LUSAKA Province PF chairman Paul Moonga says the ruling party does not care whether the Opposition Alliance fields one candidate in next year’s general election because no one will stop President Edgar Lungu from winning.

And Moonga has advised Zambians to stop following retired Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu, saying he claims to be a Christian when in fact not.

In an interview, Moonga boasted that the PF was there to stay and that it was already preparing for 2026 general election because 2021 was already a done deal.

“For us, we only have one agenda and that is to unite this country. Our politics is not based on tribe, or colour or lineages. Our politics is based on ‘One Zambia, One Nation’ and to take this country to the highest level that everybody would not even believe. So, we are not scared of any political party or any candidate. We have got formidable, now he’s (President Lungu) even stronger than before because now he understands the politics in State House and he cannot gamble anymore. When Edgar Lungu goes in 2026, one of his lieutenants who are learning his leadership style, one of them will emerge a winner in 2026. So, we are there to stay, tell them,” argued Moonga.

“2026 we are winning, 2021 tinawina kudala yeve osakamba nokamba! (We’ve already won the 2021 elections so don’t even talk about them!) We are already celebrating our 2021 victory. The debate, now, should be about 2026. We are planning ahead as PF. If you don’t plan, it will be an accident. So, we are far much ahead of the opposition because we are planning for 2026. The opposition is behind because they are still crying about the elections, which they lost because they still don’t know how they lost. We know how we won and we know how to improve to win big time. We were at 51 per cent in 2021, now we are aiming at 75 per cent victory. So, that’s the difference between ourselves and the opposition.”

Moonga reiterated that the ruling party had a Christiano Ronaldo in President Lungu, adding that the PF were already celebrating the 2021 election victory while preparing for the 2026 polls.

He also argued that the opposition had no agenda other than removing a legitimate government from power, which was delivering its promises to Zambians.

“We are not threatened by any candidate. I keep on saying time and again that they can bring five defenders on one striker I call Ronaldo. Edgar Chagwa Lungu is unstoppable! We don’t care if the Opposition Alliance will field in one candidate because the people of Zambia know our capacity to deliver services; they have seen and our work will speak for us. The opposition only has an agenda and that is to remove Edgar Chagwa Lungu and PF out of government, so after that, what next? You have only one sole agenda of removing a legitimate government from office, who is doing fine, so if you remove him (President Lungu), what next?” Moonga asked.

“So, you can see that there is nothing these people are going to offer. What are they offering on the table? Their campaign is not issue-based, it is malicious and scandalous! The opposition has continued to call us corrupt, but we are delivering. Just over the weekend, the President was in Southern Province to deliver projects. So, we don’t choose where to take development whether they voted for us or not. Once we are voted in office, everyone becomes our people, including HH and all those arrogant and finished characters in their new alliance!”

And Moonga alleged that the pioneers of the recently-launched OCIDA were being used by the opposition to remove the PF government from power.

“What can they offer? What will (Dr Sketchley) Sacika offer the Zambian people? Retired and tired people want to come back to politics. How can you bring Kalusha Bwalya back to start playing football? He had his time, now we have Patson Daka and [Enock] Mwepu. So, this is time for Edgar Chagwa Lungu. Some people have tried, but they have failed. Even at school, if a child has failed exams five times, even parents become tired sending that child back to school. So, these are tired politicians whose agenda is nothing, they are just saying, ‘we shall field one candidate’, which candidate? They have one only one candidate in mind and that is HH. The rest are [all] being used, we know the agenda behind. We have Telesphore Mpundu, retired Bishop, a man who was cheating to be a Christian, yet he is not. Bishop Mpundu, are those people you can surely be following?” asked Moonga.