PF Secretary General Davies Mwila has urged the newly-elected Lusaka Provincial committee to ensure that they mobilise and ensure President Edgar Lungu and the ruling party emerge victorious this August.

And Mwila has insisted that the adoption process for party positions will be based on merit, insisting that only those who are popular and hard working will be adopted.

Speaking when he closed the provincial conference at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Thursday, Mwila warned the newly-elected committee not to use their positions for prestige, but urged them to work.

“To all those who did not make it, I want to say congratulations for your fighting spirit. Remember, leadership is not about positions, leadership is about service. Continue working and mobilising for the Patriotic Front, do not be discouraged, your loyalty must always be to the party, the President. I want to remind everyone that elections are now over, it is not time to break the camps, bury the differences and embrace each other. This is not the time to fix each other, this is the time to hold hands and work hard. Let me remind those that have emerged victorious that the positions you hold are not for prestige; it is time to work and ensure that you deliver Lusaka to His Excellency, the President and the Patriotic Front come August 12, 2021. Kuno tuli te ku (this is not) church, these are politics and I shall not allow passengers,” Mwila cautioned.

He urged the committee to actualise “Sesa formula”.

(In a recent by-election in Mwansabombwe, UPND got zero votes while PF got 600 votes in Sesa Ward, hence the term “Sesa Formula”)

“Politics is about numbers and we have the numbers, ba UPND don’t have numbers. Make sure that you mobilise everyone to turn up and vote come 12 August, we want Sesa formula! In this vein, I am directing the provincial committee to come up with a clear strategy to maximise voter turnout in the forthcoming general election. I want the report on my desk by 30th March, 2021, these are directives. We will support you with all the necessary logistics such as transport. The vehicles and money for you to work and deliver, go flat out and explain all the developmental projects that the Patriotic Front has initiated and delivered in Lusaka. Be aggressive and make sure that we mop all the votes,” he urged.

And Mwila reiterated that the adoption process would be based on merit because the party could not afford to mess up the adoption process as only those who were popular and worked would be adopted.

“I want to urge all the party structures from the constituency up to the central committee to make sure that all those that have applied to contest on the PF ticket, submit their grade 12 certificates or their equivalent to avoid future problems. But I want to emphasise that adoptions will be purely based on merit. Only popular candidates will be adopted. There will be no friendship, no shortcuts. Those who are not popular will not be adopted, simple. We want to win these elections and we can’t afford to mess up the adoption process. The process of adoption starts with you, that’s why we are engaging you. Nga mwapoke indalama tukeshiba (if you get bribes, we will know); we want to come back into government, it ends there. People were given five years to serve our people, those who have been working for the people, we will adopt them; those who have not been working for the people, kwamana. Ngabali bomba, balebwela. We will be very fair, no hatred,” he said.

He also called for discipline and respect among the leaders.

“A house divided against itself cannot stand; we must not allow selfish ambitions and personal differences to divide us. Like I said, our loyalty should always be to the party and the President and not to money, positions or individuals…Mwebasalwa, namwishibafye na mwebene, ine nshifwaya indiscipline (those of who have been elected even know that I don’t tolerate indiscipline). Indiscipline, namusalwa, ngamwakwata fye na indiscipline tamwafike na two months, bambi tamwafike naku general elections, yes. Bambi tabakafikeko (you have been chosen, but once you have indiscipline, you will not even make it to the general election, some of you won’t reach that far). You have been elected to work for these people, the structures, so you have to respect them, they have to respect you. You have to lead by example, that is leadership. Mwebali pamulu ngatamuchindike abali kanshi tabakamichindike abalai panshi, leadership you have to respect people…I have always said, the party is bigger than individuals, we will kick you out and the party will remain and move forward,” he cautioned.

Meanwhile, Mwila warned the newly-elected provincial chairperson Kennedy Kamba to ensure he did not let the structures down.

“So, ba chairman ba Kamba mwakula nomba (you have grown now); you are not a youth, you are now provincial chairman leading a very important province. If you ask the media, they have been waiting for this provincial conference, so I don’t want anyone to let these people down,” said Mwila.

Others who were elected include: vice chairman – Simon Nsunge; secretary – Mwenya Matafwali; treasurer – Japhen Mwakalombe; vice – Collins Mulenga and IPS – Christopher Shakafuswa.

From the women’s league: chairlady – Charity Katongo Banda; secretary – Annie Chinyanta; vice – Juliet Mwansa and IPS – Musonda Chibwe.