MPEZENI LEFT FUMING AFTER PF REJECTS HIS CANDIDATES IN FAVOUR OF RUPIAH’S…the paramount chief says ‘the candidates PF has picked are not the ones people need here’
By Daily Revelation Reporters
The ruling PF has adopted candidates favoured by former Republican president Rupiah Banda, much to the chagrin of paramount chief of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province, Mpezeni, whose candidates have been left out.
And Mpezeni has told Daily Revelation that the candidates PF has picked, are not the ones favoured by the people.
With the political climate in the Province not looking as easy as initially thought for the PF, the ruling party views president Banda as more of an asset to help stabilise and improve dynamics in the area, ahead of the Mpezeni, and therefore candidates largely backed by Banda have received the nod in the adoptions ahead of those supported by the paramount chief.
In Luangeni, Chipata-Central and Petauke-Central, president Banda’s allies have received adoptions, with Patricia Mpanza (Luangeni), Amon Jere (Chipata-Central) and Information minister Dora Siliya (Petauke-Central) getting the nod ahead of Moses Moyo, Zindaba Soko and Emmanuel Banda (Jay Jay) respectively, despite the fierce competition particularly in the case of Siliya, who is clearly not as popular as she has been in previous elections.
Sources said Mpezeni returned to Chipata yesterday having been frustrated after his efforts to lobby for the adoptions of candidates he supported with the PF leadership failed to yield desired results. While, Mpezeni was traveling to Lusaka, president Banda took the opposite route, and has been in Eastern Province said to be influencing the adoption of candidates for the ruling PF, while discouraging his allies who have applied to stand on the UPND ticket from going ahead.
Sources recently revealed to Daily Revelation that president Banda had been lifted by the ruling party from his ‘sick bed’ to help the party reclaim the shrinking dominance in the area they wanted to reap overwhelming numbers following the inroads made by the opposition UPND in the area. The PF has pumped in huge resources in the area, from the national issuance of registration cards, registration of voters, plus the vehicles and bicycles distributed to the traditional leaders, in the hopes of maximising results in an area which has since surpassed Southern Province, and is only bettered by Lusaka and the Copperbelt Province in terms of registered voters.
The sources said Mpezeni was left fuming after seeing the list of adopted candidates did not feature his preferred ones.
“He was saying that ivi vibantu vikuyo luza. Akumvwa lini (these people will lose, they don’t listen,” the sources said.
Contacted by Daily Revelation for comment on the revelations by the sources, Mpezeni said the candidates picked by the PF were not the ones people wanted.
“Ah neo ine palibe chimene chakuti ningakambe, kaili sikuti banasanka iwo kwamene uko (There is nothing I can say. Is it not that they themselves (PF) chose who should stand)? Lomba koma bambili bantu sibanali kufuna abo, lomba kaya bene Kazi uko kapena banachita bwanji kaya (But most people here were not in favour of the ones they have adopted, I don’t know what they were doing),” Mpezeni said. “Kuno bantu banali kufuna bamene aba bene chiteni, wamene uyu Moyo, ku Luangeni banali kufuna Moyo, ku Chipata banali kufuna Zindaba. Sure sure (Here people wanted Moses Moyo in Luangeni and Zindaba Soko in Chipata-Central).”
Asked how he rated the PF chances despite the fact that the people he supported have not been adopted, Mpezeni said: “We kuti tikambe ninkani ina. Sure, sure (If I speak that is another story).”
Asked on his word over the coming elections, Mpezeni maintained his support for the ruling party.
“Aya yamene yabwela aya (ma election). Ine nikambako kuti yayi but PF niwo wina wina (These elections are a win win for the PF), Ah niwoyiwina PF (PF will win),” said the Mpezeni.
However, the sources said president Banda is believed to still carry more more clout and influence with the people of Eastern Province and therefore the candidates aligned to him have been adopted.
“There is Dora in Petauke. Amon Jere in Chipata. Actually Amon Jere is the person who Dora at one point wanted to be director general at ZNBC. Even the person adopted for Kasenengwa, Philimon Kwasa is said to have connections with Rupiah Banda,” sources said.
However, sources say the party will have a huge task particularly with Siliya, revealing that they will have to engage in a lot of damage control as she has become more unpopular with the electorate in Petauke-Central.
The sources said her competitor, Banda (popularly known as Jay Jay) is very popular, but the party seems to have gone with Banda’s influence over Siliya.
“The other argument that was argued with Jay Jay in the central committee is that he is not too mature, in that yes one might get financial support even from State House, but you don’t have to go about announcing to everyone about that. And while the grassroots are supporting him, the story is not the same with some traditional leaders,” sources said. “Therefore the leadership argued on the issue of unity, getting someone who can bridge the divide and it was thought that a more mature person should be adopted to achieve that.” – Daily Revelation