PF Copperbelt mobilisation committee chairman Bowman Lusambo says no government or party funds have been used to sponsor the COVID-19 sensitization rally in Ndola on the 17th October 2020.
The event is expected to feature international artists from South Africa Master KG and Mafikizolo.
In an interview Lusambo said all arrangements were being done by the Copperbelt mobilisations committee and well wishers.
” Where is the problem if we bring artists from South Africa? Where is the problem? The problem is when Bowman jumps, the country comes to a stand still. There is no problem. The committee came up with local artists; it is not Bowman. The committee came up with the decision. We have two local artists there. What if we bring Jay Z because Obama brought Jay Z what are people going to be saying? There is no problem as a committee we have the mandate to mobilize. We are mobilizing the people for the party and the people we are mobilizing are from all walks of life including opposition. We are mobilizing even from the opposition. We want numbers in our party. So for us mobilising has no specific area, mobilising is the entire Copperbelt. In Ndola the committee thought we can use the team they have picked,” Lusambo said.
” We will be going to Lyuansha on the 25th, we will use different people so it is a known issue. When you see us working in politics, it doesn’t mean that we don’t have friends. We have friends all over the country, we have friends all over, we have friends in other countries. We were not born as politicians. We have passed through other parts of life and we have created friends in the long run. When we are doing things our friends come on board, they support the noble call. There is nothing that we have done. The money issue there is no one who has spent there! For me the issue of musicians is a non issue. Remember that Mafikizolo has been in Zambia before. This is just a normal thing. The party and government has not spent anything because that is not part and parcel of their responsibility. So forget about the party, forget about government, all the preparations was done and they are still doing those things as mobilisation.”
He added that selection of the musicians was done by the committee who saw it fit to invite South African artists.
” When you are mobilising, definitely you need to entertain your people. It is more like in church. When you go to church, there is praise and worship, there is bible reading and other programs in church. So Copperbelt mobilisation we are not there just for the name we are there to work and I can assure you that we are going to work. When you are working and you see critics all over just ignore and focus on the bigger picture. What is the bigger picture? The bigger picture is to mobilize and that is what we are doing. All these things to do with musicians we can work without musicians. We can work without any musicians whether a Zambian musician or any. In any function that is why when you go to a party function they are people who sing there. As a team they sat, it is not me, they said we are going to use these people. We used Rich Bizz, we used Kings, we used Mathew Ngosa, we used Chester in Mufulira,” he added.
” So those who are talking, why are they not talking when we took Rich Bizzy in Mufulira? What has changed today? They want to start controlling us in our own house. We are not insulting anyone, we are not fighting anyone. We are mobilising the party for 2021. In Zambia when are we going to work as a team? You don’t have to condemn everything. They are complaining of Zambian Musicians, we have been using Zambian musicians. Our popularity is not coming from the musicians no! These musicians come to perform when the crowd is already full. Then we tell them to entertain. We mobilise supporters for Edgar Lungu and the party.”
When asked whether holding such a big event was the best way to sensitise people about COVID-19, Lusambo dodged the question and referred the reporter to the committee team, preparing the event.
” I started a long time [doing] COVID-19 awareness and I am a survivor of COVID-19 thank God we are here. So for me I feel like you are troubling me asking me such questions. Me I am just told that today this is where you are going I go and talk. So the team is there. So look for the team that is organizing. Is it that everything we do is bad? Bowman goes out at 02hrs and goes to protect people from COVID no its bad,” said Lusambo.
” You tell the opposition that we are not here to joke around and we are here to work. We are adding numbers to his excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu. Copperbelt province as we promised them in the next three months it will be 100 percent PF and those people who want to lie that they have penetrated Copperbelt, we want to tell them that go and show us the penetration you have been talking about?”