FOREIGN Affairs minister Joe Malanji on Sunday threw diplomacy to the wind, telling off the opposition that State House is not a toilet for one to ask President Edgar Lungu to come out so that they can enter.
Malanji was addressing PF members at Livingstone Lodge.
He urged party members not to be cheated by the opposition.
Malanji also appealed to PF members to start mobilising the party because: “You need an MP who is equal to the task and has organisational abilities and can engage the community and business houses.”
He said instead of 40 years, Zambia has had four presidents in a short space of time.
Under the Constitution, a president in Zambia can only serve two five-year terms of office.
“President Edgar Lungu is getting back into State House…wina akamba ati chooka ningenemo, ni mu toilet? Ngati wadwala diarrhoea sakila toilet inangu (someone is saying ‘come out so that I enter’; is it a toilet? If you have developed diarrhoea, look for another toilet),” said Malanji.
And PF member of central committee Kebby Mbewe threatened to push for the dissolution of Livingstone PF structures following confusion over the adoption of a parliamentary candidate that has led to divisions in the ruling party.
Mbewe said the PF would send independent people to help in the selection of a parliamentary candidate.
“President Edgar Lungu is winning whether there is an MP or no MP. Therefore, we don’t expect the district to be divided because of candidates. You structures I want to warn you as MCC, don’t divide the party. These candidates found the party and they will leave the party otherwise you will force us to dissolve you,” Mbewe warned.
He said the PF in 2016 paid the price because of confusions over a candidate.
“Independent people will tell us who the people want. If you want us to sideline your recommendations, continue doing foolish things,” Mbewe said as a PF cadre shouted “go deeper”.
He warned that officials profiting from aspiring candidates were slimming the chances of candidates being adopted.
“You already did your adoption process at district level, yours now is to keep quiet. Even if you go to Lusaka to see ba Yamfwa [Mukanga], ba [Joe] Malanji or ba Kampyongo, the first MCC they will call is me. You are wasting your time, us we are going to put a candidate that the people of Livingstone want,” said Mbewe.