PF elections committee chairperson Yamfwa Mukanga has instructed council officials not to give plots or jobs to members of the opposition.

And Mukanga says some members of parliament are not visiting their constituencies because people are putting them under pressure with money demands.

Meanwhile, Mukanga has asked Eastern Province residents to turn up in full capacity and vote for President Edgar Lungu in 2021.

Speaking when party Secretary General Davies Mwila launched intra-party elections in Chipata, Monday, Mukanga asked council officials not to give plots to the opposition.

“At the district level, councils, let us ensure that our people get the benefit. You are the people, do you know, you can mess up our party because when it comes to giving plots, you are giving others, don’t give the opposition,” Mukanga said.

“When it comes to giving jobs, you are chasing our people, no! It is wrong. You should understand, these are our parents, our parents need to benefit from us.”

At this point, PF media director Sunday Chanda was seen whispering something to Mukanga before he added; “Now in doing all this, you should follow our people, we should follow the procedure. I am not saying that you are given dubiously, no, it is procedure but don’t marginalize our people because our people are working hard to sustain our leadership. Let’s be united like buns…If we don’t do that, you will find that we will give room to the enemy.”

Mukanga also said jobs were in the boat.

“In Luapula, we use the boat and the very reason we use the boat is because we are fishermen and when we are fishing, we ensure that in the boat, we have mealie meal, we have pots and we make sure, when you are going in a boat, you don’t go with a suit or a tie because the job is hard. When we go there, we cast the net and when we catch a lot of fish, we put it in the boat and carry on. That’s when you see fishermen, they are not small, they are big and strong like myself. We have reached a stage where we have to look at each other and see if we are moving in the right direction because the boat is the one which is carrying everything. If you want a job, it is in the boat. If you want food, it is in the boat, if you want respect, it is in the boat,” he said.

“So this is the time when you need to look at each other and see whether we are moving in the same direction. Elections have come not because people have failed, no…now is not a time to forget one another, it is a time to remember one another.”

And Mukanga observed that some MPs were avoiding their constituencies because their people were demanding too much money.

“You people, the party belongs to you, starting from the sections, the branches, the wards, constituencies, the districts, it belongs to you. Now, if the party belongs to you, we have gone out every time there is an election to go and vote for leaders. The party voted for councillors, voted for MPs, in short, these are our children isn’t it? If some of our children are not performing very well what do we do? Do we throw them? You can’t throw water and a dirty child together, no. We call them, sit down, we work together. So what we need to do is that these councillors, we have put them there, let us support them, if they are making mistakes, let them sit down with us and we finalize issues. The same applies with MPs. Me I have been an MP for a long time and I know the challenges that these people face. At times, some people are saying a lot of things about MPs ‘they have money here and there’, at Parliament, there’s no money which they hide in the corner but you think the MP has got money when he comes. Some people are even failing to go to their constituencies because of pressure,” he said.

“You are the parents, let us sit down with them and work with them. What I am talking about is unity, when people vote for you, it does not mean that you should now roll up your window, no. And you even start speaking English, ‘No, I am very busy, I cannot see you at this time’, no. We need to be discussing the same way we were discussing when we were voting for you.”

Meanwhile, Mukanga asked Eastern Province residents to turn up at full capacity to vote for President Lungu in 2021.

“Let’s vote for loyalty and don’t vote for money. Just because someone will come with money last minute, don’t! Vote for people who will take the party forward…Some political parties are talking about democracy, but it is time we learnt that democracy is practical, it is not theoretical. In our party, we want elections at branch, at ward and at constituency. Now, when elections come at constituency level, My committee is going to conduct committee elections, district elections and provincial elections here…hold these elections without manipulation and if you do that, we are going to have a leadership that will usher in our president in 2021, Edgar Chagwa Lungu and by the way, Eastern Province, we don’t want those votes you give for 40 per cent, you people, the president comes from here, this time, we want 100 per cent. What we are saying that 2021, Edgar Chagwa Lungu, it is 100 per cent, not 50 per cent. We want you to lead the voting in the country then everybody else should follow., I am sure you are able. You always say you are our parents not so? Then why do you lag behind when it comes to voting? Maybe you are eating too much mice, you should stop,” said Mukanga.