Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo says he was not aware that Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo banned all political activities on the Copperbelt Province in view of the volatile security situation in the area when he met his constituents over the weekend.

And Lusambo says PF, under President Edgar Lungu is too sweet.

Reacting to National Democratic Congress (NDC) president Chishimba Kambwili’s accusation that the PF was abusing the law by banning political party activities on the Copperbelt Province while some ruling party officials were openly defying this, Lusambo claimed he was unaware of the ban.

He said if he was aware of the ban effected by Kampyongo late last month, he would not have held party activities in Kabushi.

Last Monday, Kampyongo advised all political parties wishing to have meetings on the Copperbelt to put them on hold because of the unstable security situation in that province.

“It is very unfortunate that Mr Kambwili is an ignorant member who doesn’t understand the law and it is a pity that Mr Kambwili, just yesterday was in Parliament and he was coming from Roan constituency. I have an obligation as a member of parliament to interact and give development to my people in the constituency, and for me, it is very unfortunate that Minister Kampyongo banned any form of activities on the Copperbelt; I am not aware about that. If I was aware, I would not have gone to Kabushi to interact with the people. But I am not aware that Honorable Kampyongo banned political activities on the Copperbelt; I am not aware,” Lusambo said.

“Mr Kambwili (should) just keep quiet and concentrate on his scrap metal business because in the first place, we don’t have opposition on the Copperbelt Province; what we have on the Copperbelt Province are just noise-makers like Kambwili who don’t worry us! There is no one who can compete with His Excellency, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, on the Copperbelt Province. So, it is a pity that Mr Kambwili is talking on issues, which are not necessary.”

And Lusambo said PF was too sweet under President Lungu.

“We have constituencies and we have obligations; we have a mandate to our people in the constituencies and when we are meeting our people in the constituencies that is 100 per cent allowed; even from the Speaker, when we were closing Parliament, he told all of us, members of parliament, to ‘go back to the constituencies’ and that is what we have done. We have gone back to our constituencies because our mandate is to work for the people in our respective constituencies. So, there is nothing wrong! I can assure that there is only one bulldozer on the Copperbelt Province; one bulldozer on the Copperbelt Province and that is bulldozer Honorable Bowman Chilosha Lusambo,” said Lusambo.

“For me, there is nothing, there is no wrong we have committed. Even my chairman (Nathan Chanda), the chairman was meeting the party structures; his structures on the Copperbelt Province. We know he (Kambwili) is missing the PF because the PF is sweet! The PF under President Edgar Chagwa Lungu is sweet! So, he (Kambwili) has seen that instead of having privileges, which we have of going to the constituencies carrying the name of his Excellency Edgar Lungu… he has now started admiring that, ‘if I was not foolish, I could have been there, too!’ ”

And in a separate interview, Copperbelt Police Commissioner Charity Katanga said she was not aware that some PF members had held political activities in the area.

“As you can see, I was not the one who issued the statement; ask the relevant offices. How do I comment on something I did not mention? So, you can ask people who issued that statement; it’s not me who issued that statement. In short, I have no comment. So, what am I going to comment in the first place? I am not the one who made that statement. As of the issue of them having meetings, I am yet to find out about that; I am not aware; I will find out from my officers regarding the issue that you have mentioned. I was in Chingola; I am not aware about that so I will find out what exactly the position is,” said Katanga.