People’s Alliance for Change leader Andyford Banda says there is need for the opposition to devise plans that can defeat the PF in 2021 and usher in a government with a vision because the only priority for the ruling party now is campaigning instead of repairing the economy.

And Banda has observed that despite the PF failing to rule the country, they have continued to manipulate Zambians into believing that they are working.

In an interview with News Diggers! Banda said the PF branded books, vehicles and bicycles were a clear indication that the ruling party wanted to win the 2021 elections using money power.

“The pictures that we have seen of the PF branded bicycles with the face of Edgar Lungu, plus the distribution of [branded] books is a clear indication that the PF want to win the next elections at all cost. The PF wants to use money, power to win the next elections. If we want to play their game, I don’t think we can make it. The best way is to devise other means of educating the voters because clearly the PF have failed. Now the fact that they have failed means that we should not give them a chance to rule this country. But despite the fact that they have failed and people don’t have hope of getting jobs, or their businesses being supported, we have seen that the PF have continued to manipulate people and to build the capacity to win the next elections at all cost,” he said.

“As PAC what we believe should be done is that we need to engage in civic education with the voters so that money shouldn’t be the idea here. The idea should be the issue of the performance of any government and the key performance indicators of this government which the PF cannot meet. The PF have not managed to meet those key performance indicators. We also need to come up with a new way of recruiting our members so that we motivate them to go and vote. Otherwise if we are going to brand books, brand bicycles, brand vehicles and all sorts of things, it will be difficult.”

Banda emphasized that the voter education programmes needed to start immediately.

“I think the job has to start now. It doesn’t have to wait for 2021 for us to start doing this because at that time it is money at play. Its not the message. The message can only sink in the voters right now and not in 2021. So we believe that all of us as Zambians have a role to play to ensure that we stop the PF’s mismanagement of resources, corruption and ensure that we usher in a government with a vision in 2021. We must be wary that the PF are already investing in the 2021 campaigns and yet we are three years away,” said Banda.

“That we have to be worried about and that we have to do something about it. The fact that the PF are not showing any urgency in sorting out issues with the economy but they are showing urgency in campaigning, that should be a source of worry and we need to do everything possible to make sure that we devise plans that can actually defeat the PF whether they have a lot of money or they don’t have money.”