[By Chambwa Moonga in Mansa]
MANSA Central Constituency DP candidate Mwape Mwelwa argues that his PF rival, Chitalu Chilufya is not a political giant.
Mwelwa also spells out his developmental plans for Mansa Central Constituency.
In an interview, Mwelwa explained that immediately he is voted in as a member of parliament, “I want to initiate road works to Matanda and Nsonga areas.”
“These are roads that have never been developed since independence. We’ll engage cooperating partners to come and open up a copper mine in Matanda. There are huge copper deposits in Matanda area, which have not been exploited,” he said. “We also have high-quality lime that can help in cement production. So, once we set up a copper mine and a cement plant in Matanda, the investors themselves will help to work on the road. We don’t even need to rush to government to do it. The investors themselves will do the road once there is a cement plant there. We can improve the local economy here by employing as many locals as possible at the cement plant. We have so many youths in Mansa who have been to college and yet they are not doing anything. So, those are the immediate plans I have for Mansa.”
About predominant cultivation of cassava in Mansa district, Mwelwa pledged that he would lure producers of Eagle Lager to set up a production plant in Mansa.
“The cassava that is used to produce Eagle Lager in Lusaka comes from Luapula. Why should Luapula produce cassava and yet the production [of Eagle Lager] is elsewhere?” Mwelwa asked.
He wondered why an Eagle Lager plant could not be put up in Mansa and have youths employed.
“It even will cut down on the transport cost if you do the production of Eagle Lager within Mansa. You produce cassava in Mansa and do the Eager Lager in Mansa!” he said.
Asked about he would perform considering that he is competing against a political giant, Dr Chilufya a former health minister, Mwelwa responded that: “he used to be a giant; he is no longer a giant.”
“A person who has a lot of criminal issues around him cannot be a giant in politics. Local people cannot trust their resources with a person who has a questionable character, in terms of financial management,” said Mwelwa. “So, he is not really a giant – he used to be a giant. Besides, it’s not him who was a giant. Chilufya had contested [as Mansa Central member of parliament] under MMD in 2011 and he lost. He had to use the platform of PF to win an election in that by-election, when Honourable [Kennedy] Sakeni died. So, just on his own, he is not a giant. It’s a platform, PF, which was very popular at the time, which made him to win an election.”