu kwete amaka. Ama plots nga yali 500, ba councilor, nimwe mu kwete amaka kweba ati aweh, mwachita advertise 300, mwafumyapo na 200. Namu kwata amaka. 200 mwafumyapo, 300 mwatwala ku chintu bwingi and 200 mwa akanyamo naba ward chairman naba nani (Those plots Mr Mayor, you are the one with the power. If those plots are 500, you the councilors are the ones with the powers to say ‘we shall advertise 300 and remove 200. You have the powers to remove 200 and take the rest for others to access and you can share with the ward chairmen and others),” said Mwila.

“The problem is that we are lazy. As the UPND were getting in the markets, we were watching them, then we come and say they all UPND, where have you been? We have discussed this matter with the provincial chairman and the minister. If anything, the party has said…how are we running all the bus stations in Lusaka? So you mean we can fail to run the stations here? You want me to go and bring ‘commando’ [PF Intercity branch chairman Eddie Gowa]? We are in government and we have to be in control. It’s politics, we are not at church, no! Is this a church?” asked Mwila, as the cadres responded “no.”

But the opposition has demanded that Mwila be arrested for inciting lawlessness and civil unrest.
In separate statements today, January 19, 2017, FDD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza and UPND secretary general Stephen Katuka expressed disappointment over Mwila’s utterances.

However, Bwalya has now come to Mwila’s defence, claiming that the latter did not issue such instructions, despite there being both audio and video footage of the meeting.

“As to who runs bus stations and markets in this country for instance, the law is very clear so there is no way the SG could have said anything other than what the law says and so they are just fishing in the dust and trying to put words in the mouth of the PF official thinking that if they continue to be heard, they will maintain their relevance,” said Bwalya.