PATRIOTIC Front deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri says UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema is enjoying the comfort of his house while the ruling party is campaigning so he shouldn’t complain when he loses elections.

And Phiri says the ruling party is here to stay and will rule for over 100 years.

Meanwhile, Phiri says President Edgar Lungu shouldn’t be blamed for the crowd that turned up to witness the commissioning of the Makeni overpass because people are difficult to control.

Speaking when she featured on a Joy FM programme dubbed The Platform, Monday, Phiri said Hichilema was seated in his house while her party was campaigning.

She was agreeing with a caller identified as Diana who said the PF secretary general Davies Mwila was campaigning in Mwansabombwe and Lukashya when the opposition were watching.

“The by-elections which have been talked about and I congratulate my party for winning 10 out of the 15 by-elections we just had. And when you listen to people down playing this to say ‘those councilors are being bought’. Continue talking like that because you think everybody is cheap. When you start looking down on people ati abantu (those people) who voted in Western Province you think they are very cheap and they can be bought no bunga (they can be easily bought with a bag of mealie meal?). And you think people are smiling? They are listening. Natukwata ama by-elections filya fine ba Diana bachila landa ( We have by-elections just like what Diana was saying) we lost two members of parliament nabekala bali muma (they are seated in their) confinement of their comforts of their homes nga ba lusa elo bale tuka abantu ati (when they lose they start insulting people that ) they have been bought Fili eko tuleya 2021 mukalila ama bucket yamenshi (they will cry in 2021),” Phiri said.

And Phiri said there was nothing the opposition could talk about to win the hearts of the people.

She was responding to a caller only identified as Mulenga who said the party could not rule for 20 years because of the difficulties people were undergoing.

“We are here to stay. In fact, we will be in power for over 100 years. And you in opposition have nothing to talk about,” Phiri said.

She said the party had not lost focus and people were able to see the development brought by the ruling party.

“Our agenda for the development of Zambia since 2011 I think we haven’t lost our focus. Remember when we lost our founding father President Michael Sata and when my President now Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu was taking over, because we have a manifesto and he knew we had a plan for this country he came out and said ‘I have no plan but I will follow what my predecessor was doing.’ People started laughing. And I think since we followed what we had in our manifesto and the plan we had for Zambia, we haven’t lost focus. And people are there and they are able to see the development which has taken place in the time PF has taken over. And in fact, they are saying it is unprecedented if the successive governments like MMD when they took over. If they were also doing the developments the way PF has done it, I think this country could have gone a very long way. Our eyes are on the ball,” Phiri said.

Meanwhile, Phiri said only a few people were invited to witness the commissioning of the Makeni overpass.

“Umuntu ali shupa and safety kuisunga wemwine (People are difficult to control and you have to protect yourself). Let me also give you an example when Chief Mwanachingwala died, was there social distance? I even saw a video going round where Gary Nkombo was alone in the car. That commissioning of the bridge I was invited and if you see those who were invited, there was social distance. Did you hear at one time if there was an announcement to say ‘the President is going to open a flyover bridge?’ was anybody invited? They just went there. Are you telling me the President should stop working? They went on their own. Just like the funeral of Chief Mwanachingwala were those people invited? No face masks no nothing! It’s nature in us. Until when we start having self discipline as individuals. We have to take responsibility because there was no announcement to invite people. Can you blame Gary because he was there that he invited them? Then you are being unfair,” she said.

Phiri also said allegations that the government was corrupt were mere propaganda.

“I don’t know if you came across that video which has gone viral where somebody from the CIA confessed and in fact, in that report, Zambia was mentioned…how the CIA were planning to bring down Cuba using propaganda. And that man came out clearly they asked him ‘this person whom you are accusing of raping people was it happening?’ he said that it didn’t even exist. That is what is happening. Otherwise we are focused and doing the right thing. And mind you, we can’t have an economy which we can’t improve without infrastructure. Most of the places were not connected, now they have been opened up. And for me, I am very confident when it comes to sonta (point) in 2021 it will be very easy. There is so much propaganda and there is mudslinging and you know those who came up with this. It’s propaganda people wanting to get power at all cost. It doesn’t happen like that,” said Phiri.