KAPOCHE PF member of Parliament Dr Charles Banda has asked the electorate in the area to vote for President Edgar Lungu in next year’s general election because he deserves to be given another mandate.

And Dr Banda says the opposition should not taste any vote and must be made to walk away from the election naked.

Speaking to local residents in Mpeni Village, Saturday, Dr Banda, who is also Local Government Minister, said President Lungu needed to be re-elected into office for a third successive time because he meant well for the country as evidenced by several developmental projects around the country.

“You voted well here (in 2016) such that Edgar Lungu got 18,000 votes, opposition 1,000. That was good compared to other areas where Edgar got 18,000 votes, opposition got 5,000. In 2021, let’s go and turn in numbers, we want every vote to be Edgar Chagwa Lungu, abwelelepo pampando (he should retain the seat) so that he continues helping us,” Dr Banda pleaded.

He cautioned the electorate against voting for the opposition.

“Don’t vote for opposition in 2021, let’s go and bruise them, politically, let them not taste any vote. We hear others have already started. We are not worried with them because when we come, we shall bruise them in such a way that they are now clothed, but we shall make them walk away naked! We don’t play when we mean politics, others tried here, they went back naked. When campaign time comes, I will not be a Minister, but a mere person, who will come to ask votes from you based on development I have done,” he added.

And in Naniwe area, Dr Banda advised chiefs’ indunas not to engage themselves in partisan politics as they dented chiefs’ names.

This arose from confirmed reports that some traditional indunas had chosen to become campaign managers for the opposition ahead of the 2021 general election.

“Some of chieftainess Nyanje’s advisors have become politicians. They move around with the opposition, denting the name of the chieftainess. Stop what you are doing as you destroy the name of the chieftainess. If you want, join politics so that we throw mud on you!” he said.

And chieftainess Nyanje’s induna, Agrippa Banda, thanked government for the massive development in the area.

He told Dr Banda that some of his advisors did not tell him the truth about what was on the ground because both PF and opposition faced the same problems, which required leadership intervention.

“Honourable, you are the leader chosen by people and there is no way for you to regard ‘this one is opposition, this one is PF’ because all these people are under your area and they face the same problems. It’s unfortunate that people who are suppose to tell you the truth lie to you because you give them something, which they don’t share with colleagues,” said Banda.

Meanwhile, council chairperson Michael Phiri reminded residents that government wanted their maize to be sold within the country and not exported.

“There is no law forcing you to sell maize to government in order to benefit from FISP (Farmer Input Support Programme). You have the right to sell where you want as long it’s within the country, but what government wants is for you to sell your produce to the FRA (Food Reserve Agency) so that later, you may benefit from it again. But if people lie to you, report to us and we shall deal with them for destroying our name,” said Phiri.