Copperbelt PF youth chairperson Nathan Chanda says former provincial minister Mwenya Musenge must come out in the open and declare that he is no longer in support of President Edgar Lungu’s administration.

Musenge has been critical of President Lungu’s government in the recent past, questioning how some government leaders had amassed so much wealth within a short period.

According The Mast newspaper, Musenge who is a member of the PF Central Committee, fears that the party has started too many battles.

“My heart is burning; we have started too many fights, first it was The Post and now it is Hakainde Hichilema,” The Mast quoted Musenge as saying.

He further claimed that President Lungu’s political adviser Kaizer Zulu called to threaten him for making negative statements about the ruling party.

“Kaizar Zulu, the political advisor to the President, phoned me on Monday night (Labour Day) at about 19:30 to be precise. He called me on his line 0977826222… He warned me against issuing statements in the press. Then he went further to say ‘I am warning you, you will be sorted out if you continue to make such utterances’,” Musenge is quoted as saying.

But the PF has put its foot down on Musenge, with Copperbelt officials saying they are running out of patience for people who were attacking President Lungu’s administration.

“As PF youths on the Copperbelt, we have decided not to attack Mr Musenge as a Member of the Central Committee, because we respect our leaders. However, we are shocked that Mr Musenge has continued to show actions that are attacking the party leadership in a tabloid that has given him much attention. The continued coverage of Mr Musenge in a private tabloid is just meant to divide the party on the Copperbelt,” Chanda said.

“If Mr Musenge claims to be popular on the Copperbelt, he would have won the elections in Chimwemwe constituency for the party. We want to tell our youths not to be mislead by the fake youths who are claiming to be in support of Mr Musenge on the Copperbelt.”

Chanda charged that Musenge did nothing for the party when he held the provincial government office.

“We challenge him to tell us what he did for the PF youths and the ordinary youths on the Copperbelt when they were in big offices. What did Mr Musenge do when he was Copperbelt minister? There is no project that the youths benefited. If he means well for the party, he can’t be dividing us,” said Chanda.

“We therefore demand that he should distance himself from these statements which have put the name of the party into public ridicule and contempt.”

Earlier this month, PF Copperbelt chairman Stephen Kainga said the party was running out of patience with Musenge.

“As Copperbelt leadership, we will not condone people that want to go against the directives of the President. Mr Musenge should come out in the open and state whether he is with us or against us. Lately his conduct of attacking the party using the media is unbecoming,” said Kainga.

“As a province, we are running out of patience with members that want to ridicule the party. If some people are fed up, they are free to leave in peace than discrediting the party and President Lungu.”