I AM NOT SICK, SAYS SYLVIA MASEBO AS SHE VOWS TO FIGHT ON FOR CHONGWE EAST SEAT
Veteran politician Sylvia Masebo says she is surprised that people who are failing to accept that President Hakainde Hichilema won this year’s elections are discouraging her from challenging her loss of the Chongwe East seat.
And Masebo has wondered who started this third term debate even before President Hakainde Hichilema completes constituting his Cabinet for the second term.
The long-time serving Parliamentarian says Chongwe is her village and that she is not going anywhere.
“This is my government; I am part of government and some of the laws that are in this country today, I have been part of them and I will continue to advise where my advice is needed; I am in the UPND National Management Committee (NMC),” Masebo said in a statement widely circulated on social media.
“Chongwe is my home village; my family is there; my relatives are all there. Lusaka province is my village, so I am going nowhere. You’ll be seeing more of me. So, just accept that UPND won the elections; you tried to do all the tricks under the sun, you were beaten. Accept it. Don’t tell me to accept Chongwe results and yet you’re failing to accept that HH won the elections.”
Masebo who stood on the UPND ticket last month is in the Lusaka High Court challenging the election of independent candidate Anita Kamanga who poured 16,058 votes. Masebo was a distant second with 6,798 votes.
Masebo accused opposition sympathizers and detractors of President Hichilema of being behind the push to have the current president stand in 2031, against provisions of the current constitution.
Masebo said calls to have President Hichilema stand for the third presidential term in 2031 against the provision of the current constitution are mischievous and have no blessings of President Hichilema.
“I am a senior member of the party, I represent Lusaka province and I represent Zambia. So, for people to try and begin a debate about the third term even before Cabinet has been formed fully, that’s being mischievous. It’s deliberate; it is to try to portray that the President or senior members of the party are wrestling for power. This is all about 2031,” said Masebo.
“Let me state that for all I know myself, it is not the President’s intention to run for a third term in office; it has never been our intention in NMC. Allow the years to pass; if at that time, the people of Zambia so decide, who’s anybody? Who’s Masebo? Who’s HH? Let time move; let’s concentrate now on the growth agenda that the President has put forth. That’s what he has told everybody. So, who’s starting this debate about the third term, even before we start running the government officially?”