[By Changala Sichilongo]
SOCIALIST Party president Fred M’membe says PF are scared hence their resolve to stop the opposition from campaigning.
Launching his party’s electoral campaign in Kasama on Saturday, Dr M’membe who spoke in Bemba throughout told the audience that the PF were filled with fear.
He said their time to leave had come, no matter what they do.
“Baletina, umwenso nawingila. But tabafike nangu kumo uno mwaka, ifyabo nafipwa; ilyashi nalipwa kuno. Abena Zambia nabeluka (They are scared. They’re filled with fear. But they will not reach anywhere this year, their time is up; it is finished for them. Zambians have woken up),” he told the audience. “Uno mwaka abapina baleteka, uno mwaka abapina baleiteka. Uno mwaka abapina baleivotela. Mwabepwa pafula; mwacula pafula. Ivoteleni uno mwaka naimwe mutekeko (This year the poor will govern. This year the poor will govern themselves. This year the poor will vote for themselves. You have been deceived a lot; you have suffered a lot. Vote for yourselves this year so that you can also govern).”
And Dr M’membe bemoaned the poor state of the country’s economy, citing poor leadership.
He said for as long as PF remained in power prices of commodities would continue to rise because those in power had no vision.
“Nga twakonkanya ukwikalefi takuli uko tuleya. Ilyo baishile mu buteko mu 2011 ubunga mwaleshita K33. Lelo muleshito bunga K140, 25 kg (If we continue living like this we will not go anywhere. When they (PF) came into government in 2011 you were buying mealie-meal at K33. Today you are buying mealie-meal at K140 a 25 kg bag)” said Dr M’membe. “Bread mwaleshita K8, lelo muleshita bread pa K16. Inkoko iyo mwaleshita pali K20 lelo muleshita pali K90. Sugar iyo mwaleshita pali K15, 2kg lelo muleshita pali K46… (You used to buy bread at K8, today you are buying bread at K16. You were buying a chicken at K20, today you are buying it at K90. You were buying a 2kg of sugar at K15, today you are buying it at K46…”