The Patriotic Front in Central Province has the crusade against Minister of Finance Mutati, accusing him of destabilising the ruling party.

Scores of PF members this morning staged a protest march from Kasanda market along Kabwe –Ndola road to the party secretariat, behind Horizon Hotel, to present a petition demanding Mutati’s removal to PF provincial chairman Chanda Mutale.

The placard carrying members chanted anti-Mutati slogans and some of the placards read, “Mutati must go”.

In presenting the petition, Kabwe central constituency information publicity secretary, Sam Lupupa, said Mutati did not mean well for the party structures.

He alleged that the Finance Minister had been using his ministerial position to revamp the opposition Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) where he is serving as president.

“Your excellency, Felix Mutati has been using his ministerial position as a stepping stone to revamp his MMD party which died in 2011. We say this as evidenced by what happened when he, in the company of two other ministers, honourable Mulenga Kaziya (water resources and sanitation); and Christopher Yaluma (minerals and natural resources), visited our newly acquired offices in Kabwe on 17th of July 2017 and the trio after complaining that we had no money donated only K4,000. To our surprise, honourable Mutati ended up donating K15,000 to MMD members the same day” Lupupa said.

Lupupa said as a party in the province, they felt insulted because MMD members in the province were now boasting by claiming that “the government is for PF but the power to control the money is in the hands of the MMD”.

“He must choose between being president of MMD or being a minister. It is our prayer that our cry shall be heard” said Lupupa.

And in receiving the petition, PF provincial chairman, Chanda Mutale said he would deliver the petition to the secretary general of the party, who will in turn present it to the Head of State.

“As you go back to your different districts, be assured that your petition will be presented to the president. For now remain patient as we wait to hear what the president will say after receiving your petition,” said Mutale.