Patriotic Front deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri says the resolutions that were passed at the National Dialogue Forum (NDF) were not PF’s resolutions, but represent views of all stakeholders who were in attendance, including Wynter Kabimba.

Reacting to Rainbow Party general secretary Wynter Kabimba, who last week charged that the PF were a “bunch of confused fellows” because they distanced themselves from some clauses in the Constitution Amendment Bill when some PF officials supported them during the NDF, Phiri insisted that the resolutions should not be taken as PF resolutions because several stakeholders attended the Forum.

“One thing you should know is that the NDF wasn’t a PF conference. It was inclusive of all stakeholders from across the society. Even Honorable Wytner Kabimba was part of that NDF; is he PF? No! He was representing his party. We had the Church there; we had civil society there and we made it very clear that the party position will be told from the outcomes of the NDF and we sat last week as the central committee to look at the resolutions of the NDF. And as a party, we chose things we thought that were progressive, according to our political party. So, for people to say ‘NDF was PF’ on what basis are they basing that one because we had all political parties represented, even members of parliament! We had 16 from UPND, we had everyone from MMD; FDD was there, even political parties… Lukuku (James) came with two, according to the Act,” Phiri said.

“So, what came out of the NDF, nobody can say that was PF resolutions, no! That was the NDF resolutions, and as a party, we just looked at that last Monday and we picked what we thought was progressive and that is our party position. What the secretary general said that is our party position. He (Kabimba) cannot argue. You should have asked him, you should have asked my dad to say is he PF? Because he was there! You know, in the NDF, we were breaking into groups. And those groups if they come up with a resolution when we go to the plenary we were again voting if we don’t agree. So, that consensus is for every member who was in the NDF, and not only PF; everybody was represented and I was part of that so I know what I am talking about.”

She revealed that some Ministers during the Forum, which concluded proceedings two months ago, agreed to reintroduce deputy ministers.

“PF as a political party to the NDF was represented by our chairman, Samuel Mukupa, and Antonio Mwanza, our deputy media director everybody who went there went as a member of parliament. No, I will not agree with whatever he said (Kabimba); I was part of that and I saw how the process was going. That is his opinion, but you ask him: is he PF? Because he was there also. Everybody had their own independent minds when we went there that is why if you make a follow-up, there are some people who are even our Ministers who are agreed with the introduction of the deputy ministers. They are there on record if you check through you will see who supported that. But as a party when we sat as a main body, the central committee we came up with those resolutions,” said Phiri.