GEOFFREY Mwamba Bwalya yesterday told UPND deputy spokesperson that ‘I am willing to come back and eat with you’ when they met in Monze after a court case.
Mwamba, a former UPND vice-president and Major Richard Kachingwe were in Monze for the case of the People Vs Bilden Shaloba.
The case that had come up for commencement of trial before magistrate Lear Kabalata failed to take off as the State applied for an adjournment in order to amend the charge.
The defence did not object to the application but placed on record concern over such adjournments bordering on inefficiencies and incompetence of the State, which should not operate to the detriment of the accused.
Shaloba’s counsel, Cornelius Mweetwa complained that the accused’s rights had been severely hampered by such adjournments.
Magistrate Kabalata granted the application and adjourned the matter to June 22, 2020.
However, political drama ensued outside court as Mwamba and UPND cadres exchanged political pleasantries with chants of forward and pabwato.
Mwamba flashed the PF fist as both parties appeared to be enjoying their meeting at court.
UPND cadres were overheard telling Mwamba that “we want you to come back, why have you decided to join a party which you know is finished and is going to exit come 2021?”
But Mwamba enticed the UPND youths telling them that, “We are one people” and asked all the youths present saying “mwe baice natuleya”.
Mwamba left for Nzango Lodge, 300 metres away from the court premises escorted by a horde of PF cadres flashing the PF fist [symbol] and the UPND flashing their forward symbol.
Once at Nzango, police only allowed PF supporters inside the lodge where they were addressed by Mwamba and Maj Kachingwe.
In his address, Maj Kachingwe urged PF cadres in Monze to work extra hard to campaign for the PF.
He cited himself as a living example of how painful it is to lose power.
“I am a living testimony of what it feels to lose power. I was in MMD under Rupiah Banda when we lost power to PF. It is a very painful experience,” Maj Kachingwe told the PF cadres. “I wouldn’t want to go through that again, that’s the reason why I am urging you to work extra hard because power can be lost easily.”
As he was addressing them, Mweetwa entered the conference room and straightaway went to exchange cordialities with Mwamba and Maj Kachingwe.
Mweetwa then addressed the PF cadres, urging them to emulate the cordial relationship that leaders of political parties enjoyed despite their different political ideas.
“You supporters of political parties or cadres, you should emulate what we leaders do. You can see I am with my elder brother here who is a former vice-president of the UPND. I have been with him in Parliament. Though elderly to me, we always related as friends. Even when I was in Kasama, he took me to his home and introduced me to his family,” Mweetwa told the PF cadres. “I still cherish those memories. We are one people, so do not engage yourselves in acts of division and violence while we, leaders, continue to enjoy our relationships as friends. You should emulate what we do; we differ on the platform but on the ground we are one people. We are committed to ensuring that we live as truly ‘One Zambia, One nation’.”
Mwetwa told the PF cadres that his party cherished a united, peaceful country and that was the reason he followed them after he saw them brandishing symbols at each other.
He told them that he approached them as a politician and not a lawyer to give them assurance that Monze was not for UPND or PF but for all Zambians regardless of political affiliation.
“Everyone is welcome to Monze, this is your home, this is your place, feel free and please continue to address your supporters without any sense of insecurity because we are peaceful people and I wish you safe passage back to Lusaka as I remain quarantined in Choma,” Mweetwa told Mwamba and Maj Kachingwe.
In response, Mwamba told Mweetwa how grateful he was that the opposition official had gone to join them at the lodge.
“I would like to state that we are one people, indeed we are One Zambia, One Nation. I would like to tell you that I am willing to come back and eat with you,” he said much to the delight of the cadres. “We have to continue to work together maka maka iwe ka Mweetwa iwe. Even when we were in PF and you were in UPND in parliament, we have been watching you, so I am willing to come back and eat with you, we are one people. And it is true that Monze does not belong to one political party but to all of us and we are free here, the same way if you come to Kasama or Mpulungu you will also be free because we are Zambians. This is how it should be.”
Mwamba resigned from UPND and rejoined PF last year where he has been made deputy mobilisation chairperson.
Recently, commerce minister Christopher Yaluma claimed that, “Mwebantu imwe mwebenda (you people who travel) ako kene mufwele kukanwa akalembelwe ati PF (that same PF-branded face-mask you are wearing) teti upite mu Southern Province naufwala kukanwa bakakuma (you can’t pass through Southern Province wearing that; they will beat you). Bakakuma bakakufumya namu bus tawakaninemo (they will beat you up and not even allow you to get on a bus). Takwaba ukulumbula ishiwi ilya PF nangu party imbi, FDD, ishili iyakulya (there is no mentioning of the PF or any other party, for that matter, like the FDD, which is not from there). Aba abantu baishibana fye bekabeka (these people just know themselves). Tabafwaya (they don’t want)!”