Acting PF Lusaka Province chairman Paul Moonga yesterday presented a petition to Secretary General Davies Mwila to expel Emmanuel Chilubanama from the ruling party, further thanking Prime TV for their “prudent reporting”.
And Davies Mwila has warned that all members who wish to contest any position at the party general conference this June should respect themselves as he will not allow anyone to cause confusion.
Speaking after leading hundreds of PF members from all Lusaka structures in a march to the Party secretariat, Moonga warned party members to be mindful of what they say on camera.
“Honorable Secretary General, your members of the party in Lusaka province have petitioned the office of the provincial chairman, to have one member, Emmanuel Chilubanama be expelled from the party. We had called Emmanuel Chilubanama to appear before my committee and we charged him according to the disciplinary code of our party. He was given a fair hearing but the young man alas decided to cheat the committee, he thought we were fools, shame on him. And I want to thank Prime TV for their prudent reporting and I want to warn all members of the political party that whatever you say, these cameras are recording. Tomorrow don’t turn around that I never spoke to them. Secondly, you must also ask yourself, in what capacity are you facing the media, who are you? You have no party position, you have taken too much alcohol, and go to the media pantu mwinga landa ichisungu, kutumpa (just because you can speak English, that’s being stupid),” said Moonga.
“You are given the highest job as permanent secretary of the land, today you stand up and start insulting our Head of State, we can never spare you. Having sat with my committee, we decided that we give you a letter which we as a provincial committee, working together with all our party structures, that our colleagues crossed the line, that he must be expelled from the party. Subsequently as a decision of that committee, Chilubanama remains suspended until you resolve the matter, he is suspended immediately from the party until your committee sir, will sit down and report back to the provincial executive and all the members, they have said that this young man has crossed the line and he must leave us.”
And Mwila has warned party members to behave themselves as the general conference approaches or risk being chucked out of the party.
“Mr chairman, I want to assure you that I have always been a serious secretary general and I will take this matter very serious. In the next central committee meeting, you will expect this matter to be tabled. And a decision will be announced to the nation on what the central committee will decide. But I want to say this, today you have demonstrated that you don’t want indiscipline in the party in Lusaka province. Anyone who is trying to cause confusion before the general conference must be kicked out. Whilst we are a democratic party, we want to allow [anyone] to contest any position at the general conference, we are not going to allow anyone to cause confusion. We want unity, we want peace so that as we elect our people, all of us will be smiling. We have not said that President Edgar Lungu should not be challenged, we have made it very clear, he is our candidate, the central committee made a decision, we are going with President Edgar Lungu in 2021 but anyone can come and challenge him at the general conference and they will find us at the general conference,” said Mwila.
“The party lies in the structures, you will find the structures at Mulungushi Rock of Authority. So we have decided that we are going to hold the general conference in June but I want to repeat that all those who are interested in any position from Central committee to President, you are free to do so but ufwile wai chindika (you have to respect yourself). Nga tauichindike, tawaka fikeko ku Kabwe, nga wakwata umuchinshi uka fika ku Kabwe (if you don’t respect yourself, you won’t reach Kabwe, but when you do, you will be there in Kabwe). But I want to say that as a party, we are very much comfortable of winning 2021 elections. We are very comfortable, we are very sure and we are very confident that president Edgar Lungu as our candidate is going to deliver in 2021. He is going to deliver victory because of what we are doing in 10 provinces. You are able to see the decongestion of the roads that we are doing here, people are able to see with their own eyes, so what will speak in 2021 is the work we are doing now. Even if they insult, we will show them how we have improved Lusaka.”
Early this month, Prime TV quoted Chilubanama saying President Lungu was tired and needed to go and rest at a farm, remarks which he later refuted and threatened to sue the private TV station.
