PATRIOTIC Front secretary general Davies Mwila says former ministers who illegally stayed in office have been paid for by individuals and companies from the ruling party.

And Mwila has warned aspiring candidates to stop decampaigning incumbent members of parliament.

Speaking during press briefing, Saturday, Mwila said NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili and his DP counterpart Harry Kalaba were the only former ministers who had to clear their own debt as the well wishers did not include them in their act of goodwill.

“I think you are all aware that the Constitutional Court had made a judgment that former ministers pay emoluments received between May 2016 and August 2016. Our reconciliation of the payments made in view of the judgment, some has been settled by our members. I would like to thank the individuals who were affected by this judgment and took the responsibility upon themselves to pay. This was done despite them having worked during this period. This indeed is a selfless service that was done by the Zambian people,” Mwila said.

“I would like to thank the companies and individuals that have made donations towards the settlement of emoluments deal in recognition with the service rendered by the former ministers during the said period. As a party, we remain committed to the tenets of the rule of law. Individuals who are members of the party and companies have paid for all the ministers who were owing money to the government. I want to say that except honorable (Chishimba) Kambwili and honorable (Harry) Kalaba, they have to pay for themselves. But all those who are members of the party, money has been paid for.”

And Mwila warned that those decampaining incumbent MPs would face disciplinary action.

“As a party, we had allowed anyone that is aspiring whether a councilor, as a member of parliament or a mayor, we allowed them to start campaigning or sell themselves. But what is happening is that they have started decampainging the incumbent members of parliament, that is what is going on. I thought that I should make this very clear that when we allowed them to start selling themselves to the people, we did not say that they should decampaign the members of parliament but I hope from now they will stop or they have to stop. If anyone continues decampaigning our members of parliament, we will have no choice but to take disciplinary action against those people,” he warned.

Mwila disclosed that Provincial elections in Northern and Luapula Province would be held this month.

“You are aware that we have been conducting elections in the provinces, constituencies and districts and PF we have said that it is a democratic party because it is the only party that is doing the intra-party elections. As we are talking today, the teams that are conducting election in Northern and Luapula Province, they are finishing their business today and I want to announce to the nation that the provincial conference will be held on 23rd of this month and the provincial conference for Luapula will be held on 30th this month. After we have finished the elections in the provinces, the Central committee will go and sit and decide the way forward on the general conference. I think all of you are aware of what we are going through in the Covid and if you look at our constitution the number of people who are supposed to attend the general conference are about 2,000 plus,” Mwila said.

He said most people who were aspiring candidates would be disappointed.

“When you are aspiring for any office it is not automatic that you will be adopted. You can be disappointed. And most of the people will be disappointed. I will give you one specific example in Kamfinsa, you have more than six people who want to stand on our ticket. Of course from the six, you expect five not to be adopted because you only adopt one, that is how it is. People must remain with the party. We expect all those loyal to the party to remain with the party. I think here it is loyalty. If someone stands as an independent, it means he is not loyal to the party. And once you stand on independent, it means you have resigned from the party, you are not a member of the party that is what it means. I know some people are saying if we will not be adopted we will go as independent, they can go and they should know that immediately they will go as independent, they will cease to be members of the party,” said Mwila.