PF Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri says lack of coordination in the party is what makes people think the ruling party is not working.
Speaking when she met all party structures in Central Province, Saturday, Phiri said some elected leaders had let the party down because they were not connected to party structures.
“Lack of coordination, that is why people are thinking that we are not working. It is you our elected leaders that are letting us down. I have heard many times the President saying he has instructed ministers publicly and he gives an example of himself when he was a minister how he used to go and see the party structures, that is why it was easy for him…there was a public outcry across the country that he should takeover after the death of ba Sata because he never left structures behind,” Phiri said.
“So ba provincial chairman if we have ministers that come and they don’t want to visit party structures…I am just telling you that the President has instructed them to be meeting the structures, so they are ignoring, are we not in 2020? If they are not seeing you when are they going to come and see you? Let us not get frustrated with those small things where we have come with PF is far back. In this world no situation is permanent one day this position of deputy SG will finish. One needs to associate with other people.”
Phiri urged Central Province Minister Sydney Mushanga and PF central province chairperson Chanda Mutale to work together and stop the lies that were coming out of the province.
“From this meeting, the Provincial chairman and the Provincial Minister, I want to see you start working hand in hand and that is what the President wants. Ifyaku setting’a tefyo (don’t provoke each other), you are serving one cause the people of Kabwe, the people of Serenje, the entire Central Province. You are the two people who are serving these people. If your relationship is sour, when you see each other it’s like you see teargas, it should come to an end,” Phiri said.
“Provincial Minister, your failure is Chanda’s failure, provincial chairman Mushaga’a failure is also your failure. Start moving together and lies will come to an end. The lies that are in Central Province, it is because the Provincial Minister and the chairman are encouraging it. Ba Chanda Mutale if you hear that ba Mushanga has done this, follow him at the office.”
And Phiri said being in the party central committee was not a guarantee that one would be adopted to stand as MP in 2021.
“I get surprised, people who are saying that if you are in the central committee then automatically I will be adopted, you are a joker. Those who say no we are in the central committee if you apply for adoption automatically you will be adopted, is that possible? Am I not the deputy SG, was I adopted? I was also left, but we supported the party,” said Phiri.
And Mutale, who is also Chitambo PF member of parliament said the party had suspended some party officials who were holding illegal meetings for presidential aspirant Kelvin Bwalya Fube.
“I want to report to you that the district chairman for Chibombo, he is a suspended member of the PF [together with] one constituency official in Katuba and one ward chairlady for Chunga. These have been suspended for attending illegal meetings for Kelvin Bwalya Sampa Fube. I have a provincial disciplinary report here with me here which I am going to handover to you so that when these people appeal, they should come to your office and register their displeasure about their suspensions,” said Mutale.