Copperbelt PF chairman Nathan Chanda says President Edgar Lungu’s frequent visits to that region are not in response to the NDC’s perceived popularity, but are targeted at enhancing service delivery.
Last week, National Democratic (NDC) president Chishimba Kambwili said President Lungu had been trooping to the Copperbelt on a regular basis because the PF was feeling the pinch of his party in that region. This was after PF Secretary General Davies Mwila advised PF officials on the Copperbelt to stop fighting amongst themselves and fight NDC instead.
But in an interview, Chanda argued that it was actually the opposition who were panicking over President Lungu’s popularity.
“And I can safely confirm that it’s actually the opposition who are panicking over the popularity of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu because if it wasn’t so easy for President Lungu to retain power, the opposition wouldn’t have been spending sleepless nights flocking the country. It’s the same NDC president and others who are almost everywhere. If they are comfortable and their party was very popular, they would have been spending nights at home waiting for 2021. But if you look at how miserable or the way the opposition are moving, they are almost everywhere every day, meaning, therefore, that it’s them who are panicking,” Chanda said.
He added that President Lungu’s good leadership and policies were attracting lots of foreign Heads of States to the country.
“And the President is there discharging his duties as the elected Head of State. With the good leadership of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, how many Heads of State have we seen coming into Zambia? So, can we say that it is because NDC is popular? The answer is no! So, that man we know who he is and where I come from they say: ulelosha, tabamucheba kukanwa. He will continue talking whilst we will continue working. Ours is just to remain focused and work for the betterment of humanity. Otherwise, for us, as Copperbelt, the frequent visits that the President has been doing to the Copperbelt is a sign that he cares for the people of Zambia, and Copperbelt in particular, [just] like any other parts of the country. And you can see the numbers of people who are always there to receive the President, it shows that PF is still popular,” Chanda argued.
Chanda said the Head of State was in charge of all provinces and he could visit them at will.
“I will just describe that as laughable in a sense that the President was elected to work and govern this country. Despite whichever party is formed, the President has got a mandate. Is NDC in charge of Central Province? Because the President is in Central Province. The President has been visiting, even areas where we don’t record maximum support, because he is President for all; whether those who elected him or not. So, for me, I don’t comment on such insinuations from people who just talk and then they think after talking. What is important is for us to continue telling people what we are doing for them because the mandate has already been given to us. In 2021 that is when we are renewing the mandate that the people of Zambia gave us. Our manifesto runs from 2016 to 2021. We are in a marriage with the people of Zambia, and the people of Zambia will decide basing on what we are going to implement,” said Chanda.
