PF secretary general Davies Mwila says he is ready to leave PF and go to the farm if the party determines that he is the cause of the 2021 election defeat.

Reacting to calls for his resignation, Mwila said he was ready to step aside because no one stays in office forever.

“I have seen this report that ‘Mwila must go!’, I am ready to go. Because at the last meeting, the central committee instituted an investigation and a post-mortem to find out what caused the loss. If the post-mortem refers to me as the one who caused the loss, I am ready to go even tomorrow. No one stays in the office forever. We came there to serve and if it is what people think, I am ready to go. I know it is too early but at an appropriate time, people must know that I have to leave and hand over to the new secretary general and go to the farm,” Mwila said.

“People think that we can cling on to these positions forever, it is not possible. There comes a time when you leave these positions and go and do other things. I didn’t know that one day I will be a secretary general. At the appropriate time, I can and will [leave]. People must be told, they think that we want to cling on to these positions, no! If the party thinks that I am the one who caused it, but you know, it can’t be a one-man show, it is a collective responsibility. But if they think it was the secretary general, I am ready to go nicely. But we can’t go abruptly, abandoning the party like that. We have to hand over the office smoothly.”

And Mwila said the party would not protect anyone accused of stealing public resources.

He, however, urged investigative wings to be professional as they carry out their work.

“First and foremost, if someone has stolen, I can’t protect him anyway, you get my point. But investigative wings have to be professional in their work and ensure they do a good job. Otherwise, witch hunting will not be allowed. That is all! Because if someone has stolen, what can I do? Nothing!” Mwila exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Mwila challenged Constitutional lawyer John Sangwa and former Attorney General Musa Mwenye to provide evidence that the party under President Edgar Lungu had turned into a criminal organisation.

“If they have evidence let them bring it out. As far as I am concerned, I am not aware of that. Anyone who thinks that is the way it happened; they should come to the wings of government so that they institute investigations. I am happy because we are not in government so they will investigate [freely]. So, as far as I am concerned, I am not aware of that. If they want jobs from UPND let them just ask for jobs, us we can’t be involved in those criminal activities,” said Mwila.