By Lubinda Namukolo
The Opposition party the Upnd supporters in Barotseland have complained that they party has deserted them without been visited but only being controlled in Lusaka.
Several people who are campaigning in the six wards by-elections in Barotseland have disclosed that the last time president Hakainde Hichilema was in Barotseland was when he come out from Kabwe maximum prison after the bogus treason charge of mongu saga and that was in 2017.
Even in 2019 during the sesheke parliamentary by-election he only went to sesheke only. You can imagine that Barotseland has about 16 districts and 19 constituencies with many different wards.
In May the dissolved the Musangu led executive and brought in Mbangweta but again the have failed to come here, said the sources.
Already there is a silent war within the party in many structures across the region.
The PF party has continued to penetrate the region. You can see that president Edgar lungu in January was here and he visited some districts and just now he is back here again. Lungu he is visiting in all the areas whether his strongholds or opposition but ours he seems to be only concentrating on the ruling strongholds without thinking that the same pf is balancing the equation on visitation,” said sources.
Our complain is the leadership of the UPND to come and visit us here, a lot of people are leaving our party. The president has been visiting other regions twice or three times in a shortest period but here he has never even shown any sign of paying us a visit.
The party should not take the people of Barotseland for granted because this region has always surprised people when it comes to vote each general elections. The region change and people vote on individuals and not on a party this should tell them to pay attention on what is happening here. Councillors have been resigning since February and up to now the party has failed to visit us in mongu,” disclosed sources.