DP president Harry Kalaba has told the people of Chinsali to revive their pre-independence militancy and vote out a non-delivering PF next year.
He also insists that if the PF wins next year, “by whatever misfortune”, Zambia would have practically become China.
Kalaba complained that history-rich Chinsali was socially and economically desolate, on face value.
After winning the Republican presidency in September 2011, Michael Sata delinked Chama district from Eastern Province and Mpika, Chinsali, Isoka, Mafinga and Nakonde districts from Northern Province to create Muchinga Province.
The province was gazetted in 2013 and Chinsali was chosen as the provincial headquarters.
President Sata later cut-off Shiwang’andu from Chinsali district and made it a stand-alone district.
In March 2017, President Edgar Lungu also delinked Kanchibiya and Lavushimanda from Mpika district and declared them districts.
Muchinga Province now has Lavushimanda, Mpika, Kanchibiya, Shiwang’andu, Chinsali, Isoka, Mafinga, Nakonde and Chama districts.
From Tuesday to Friday, Kalaba was in Muchinga Province for party membership mobilisation
“You have the D 56, the Chinsali – Mulilansolo road. You people of Chinsali are always singing about the pathetic state of the D 56, and yet on that road there are four chiefs,” Kalaba said on Muchinga Radio in Chinsali on Thursday evening.
“There is senior chief Nkula and that’s where there is Lubwa Mission. On that road there are other chiefs like Kabanda, Nkweto and Mubanga. But that road looks so deserted like there are no chiefs who live there.”
He said a government that fails to provide something befitting for chiefs cannot be expected to give preferential treatment to mere subjects.
Kalaba underscored that the D 56 that stretches from Chinsali town to Lubwa and beyond would never be tarred and that: “township roads in Chinsali won’t be tarred.”
“Nabamba ukutila insakalabwe muma township (they have started putting quarry on township roads) and that’s it,” he noted.
“If you talk about Zambia’s struggle for independence, Chinsali can never miss. It’s here where great and militant people like Kapwepwe, Robert Makasa, Kenneth Kaunda, Alice Lenshina. The people here have to revive that spirit. Look at the poverty in Chinsali today!”
Kalaba explained that president Sata knew the reputation of Chinsali to Zambia.
“The people of Chinsali are only remembered by the PF when it’s elections time. That’s when they will come and start saying ‘this is our stronghold, it’s our bedroom.’ Is there a bedroom which is not swept?” Kalaba wondered.
“If this Chinsali and Muchinga Province was the PF’s bedroom, Paul Mushindo University would have been completed by now.”
Kalaba pointed out that now that the country would be holding general elections in months’ time, “that’s the reason you have seen the PF distributing fertiliser and splashing quarry around Chinsali roads.”
Kalaba added that the PF leadership know that Chinsali people could easily be tricked.
“But show them your militancy next year that you can’t continue to be cheated. You can’t be reduced to clapping for those who are eating in the government,” he said.
“As DP we want to tell farmers that get the fertiliser they are distributing but be aware that such is happening only because of the elections that will be coming next year.”
He told people in Chinsali that the PF had been forsaken in most parts of Zambia.
“Most of the promises the PF made here have not been fulfilled. Show them that you are now going to side with the DP,” he said.
“I’ve already said that the people of Chinsali are known as freedom fighters and please, revive the militant nature of Kapwepwe, Kenneth Kaunda, so that you can kick out a non-delivering PF next year.”
Asked about what could happen if the PF retained power next year, Kalaba responded that: “if PF wins next year, nga cauma upini kuntashi (by whatever misfortune), ninshi labeniko nokulabako Zambia (then simply forget about Zambia).”
“Ama Chinese ninshi nokusenda basenda (Chinese would have taken over). Cino icalo mupele ama Chinese (you have given out this country to Chinese), ebene ba calo cino (they are the owners of this country),” Kalaba said.
“Who is working on all these projects around the country? It’s the Chinese! Hospitals, roads, communication towers, police officers’ houses, airports and everything else is being given to Chinese. Cino icalo caliya (Zambia is gone)! ZNBC ma (is) Chinese [through] TopStar. Fyonse ma Chinese (Everything is given to Chinese).”
He noted that the poor state of Chinsali was ever laughed at and further regretted that those who were elected to represent the area in Parliament did not do their role.
“So, if PF wins [in 2021] know that total doom has befallen you as Zambians. Ukwali nsoke takwafwile umuntu (to be forewarned is to be forearmed),” said Kalaba.
“If PF wins, all these difficulties you are facing will be multiplied. When they stand up to talk in Parliament, all they do is to shower praises on Mr Edgar Lungu; how he has ‘developed’ Chinsali.”