MPIKA PF member of parliament Francis Kapyanga says while 2021 left the former ruling party out in the sun, the Patriotic Front is not dead.

And Kapyanga says opposition MPs persuaded the new dawn government to increase CDF allocation.

Speaking to Kamwanya township residents in Mpika, Wednesday, Kapyanga said PF would live on.

“2021 etushile pakasuba, lelo napa kasuba pene palesa mukumoneka ibula nangu musambo kalyakane kapanga chintelelwe, aeino inungi! Ichintelelwe chenu. Teti tubule Maiko tushike, tubule nechipani icho atushila nacho tushike. Elo kwiba abakumibepa ati iyo PF naipona kale. Ichalo chesu cha democracy. Ifipanai ifingi bonse twalikwata insambu yakuba mufipani ifingi pakwebati tuleibukisha balya abali mu government ukutila apa mwalibombele, ichi mwalilaile, ichi mwalilaile atini mukwai (2021 left us in the sun but even on the most sunny day, a leaf or even a branch can provide you with shade and I am that shade provider to you. We cannot bury Micheal and also leave the party that he left us with to die. And let no one tell you that PF is dead. Zambia is a democratic country and anyone of us has a right to belong to any political party and so we are in the opposition to remind government of its promises,” Kapyanga said.

He told the residents that he would never leave them in the sun.

“Batila pafwaba bantu, pashala bantu. Ala apafuma umutundo nipamitondo. Imwe tamufwile mulesakamana. Ndofywa mulantumina ama phone ati iyo efwe tuli nenkumbu mumutima pantu muma politics washala umwana wanshiwa, ndamweba njebele mwilasakamana temuku wakubalilapo ukuba umwana wanshiwa pantu nelyo batata nabamayo bafwile mwachitulika nashele umwana wanshiwa lelo mwalinsugile imwe bene mwebena Mpika nomumwine muma politics, ninjishiba ukutila nalaenda nemwe kaili twalaba bonse elo nshakatale misha pakasuba (They say when some people die, others remain. A Mutondo tree is cut from amongst its kind. You should never be worried. I receive your calls empathizing with me that I am a political orphan but I tell you not to worry because even when my parents died, you still kept me, you the same people of Mpika. Therefore, I promise to walk with you and I will never leave you in the sun,” he said.

And Kapyanga said opposition MPs are the ones who persuaded the UPND government to increase CDF allocation.

“Natulwisha pantu fwe ma MPs fwebali mu opposition, PF ekwete ba MP abali 60, ba independent bali 10 kanshi ichipani chichili ichituntulu atini mukwai. Twalilwisha panka twaibukisha ubuteko ati ilyo mwalekampena mwali tulaile ukutila CDF mwalalunda ukufika nakuchipendo cha 25.7. Kateka aumfwa abula CDF alunda ukufika kuchipendo cha 25.7. Kabili twaima twebele tulefwaya ishi indalama ifikomo filya tuchinje pakwebati twambe ukulabula pali shilya indalama ekulachita empower banamayo nemisepela nabashitata. Tatulefwaya empowerment elefuma kulusaka. Tulefwaya kulya kwine ku Mpika abene baleta ama application, babapele empowerment basenda indalama bayamukuchita business. Pafikomo palyapene twabikapo nokutila nganamukwata umwana pan’ganda uupwishishe grade twelve takwete indalama shakwila kucollege palya pene mwachita apply pali CDF twamipela CDF umwana twamusambilisha mpaka apwisha university na college. Muli eeine CDF nalaisaba MP uwakubalilapo ukuchita expand iyi market ukuipanga eeikalamba, bushe nshamilaile? Nalimyebele atini? (We have fought very hard because as opposition MP’s, the PF we are just 60 and independent MPs are just 10. The PF party is still intact. We fought and reminded government of its campaign promises and the president responded by increasing the funds under CDF to 25.7 million. We never ended there but again interrogated government to decentralize CDF so that the funds should not come from Lusaka but instead the people of Mpika can apply right in the constituency, receive the money and conduct businesses. We also made sure that the same CDF can be used to sponsor the education of those without money. And using the same money, I shall be coming to expand this market into a big one as promised and I will be the first MP to achieve such a milestone here in Mpika,” said Kapyanga.