UPND’S VOTE BUYING SCHEMES IN ZIMBA DISTRICT UPSETS SOCIALIST PARTY

UPND’S VOTE BUYING SCHEMES IN ZIMBA DISTRICT UPSETS SOCIALIST PARTY

Zimba district… Saturday, September 7, 2024

The Socialist Party (SP) campaign team in Chidi Ward of Zimba District, Southern Province, has expressed worry with some government officials through the social social cash transfer programs, the department of the Farmers Input Support Programme (FISP) including the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unity who are allegedly distributing relief food and other inducements in the area.

The opposition political party says this is tantamount to vote buying.

“From Thursday 05 to Friday 06 September 2024 government through it’s program on FISP were busy distributing bags of fertilizer in Simundivwi polling station including Sikalaye polling station to the voters. Friday 06 September 2024 Government through the Social Cash Transfer program were also busy with there programs at Simumdivwi Polling station and the targeted people they are meeting are people who are registered as voters in those areas,” said Kelvin Phiri, a Member of Central Committee.

“Same day Friday 06 September 2024 The UPND campaign team were in Chidi Polling station campaigning for there candidate and after the campaign they were busy through DMMU distributining Mealie meal to voters in the area. The same programs have been happening in areas where Socialist Party has orginised meetings as per ECZ time table.”

Mr Phiri further called on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to quickly intervene into the matter and take action as such activities have potential to corrupt the mind of voters because programs are happening during a by-elections.

“As a Party, we are very much concerned that such programs have become very active and fast during this time of a by-election,” he added.

“ECZ have always stopped such activities and our call to the Commission is to quickly intervene in the matter and leave voters to vote freely and choose a candidate of their choice.”

He further called on the ECZ to stop this process until 19 September 2024 when the ward by-election is done.

“The Party is also concerned with the behavior of headman Simumdivwi who went to our camp and stopped the team from campaigning and went even further to destroy food which was been cooked by our team at camp,” he alleged.

“The behavior by the village leader simply shows the camp he belongs and the question is how can a traditional leader come to our camp and destroy food which our members who are also his people are eating.”

Mr Phiri emphasized that the Socialist Party has been peaceful and will countinue to be peaceful if the government derperments and ECZ stop the programs of making voters to vote for the rulling party.

He further said it is also worrying with the use of government vehicles during campaigns by the UPND which has countinued and the most worrying part is that civil servants are now been involved in politics.

“The party also want to thank the people of Chidi Ward for the great welcome and understanding the socialist party manifesto,” he stated.