PATRIOTIC Front deputy spokesperson Frank Bwalya says temptations are high among PF cadres to obtain land without following the normal procedure.

And Bwalya says he has gained a lot of respect for Zambians after they attacked party Secretary General Davies Mwila over his directive that ruling party cadres must take over the running of bus stations and share land.

Speaking when he featured on Hot FM’s Hot Seat programme, Bwalya said there was always temptation among PF cadres to get land without following the proper procedure among ruling party members.

“There is a temptation and this temptation will always be there because we are human beings, we think if you belong to a governing party then you can access a plot without following procedure but at the end of the day if you don’t follow procedure, how can they even tell you the extent of your plot and how do you process a title? All these things. So even if you didn’t want to follow procedure at the end of the day you would because you wouldn’t get a title for land if you have not followed procedure,” Bwalya said.

“The policies of a governing party could not contract the laws that a country has set for itself and that no one was excluded from abiding by the set laws.”

And Bwalya swallowed his pride and admitted that Mwila had indeed uttered those instructions to PF cadres.

On January 19, 2017, Bwalya had claimed that the media misquoted Mwila after the latter suffered widespread criticism. “As to who runs bus stations and markets in this country for instance, the law is very clear so there is no way the SG could have said anything other than what the law says and so they are just fishing in the dust and trying to put words in the mouth of the PF official thinking that if they continue to be heard, they will maintain their relevance,” Bwalya said.

But when asked about the subject yesterday, Bwalya said it was now water under the bridge and that he had gained more respect for Zambians.

“Now that a lot of water on this matter is under the bridge, allow me to take a different angle about this subject, as human beings whatever happens we have to learn lessons and one thing I have learned from this matter is that we should congratulate Zambians. We should pat them on the back because Zambians have become politically alert, Zambians are raising the bar of conduct of politics in this country, they are raising the bar of leadership, Zambians are saying ‘this we will allow a leader say, this we will not allow a leader to say’ Zambians have come to a level where they are going to force answers out of those who have offered themselves for leadership whether it is at national level or indeed in their individual organisations,” Bwalya said.

“This matter has raised a lot of dust because Zambians wanted clarity, Zambians wanted to make sure that they continue to conduct politics and government business and so on…in a manner consistent with the laws that we have laid for ourselves and once the SG realised that Zambians needed that clarity, it was made clear and the President also added his voice, as deputy spokesperson I don’t need to be redundant, I don’t need to repeat what the SG said, I don’t need to repeat what the President said. Suffice to say that what the people have been saying is what the law says and the Patriotic Front says; what the law says is the status quo and shall it continue like that.”