KAPOCHE PF member of parliament Dr Charles Banda has asked the electorate in the constituency to utilise their vote and re-elect the PF.

And Dr Banda has dished out cash amounting to K13,700 to marketeers as a means of empowerment, while also distributing an estimated total of K15,000 to local residents he met on a recent visit to his constituency.

Speaking to people in Kapungwe ward recently, Dr Banda thanked residents for registering in large numbers ahead of this year’s election, but urged voters to vote for the PF.

“We thank you, President Edgar Lungu is thanking you for registering in numbers. Headmen, you did a good job to encourage people to register as voters because the registered voters for this year are more than we had in 2016. Now, registering is another task, what is remaining is the voting pattern. When voting, it’s when at times we miss the line. This registration you have done should give us a benefit. The benefit I am talking about…I mean we, in the Patriotic Front, President Lungu, me the MP, councillors and council chairman; we should benefit from your registration,” Dr Banda pleaded.

Dr Banda, who is also Local Government Minister, reminded residents that he had achieved developmental milestones, including the sinking of 123 boreholes, bridges, among other infrastructure during his time as area member of parliament.

“Things are happening under President Edgar Lungu’s leadership PF. Some think it’s easy to be an MP, that when they win, it’s just to open heaven and things are done right away…Development is a process just like there are days,” he explained.

He also asked the electorate to pray for aspiring candidates to be alive until August 12 so that he defeated them.

“Let’s pray for them to be alive so that we defeat them well in the ballot. Tell them that we are praying that we meet in the ballot box because us, we destroy people through a ballot box,” said Dr Banda.

And earlier, Dr Banda empowered 50 marketeers in Sinda ECU market where he gave each one K150 and in Nyanje, 62 marketeers were given K100 each, both amounting to K13,700.

About 1,500 people who attended his meetings in Kapungwe and about 1,000 plus in Nyanje village received K10 each as he greeted them during his usual tour of the constituency ahead of formal commencement of campaigns, amounting to an estimated K15,000.

Dr Banda also stopped to check the partly washed away Matambazi Bridge and promised to work on it once the rainy season ended.