By Patson Chilemba
It’s unfortunate that Chishimba Kambwili is incarcerated today, says ruling PF vice-chairperson for mobilisation Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM).
And GBM said President Edgar Lungu has sent PF secretary general Davies Mwila to the Copperbelt to ensure harmony between the main party structures and the mobilisation committee.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, GBM bemoaned the incarceration of Kambwili, but that the matter had nothing to do with President Edgar Lungu and the ruling party. GBM was asked how he felt as a political leader that one of the opposition leaders in the country was incarcerated during the time the country was commemorating 56 years of independence.
“It’s quite unfortunate but I think on a later day you must ask me specifically on honourable Chishimba Kambwili then I will be able to express my feelings about honourable Kambwili. But for now I can just say that it is unfortunate that one of us is incarcerated today of course not something of the party’s intention or the President’s intention, but something which is beyond everyone’s control,” GBM said. “Because it’s a matter which I think he was involved in had nothing to do with anyone of us in the party. But it’s something to do with the law, the laws of Zambia. But I think I can probably say some other time ask me about my young brother Kambwili and I will be able to share with you what I feel about brother Kambwili.”
GBM, who said he was heading for the Copperbelt when contacted for the interview, said Mwila was chairing a meeting in the province to ensure that party structures and the mobilisation pull together in one direction.
“It’s just some people may not understand the role of the mobilisation committee, that’s why the party secretary general, of course the President saw it prudent that he directs the party secretary general to give guidelines on how the main party structures and the mobilisation should work in harmony,” GBM said. “It’s doesn’t mean that there is any form of misunderstanding, no, no we are working together. We just need our roles to be defined yes that’s the purpose of that meeting.”
However, the sources have revealed that the continued infighting involving Copperbelt Province mobilisation committee chairperson and Lusaka Province minister Bowman Lusambo and the Nathan Chanda led provincial leadership is at the heart of the meeting being chaired by Mwila.
The sources have told Daily Revelation that those in the main leadership structures feel they have been supplanted from their positions by those who are in the mobilisation committee, and that the two camps are positioning themselves for hegemony over the leadership for the province. The sources have also said that those aligned to the two groups are also in a fight over the adoptions of members of parliament, and that the fight has pitted the true greens (original members of the party) and the new comers like Lusambo and Foreign Affairs minister Joe Malanji.
There have been long standing fights between the two camps, which once led to a near punch-up involving Chanda’s supporters and Lusambo during a fundraising dinner dance on the Copperbelt, in the presence of Mwila. Lusambo elicited anger in Chanda’s supporters who threatened to manhandle him after he said that the party was dead on the Copperbelt because of poor leadership.
And GBM said the PF was ready for next year’s general elections.
“Some people may be saying that no there is some wind of change. I haven’t seen it because when I was in PF (in 2011) I saw wind of change when we were taking over from MMD. But that is not there today I can’t see any wind of change. I am sure am not the only one who can say that or attest to that there is no significance that there is wind of change in 2021,” said GBM. “All I can say is that people must continue supporting the leadership of President Lungu and the PF. I think they mean well they have done quite a lot for this country. Things that were not done after independence today most of the things have been done…27 years ago there was nothing to point at.”-Daily Revelation