Democratic Party leader Harry Kalaba says he should not be likened to people who are going back to the PF because he can’t reduce himself to a vice mobilisation chairman when he is now president.

And Kalaba has urged traditional leaders to stop siding with politicians and emulate chiefs like Mukuni who welcomes everyone regardless of political affiliation.

Speaking when he featured on Voice of Kalomo, Saturday, Kalaba said PF was a no go area for him because it had disappointed the Zambian people.

“The Bible says he who puts his hand on the plough and he looks back is not fit for the kingdom, that’s what the Bible says…Just the way my face is different from your face is the same way our paths are unique. So you can’t tie it to say Harry Kalaba also now is going back to PF, why should I go to PF myself when I am the President through a convention, properly organised convention I was elected to be president of this party, I have been promoted to president, why do you want me to be vice mobilisation chairman in another political party? Honestly, why? And then you keep saying Kalaba might go back. I would rather, for me, honestly speaking for me, if it is the PF, it’s a no go area. Because those people have disappointed not only the Zambian people but even us who had faith that things might go a little bit better, things are just in another dimension and I refuse to say that there is even an option or an alternative, PF no,” Kalaba said.

“Me I am Harry Kalaba, I have just told you that for me, even as minister, I just resigned on my own, I chose to leave PF myself. Honestly then why did I leave as minister and why should I go back because for me, they didn’t ask me to leave, I just left on my own. So how can you say no, it’s like you are married to her and he is married to her and then because you married at the same time and then you divorce and then when you divorce they start saying your friend has divorced, you also what guarantee are you giving us that you will not divorce because you were married at the same time. It doesn’t work that way, our journeys of life we human beings are very unique, very different, how we look at life is very different.”

And Kalaba asked the church to pray for political party leaders so that they can stop using other people’s children to perpetuate violence.

“You should pray for us leaders so that we stop using other people’s children for violence because while our children are seated in our homes, we are borrowing other people’s children to go and commit violence. While our children are drinking juice, they are eating sausages, we are getting other people’s children and giving them junta, you are giving other people’s children junta, your child is busy in Rhodes Park, he is busy in Kabulonga, busy at a farm, you are an MP for Kalomo, busy changing channels and yet your own friends’ children are the ones you are borrowing. We in the DP are saying no violence, we will not borrow other people’s children, you will never hear us attack anybody on radio or attacking anybody using youth,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kalaba said traditional leaders like Chief Mibenge of Luapula should not get involved in politics by thinking they are twins with the PF.

“Traditional leaders should stay away from politics and most of the traditional leaders here in Southern Province, congratulations, they don’t get involved in politics, they are involved in only developmental matters like Senior Chief Mukuni, I love that chief because that chief, he receives anybody who can go to his palace. Senior Chief Mukuni, you don’t even need an appointment to go there. Last time I just called 20 minutes before and he said ‘the doors are open please come, what are you waiting for?’ But there are some chiefs who think PF and them are twins. Like chief Mibenge there in Luapula, him he even tells you, no here, it’s…we have to single him out because he is the only one we know who is talking about these things of politics. Now, you don’t do that, learn from others Chief Mibenge, learn from others what they are doing because others have said we can’t get involved in politics. I can give an example of Chief Chisunka, he is receiving everybody, Chief Mukuni is receiving everybody,” said Kalaba.

“Where is this other chief getting these ideas from? Chiefs are fathers, they are mothers. The other day we were in Nalolo, we went to see the Chieftainess, she didn’t chase us because we are coming from DP so we can’t be part of, no, she saw us, we had a very cordial affair with her, we chatted, we laughed and she said ‘me, I am a mother, don’t feel offended tomorrow when you hear that another leader has come. Tomorrow I might receive Hakainde Hichilema’, I said ‘why not, that’s my elder brother, it’s okay, you can receive him after all me and Hakainde we talk’. That is how a chief should be. Now, there are those others who think the election of these PF people even them they are part of it, we are telling them, be careful, stay away from this thing because this thing, you might end up being the only one outside because even those you are talking for, you will find that they have also joined us in the DP, what will you say?”