By Patson Chilemba
Ruling PF Lusaka provincial chairperson Paul Moonga says people were attending Hakainde Hichilema’s rallies in the recently held elections merely for body viewing, saying the only wind of change in the country is that Zambians want PF to continue in power.
But opposition UPND leader Hichilema in a Facebook posting, stated that he hoped Zambians who voted “for our opponents”, will appreciate the UPND’s message “of hope, national unity and economic development in 2021, and vote for us.”
Speaking with Daily Revelation on the PF victories in Lukashya and Mwansabombwe parliamentary by-elections, Moonga said he was at pains to see the much talked about wind of change which those in the opposition ranks were touting.
“I agree there is wind of change, there is a very big wind of change and people do not want the opposition that’s the wind of change. Wind of change yes is there for us we are growing from strength to strength so there is wind of change,” Moonga said. “They can’t just tell you that PF is becoming stronger and stronger under the able leadership of Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, his humbleness, humility. He never insults back you can call him all sorts of names he has no vulgar language. He’s brought up from a compound in Chawama.”
As well as winning the two parliamentary seats, the PF also won in wards by-elections in Luangwa and Mpongwe, in Lusaka and Copperbelt rural respectively.
For their part, the UPND also grabbed victories in the two wards of Lufwanyama on the Copperbelt and in Mufumbwe, North Western Province
However, Moonga wondered where the UPND would get the votes, if PF was still winning elections soundly in their own strongholds while eating into the UPND strongholds at the same time.
“Lusaka Province is a no go area for UPND, they know it. Iwe mwana you tell me someone can win PF in Matero, Munali, Mandevu, Lusaka Central, Kabwata? You must be a joker. You must be a joker. Let them try their luck elsewhere unless I’m not the provincial chairperson for Lusaka,” Moonga said. “So Lusaka and Copperbelt, they may try Copperbelt in rural areas where they can speak with their language. But ultimately the majority of the big votes (are) in Lusaka.”
Moonga charged that Hichilema should not get too excited with the huge crowds at his rallies, because people mostly attended them just to see how he looks like.
“You know Zambian people are very good, you can go for public rally, they are going there for body viewing, because even the dead person who is dead people come out of the Church they put the body on the door,” Moonga said. “They were just going there for body-viewing. Nothing it was body viewing as usual. Do you think everybody who was doing body viewing loves you? They go for body viewing just to see HH how he looks like. They are seeing for the last time. Amoneka shani na bibo yakwe (How does he look like)? Ni body viewing. Ultimately he lost. Bwana somewhere some polling stations they were hammered 600 against 0 kwati chiloto. He went with vulgar language there we have won him clean.”
However, Moonga congratulated the UPND on their own victories and for participating in the elections, saying that contributed towards the enhancement of the country’s democracy.
“Thank you very much HH and your team,” Moonga said.
He said the country’s founding president Dr Kenneth Kaunda liberated the country from colonialism under the UNIP government, Frederick Chiluba’s MMD delivered multipartism and the PF government was delivering development.
But Hichilema stated that the UPND would continue talking to those who did not vote for the party, and also thanked the candidates for their courageous fight, amidst many challenges they met along the way, saying they must not lose hope as opportunities abound and change was coming.
“An endurance athlete’s most important motivation for competition is to win and to win big, but it also affords them an opportunity to identify areas they need to improve upon for the next race. Where we won, we will strive to win big next time and where we lost, we will assess our performance and strive to do better,” stated Hichilema.“There’s no time for bickering and blame games but for serious examination, correction and moving forward, because we don’t have the luxury of time.”