UPND can win an election anywhere in Zambia today, says Katambo
By Darious Kapembwa
THE ruling UPND can win an election anywhere in Zambia today, says deputy media director Cheelo Katambo.
Recently, Matero PF member of parliament Miles Sampa said the ruling party was afraid of losing elections in urban areas that is why the by-elections are only happening in rural areas.
But Katambo dared Sampa to resign as Matero MP and see if the UPND cannot win an urban seat.
He reminded Sampa that Kabushi in Ndola and Kwacha in Kitwe were all urban constituencies that his party managed to win.
“We have seen the statement from Matero member of parliament Miles Sampa where he is calling on the UPND to call for elections in an urban area alleging that the UPND was scared of losing that’s why by-elections were being held in rural areas. We find that laughable because Mr Miles Sampa in the first place should realise that places like Kawambwa Central that is an urban constituency in Luapula Province. Kabushi is urban in Ndola, Kwacha is in Kitwe. So when Mr Miles Sampa talks about urban areas we tend to wonder whether the man understands what an urban area is as compared to a rural area,” Katambo said. “Now if Mr Miles Sampa wants us to have an election, if he wants us to go into a game … for elections, we advise him to step down in Matero so that we can have by-election in Matero and see if he can still retain that seat.”
Katambo claimed that Sampa had failed the people of Matero as roads and drainages were still bad despite government procuring earth-moving equipment.
“If you go to Matero today roads are bad, drainages are bad and there is literally nothing that Mr Miles Sampa can point at today as having achieved in Matero. So if he wants us to go to a by-election we ask him to resign today and go for a by-election more especially that his secretary general Morgan Ng’ona has petitioned the Constitutional Court to ask the National Assembly to declare Matero Constituency vacant then we can meet in Matero and see if the people of Matero will not vote for the UPND,” he said.
Katambo said people stopped voting for “mere rhetoric but visible development like what President Hakainde Hichilema” was delivering in Matero as a result of increased Constituency Development Fund, the cash for work, women and youth loans plus construction of classrooms and clinics.
“We are game for Matero if Miles Sampa wants to have an election in an urban area as he says it. We are ready to start with his constituency which is Matero. We are asking him to resign today so that ECZ can call a by-election. The people of Matero are tired of Miles Sampa. He was an MP, became mayor and MP again. All he knows is bikering, behaving like a small boy. Jumping from one plane to another, arguing with people and busy misbehaving.
That is not the kind of politics that… the UPND right now can win an election anywhere in the country regardless of the terrain, geographical location, even in areas that were once deemed as impossibilities because the people are seing the advantages and the things that are being done on the ground,” said Katambo.
Credit : The MAGNET NEWSPAPER