In this audio, PF deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri says it does not make sense for the ruling party to eat alone and keep its MMD partners outside government like dogs when they helped win the last elections.

And President Edgar Lungu says preparations for the 2021 general elections must start immediately among party officials because if they delay it will be difficult to win.

Mumbi said this in Luapula yesterday when she welcomed the Head of State who is in the Province to officiate at the inaugural Luapula Expo, which is spearheaded by Provincial Minister Nickson Chilangwa.

In an apparent reaction to expelled Chishimba Kambwili who has been complaining that PF has been hijacked by MMD members, Mumbi wondered how people expected the ruling party to treat those who helped it win the elections.

“Bonse mwema structures ya Patriotic Front, mwisakama ukweba ati bamo twalibatamfya. Pantu icimfulunganyo nga cachilamo, nangufye umwana nga walimutemwa sana kumulanga ati naulufyanya. (All of you in the party structures, don’t worry about those who we have chased away. When there is too much disunity, even a child, you must show them that they have made a mistake),” Mumbi said.

“So let this not deter us from recruiting more members. ushe abobene ba MMD mutweba ukulandapo everyday ati ba new ba new, ushe kwena bena tabakwata amano? Baisa batwafwa, twaipaya inama elo twababika panse, kwati nifilya bacita imbwa. Fwebantu tulelya, ba MMD ebo tatulecita appreciate bali panse. Bamunyinane, mwebashilakwata ifyakucita, ala tekanyeni. (Those MMD members you keep telling us that they are new comers, do you think they are dull? They came, helped us kill the animal and then we should keep them outside like dogs, while us we are eating? We keep the MMD outside without appreciating them? Those of you who don’t yet have what to do, take it easy).”

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She also encouraged the PF structures to make sure that they campaign harder this time to ensure that the ruling party does not give chance to the opposition.

“Ndelanda kuli imwe mwema party structures yesu. Mwibwelela kunuma pantu ino Luapula Province e strong hold ya Patriotic Front. You saw in the last election, in other areas where our friends have their strong holds, they never gave us chance. (I am talking to you our party structures. Don’t be discouraged because this Luapula Province is the PF stronghold),” said Mumbi.

“Luapula, Northen, Muchinga, Copperbelt Lusaka and Eastern Province, let us not give chance to people who are going to put a stop to the development which we are seeing in Zambia. Let us not allow anybody to do that.”

And President Lungu said time to prepare for the 2021 general elections was now.

“Let us embrace one another and form those party structures… if we do not prepare now 2021 will be very difficult for us. We must prepare for what’s coming and what’s coming are elections in 2021, so we need to consolidate our strongholds and make them better so that we are able to gunner more votes than we did last time,” President Lungu said.

“If we don’t have the mandate to come back in 2021, the developments we are seeing now will be lost. The vision which we carry as a political party will die…When our leader died, very few people here gave us a chance. But God is great, He has put as together and the party is now better and greater. But that being the case, you find people who want to claim to own the party, the party is owned by all of us collectively. I am just privileged to be a leader, tomorrow when the time comes, you will have to choose a leader. So those who want to show off, leave them, we will deal with them.”

President Lungu reiterated that he was not a dictator, and further told the people of Luapula to enjoy because the Threatened State of Emergency did not apply in the region as it was peaceful.

“Those who are saying Lungu is a dictator, mulebalabakofye, pantu dictator tefyo amoneka iyo (Ignore such people because this is not how a dictator looks). They just want to mislead you, me I am a product of a democratic process. The good thing is that when you listen more, you gain more, so I will listen more,” said President Lungu.

“Well done Provincial Minister for inviting us to the first-ever Luapula Expo. Thank you so much, I will be here upto Saturday. Nikumwesu kuno (this is my home). Kuno Article 31 tailebomba nangu Article 30 takuli. Kuno takuli Article 31 or 30, kuno nikumwesu. Elsewhere probably you need article 31, not kuno. So lets have fun, we are here to enjoy ourselves and also the potential that we have, God bless you.”