UPND vice-president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) has insisted that a lot of thieves in government come from Luapula and Eastern Provinces, going further to list those from those areas who have previously been convicted or dragged to court for corruption.

And GBM says there is a power struggle between Housing Minister Ronald Chitotela and his Health counterpart Dr Chitalu Chilufya as both wish to lead a PF faction dubbed Luapula United.

Meanwhile, GBM says when UPND forms government in 2021, it will wash out corruption with Jik.

Recently, PF media deputy director Antonio Mwanza asked GBM to apologize for saying that most thieves in government hailed from Luapula and Eastern Provinces.

But speaking when he featured on Pan African Radio’s People’s Debate programme, Wednesday, GBM refused to apologise, and went further to name some of those who had been convicted or dragged to court for corruption.

“Most of the thieves in government come from Luapula while others come from Eastern Province. Listeners let me tell you, wasn’t Rupiah Banda from Eastern Province who was taken to court? Wasn’t it late president [Fredrick] Chiluba from Luapula who was taken to court? Sata was from Muchinga, did you hear that he was taken to court for theft? [no]. We come to Dora Siliya, isn’t she from Eastern Province? Wasn’t she the one facing corruption charges? Maxwell Mwale is from which Province? Is he not from Eastern Province? How about this former ZAF commander [Eric] Chimese and they have still failed to arrest him because they were stealing together, isn’t he from Luapula?” GBM asked.

“Thieves have destroyed this country and so that is why fellow Zambians, when it’s time to vote, do not vote for a tribe, vote for someone who is going to bring you food on the table. Come 2021 let me tell you [that] Zambians will toss out PF through the ballot paper.”

And GBM said there was a power struggle between Chitotela and Dr Chilufya as both wished to lead a PF faction dubbed Luapula United.

“You said we should remain united but I want to assure you our fellow Zambians that Hakainde, myself and the party at large, I think we are all united. You can see PF has already started cracking. It’s cracking not only in two pieces but it’s cracking in so many pieces because of the struggle of power [and] leadership. There is the team of the old Sata (loyalists to late Sata), they are also pulling the other side. There is also another team now which is a MMD PF, they are also pulling another side. There is also the Edgar faction also, it is also pulling the other side, just to mention a few,” GBM said.

“So there are so many cracks in the PF and I am reliably informed that even as early as last night (Tuesday), there was almost a fight between Chitotela and Dr Chilufya because of power struggle. They are fighting for power struggle. This one says ‘I am more Luapula United than you. You were in MMD’ that’s Chitotela now telling Chilufya. So these are problems which our colleagues are facing but I want to assure the nation that we in UPND are united because we don’t want to be fragmented as we know that we are a government in waiting.”

Meanwhile, GBM said the UPND would wash corruption out with Jik, warning that those caught stealing would face the boot.

“For us once we form government, any minister or permanent secretary who steals will be arrested and prosecuted. We will have no time for such things because me and HH we can survive on our own. So those that will work with us you must know that corruption should be left with PF, it’s dirty. We are going to wash it. Just give us time so that we come and wash it with jik. Those who have gotten other people’s money, that money must reach their owners. Those flats you are building you are building them for Zambians because we are going to reposes them. And let me remind that those who are stealing money now, we are living in a global world and where ever you are hiding that money, we shall trace it because there is a paper trial on how money moves. So we shall get back that money and the law will deal with you because you have ‘suffered’ many Zambians. But you see, I don’t blame Edgar because he told you that ‘I don’t have a vision,” GBM said.

He also promised that a UPND-led government would repossess all land owned by the Chinese.

“Today [even] if you want to buy land, you buy from a Chinese, come on that’s foolish guys, those of you in government, that is foolish. How do you allow a China man to be seeing land to indigenous Zambians? What has gone wrong? The government is not serious, they have no priorities, they don’t mean well for the Zambians. So they must stop what they are doing now, otherwise you China man let me tell you [that] we will get back the land and give it back to Zambians. And me when I say [something]I mean it. The first week in office, all the land will go back to Zambians and we will reduce the price so that every Zambian can have a piece of land,” he said.

GBM further promised that under UPND, the President would address the nation on the state of affairs every six weeks.

“Can you see what Magufuli in Tanzania has done, he has reduced corruption. You may not wipe it completely but you can reduce it. They say charity begins at home, if we see our president stealing, we as minister will do the same. Why were we not stealing during Sata days? It is because we never saw Sata steal. In our time, the president will be able to address the nation every six months to tell the Zambians the state of the nation, where we are and where we are going, which does not happen in this government,” said GBM.