Sinda District UPND deputy youth chairperson Yobe Mwale in has accused the Patriotic Front of distributing the relief maize flagged off by President Edgar Lungu last Thursday to it’s cadres only.

But PF district chairperson Michael Phiri rubbished Mwale’s claims, saying the maize which was being distributed to PF cadres was donated by Sinda Independent member of parliament Masauso Tembo.

In a press statement, Mwale sounded an alarm that PF officials were only giving out relief maize to the ruling party cadres, instead of all needy community members.

He recalled that President Lungu instructed that everyone should benefit, and wondered why only party cadres had benefited leaving out the most affected Sinda residents.

“We are surprised that the President said the relief maize should be distributed to anyone regardless of the party, religion or tribe, but what is happening in Sinda is that the relief maize has been distributed to PF party cadres only! I found them doing so at the MP’s house a day after the flagging off. Now it’s better if they had said that the maize is for the party members only because if you move around, every family is affected with hunger and for only cadres to share it’s not fair!” Mwale stated.

He urged Tembo to practice mature politics by selling his vision to constituents rather than insulting his predecessor Levy Ngoma.

Mwale equally challenged Tembo to cite any meaningful development, which he had fostered from the time he became MP.

“Sinda MP, Kazungula, it’s like he doesn’t know what he is supposed to do. Last time, he had a meeting at Kaphika where he started insulting Levy Ngoma, saying he did not provide development and that there is no way people can still cling to him because Ngoma is dead! He said ‘have you seen a dead man coming back to the village?’ But we want to advise him to start selling his developmental plans, not insulting. That is not what people expect to hear from their MP,” he stated.

But when reached for comment, Phiri explained that the maize that was distributed at Tembo’s house was donated by the lawmaker.

“Let our colleagues learn to consult. The maize they are talking about is the maize, which the MP was giving out, which he had in his shed and not the one under relief, no! The one under relief has some department that will distribute, and not the MP or the party, because those are sensitive programmes that require accountability of the consignment and that does not require the MP,” he explained.

Phiri, who is also PF council chairperson, however, added that part of the relief maize flagged off was being kept at Tembo’s house for security reasons.

“The thing I can agree is that the relief maize on the truck is kept at the MP’s house for security because the place has a fence so it is well protected and few bags have been distributed, not by the MP or cadres, but by rightful officers who are in charge,” narrated Phiri.