PF deputy secretary general Mumbi has reiterated that her party will rule for over 100 years because it has a winning strategy, as demonstrated by victories in the just ended local government by-elections.

She was reacting to complaints from the opposition that the Patriotic front won because it used violence to intimidate voters.

“PF as a party and me as a deputy Secretary General have always said that we will concentrate on working. And I am glad that people in North Western and Western provinces have seen that we are working. So that’s what we are going to concentrate on and I repeat that PF is going to rule [for] over 100 years. Come 2021, these people who have no agenda for the country will have nothing to talk about. Our strategy for winning elections is that we are working on the projects we promised and people are seeing what we are doing. So all these claims from the Socialist party and these others are just excuses, because if you heard the other party also (UPND) they are claiming that it was because of violence that’s why they lost elections, but that’s not true,” Phiri said.

“And if you remember very well, it’s the UPND who started violence in Monze. Examples are there, we even had a woman who was admitted in UTH after she was badly injured. And if they expect people who go to campaign in their strongholds to be quiet when they are beating our brothers and sisters…they shouldn’t expect to bring the Mapatizya formula which they are known for and expect people to be quiet, they will get what they are asking for.”

Phiri argued that, contrary to Socialist Party general secretary Dr Cosmas Musumali’s allegations that the PF was using tribalism and other non-issues to hide it’s incompetence, it was the UPND which was promoting tribalism.

“Who is shielding tribalism? Us as PF we are very transparent. Our founder member of the PF Mr Michael Sata was Bisa from Mpika, and when he died we didn’t behave like the way UPND behaved. We picked President Lungu who is an Easterner to become President. But our friends in UPND made it very clear that the only person who could replace (Anderson) Mazoka was a fellow Tonga, so who is championing tribalism? You know these people have nothing to talk about,” said Phiri.

“That’s why they can stand up and claim that President Edgar Lungu’s names are Jonathan Mutaware but who doesn’t know in Mutendere where President Edgar Lungu was staying when they shifted from Kitwe to Lusaka. His mother was a marketeer in Mutendere. So these they have nothing to talk about, nomba balesabailafye (so they are just talking anyhow). Anyway for us our job is to work, let them continue talking, 2021 will catch up with them.”