Patriotic Front deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri says the ruling party is still intact but is going through a “self-cleansing” phase which is getting rid of those with unhealthy presidential ambitions.

And Phiri, who was recently nominated as member of parliament, has insisted that President Edgar Lungu is the ruling party’s sole candidate for 2021.

Speaking when she featured on One Love Radio, Tuesday, Phiri said the PF was still strong and intact.

She said the disturbances in the party were caused by those with presidential ambitions who were not patient enough to wait for God’s appointed time.

“PF is intact, PF is still strong and I was shocked today when I saw a statement from Mrs Magarate Musonda who was telling MMD members to say ‘let us mobilise to take advantage of the confusion which is in the PF, there is no confusion. Remember when we were going for an election starting from 2015, we only campaigned for 21 days but because President Edgar Lungu was ordained by God who created him, he campaigned for 21 days and he won. Look at what happened when we went for elections in 2016, we saw our big wigs leaving the party.
So for those who think there is confusion, there’s only one, Harry Kalaba who has resigned. These others were asked to leave. And if you look at what has led to all this, you are going to know it is the presidential ambitions which people have,” Phiri said.

“Those who don’t wait upon the lord. And if you know politics, you can even see because God will open your eyes. If you are faithful to him, you are able to see that this is not my time. But being over ambitious, over rating yourself, you make a mistake. And me I am calling it self cleansing and I am telling the President whenever I am with him to say ‘let us work’. And some of these things they talk about, we don’t even pay attention.”

She said the PF would continue working towards fulfilling campaign promises ahead of 2021.

“Ours is to work and fulfil our campaign promises so that in 2021, we wont have difficulties to campaign because we will have things which will stand and we will point at them. Yes, we listen to the opposition, some of the things that they say, we take them on board but we will not take on board if for example my brother honourable Chishimba Kambwili has been taken to court by a private citizen Chilufya Tayali then he starts insulting the President, is that fair? If he became the President of the Republic of Zambia would be want the people who he is ruling to talk to him the way he is talking? The bad things we do, they will be done to us twice as much…Getting into 2021, we are mobilising, bringing more members and working,” Phiri said.

And Phiri insisted that President Lungu was the party’s sole candidate in 2021.

“This issue is even in the ConCourt and me, I am a law abiding citizen, I don’t like commenting over things which are in the courts. However, we have endorsed President Lungu as a party as our sole candidate in 2021. However, we are going for a convention in 2020 and we have said we are not stopping anybody who wants to challenge President Edgar Lungu at the convention. They are free. Even me if I feel that I can be president, I can go and file in. we are not stopping anybody. And we are waiting for the ruling of the ConCourt then we will move from there,” said Phiri.