By Daily Revelation reporter
Patriotic Front (PF) Lusaka province chairperson Paul Moonga has been fired for failing to push President Edgar Lungu’s agenda of ensuring certainty of the President’s victory in Lusaka province ahead of next year’s elections.
Impeccable sources at the PF secretariat and members of the central committee both confirmed to Daily Revelation that a decision was reached to fire Moonga following all indications that President Lungu is most likely going to lose Lusaka Province next year, unless something drastic is done.
“Things are looking dire in Lusaka and all indications point to President Lungu and PF loss, that’s why you have seen the focus on rural areas. In rural areas maybe we may win, but it’s not looking good in urban areas, especially Lusaka,” sources said.
Sources said Moonga was viewed to have lamentably failed to mobilise support in Lusaka province in order to guarantee the President’s outright victory.
They said PF secretary general Davies Mwila fired Moonga with full consent, approval, and directive from President Lungu.
“The first reason why Paul Moonga has been fired is because the political environment in Lusaka is not looking favourable for the President. All indications are pointing to the fact that the President is going to lose Lusaka Province (in next year’s tripartite elections), and Paul Moonga has been viewed as a liability because he has not been forceful on the ground campaigning for the President and the party,” sources explained.
They added that Moonga’s alcoholic behaviour had reached unacceptable levels, with most party members complaining about him.
“And also, you know that there have been complaints from the general membership that he is usually drunk; he attends meetings drunk and is most often drunk; and as a result, he has not been effective to discharge the functions assigned to him,” they disclosed. “The other issue is that there have been allegations against him regarding the distribution of lands in Lusaka. So, that is one of the issues that raised a lot of alarm bells within the party (structures). There have also been allegations especially from young women, sure you know what that means.”
Moonga is also accused of having failed to support President Lungu’s agenda aimed at discouraging serving ministers and members of parliament from re-contesting their seats next year. Sources revealed that the President has made a directive that most incumbent ministers and members of parliament must pave way for new faces to contest on various positions including parliamentary seats – a directive Moonga has failed to execute.
“In addition, you know, there is this smearing struggle in the Patriotic Front…that the President does not want most of the serving MPs and ministers to re-contest their positions.
Now, what has happened is that there are divisions in the PF as most of these (serving) ministers and members of parliaments, much as they oppose to the President’s directive, they are scared of coming out in the open for fear of losing their positions now…because they might be fired,” sources revealed. “So, what they (serving ministers and MPs want to do is to ambush the President at the party convention where they are going to declare opposition to the stance the president has taken. Now, Moonga was viewed as not being too forceful in pushing the President’s agenda regarding this matter where, he wants, like in Lusaka, for instance, new faces to contest parliamentary positions. So, in a nutshell, these are some of the things that have led to the firing of Paul Moonga from his position. He has been fired by the SG of the party, but with consent, approval, and directive from the President.”
Efforts to contact Moonga failed as his phone went unanswered.
-Daily Revelation