PF Secretary General Davies Mwila says he will not apologise to Prime TV for chasing away two of its journalists who went to cover his press briefing last Saturday.

And Mwila says Luangeni PF member of parliament Charles Zulu’s suspension stands even though it was executed by the grassroots.

Meanwhile, Mwila says if there are any PF members of parliament supporting Democratic Party leader Harry Kalaba’s presidential bid, they are cowards.

Mwila, who is former Home Affairs Minister, told News Diggers! in an interview, Wednesday, that the ruling Patriotic Front appreciated media houses which covers its activities, even if they were doing so negatively.

“Prime Television, I have said I will not apologies!” Mwila said.

“That’s not an issue. A media institution cannot impose themselves on me, it’s not possible.”

When reminded that Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya issued a statement to the effect that he was eager to meet Prime TV to iron out the ‘misunderstanding’, Mwila asked, “Meet who?”

He said if the station wanted to meet him, they should request to do so the way the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) did.

“If they want, not me, me I will not request, but if they want to meet me, they can. MISA requested and they met me.”

Asked if those saying the PF was being hard on the media were right, Mwila said, “No, where? We have not been hard to you (News Diggers), you have been writing bad things about us, but we appreciate because you cover us, whether bad or good, you cover us. That’s why I am even able to respond to you, we appreciate, because whatever we say, whether you twist it, but you have covered us, you get my point? And that’s the more reason we appreciate you.”

He said he had called Prime TV more than 16 times to cover his briefings but they had never covered.

“But imagine a situation whereby you call them (Prime TV), I have called them more than 16 times for my press briefing, they have never covered. Ask them if Hakainde Hichilema pays for the programs, he doesn’t pay but they ask us to pay. So we are saying that they are biased and I don’t need them anyway,” Mwila said.

And Mwila said Zulu’s suspension had the blessings of the party’s central committee, even though it was executed by the grassroots.

“The Party starts from the grassroots and the decision of the grassroots stands. He was suspended and given time for him to exculpate himself. So he must respond to the Party in the Constituency, so that’s the explanation I have. He has been asked to exculpate himself, of which he has not responded to the letter from the constituency,” Mwila said.

Meanwhile, the PF chief executive said all PF members of parliament who have been secretly supporting Kalaba’s presidential bid are cowards.

On Tuesday, Kalaba announced that he would not challenge his expulsion from the ruling party and boasted that there were a lot of PF members of parliament who are supporting his State House ambitions.

“We have welcomed his (Kalaba’s) decision and what we have said is that he cannot resign because he is no longer our member so his resignation cannot hold water, that’s what we have said. He should have resigned before that, a long time ago. We also expelled the Councillor who said she resigned the same day. The central committee made a decision based on the recommendation that came from the provincial committee. We have always been ready, we are the defending champions, so we are ever ready,” Mwila said.

“If there are MPs who are encouraging Kalaba, they are cowards! Why can’t they come out [of the party]? Kalaba has said I am going, he is courageous enough to say I am going, why can’t they also go if they are there?”