BINWELL HAS WISDOM, CHITEME HAS MONEY
The Candidates Election Analysis
Focus: Nkana Constituency
As the day to file in nominations gets closer, today, we analyze the Nkana Constituency and its candidates. The Patriotic Front (PF) have adopted Alexander Chiteme who was the incumbent before Parliament was dissolved leaving Kitwe former District Commissioner Binwell Mpundu.
Mpundu announced yesterday that he will run as Independent Member of Parliament in the August polls.
While the PF Secretary General has insisted that they adopted all candidates based on popularity, research on the ground in Nkana shows that it is Binwell Mpundu who is more popular than Chiteme. Having served as Member of Parliament for five years, Chiteme has achieved little to the expectations of the people of Nkana. Although Chiteme is affluent, his wealth has not translated into anything tangible and beneficial to the people he served. According to majority people, Chiteme spends most of his time with party cadres buying for them alcohol and in some instances dishing out money to people. The voters say while they appreciate such gesture, it has however not translated into any benefits to community in whole.
Located in the heart of Kitwe, Nkana Constituency continues to grapple with high unemployment levels, drug abuse, early pregnancies, rampant diseases and criminality among young people. It has been said that Chiteme has not addressed most of these things but has paid so much focus into donating cash money to some churches and party officials in the structures.
On the other hand, when he was District Commissioner, Binwell Mpundu spent the greatest of his time attending to people’s concerns. He had reserved a day in a week where he would allow people from all walks of life to tell him their problems and in certain instances, he helped address such social challenges. Mpundu has also developed a community driven extensive plan on how to address some serious challenges in Nkana constituency. One of the things he has persistently said he would do is to engage the mining companies to give a share of their dumpsite known as ‘Black Mountain’ to youths as a way of keeping them involved in some economic activities and by consequence, keeping them away from drug abuse and other vices.
Most voters spoken to by The Candidates especially in markets have admitted that while Chiteme has a lot of money he lacks wisdom compared to Mpundu who is not affluent but banks on well wishers to help finance some of his campaign activities.
Ultimately, the voters in Nkana will decide on August 12 who will be their leader from all those contesting in Nkana Constituency.