WE WILL SHOW DORA A RED CARD, SHE WON’T SEE OUR VOTE THIS YEAR, VOW PETAUKE RESIDENTS
By Daily Revelation Correspondent
Women in Petauke are up in arms against information minister Dora Siliya for allegedly telling them to stop bearing children in the hope that she will provide chitenges for them to wrap their children
And random interviews conducted by Daily Revelation (as shown in the video below) across the vast Petauke-Central constituency where Siliya is member of parliament have revealed the animosity and anger towards their member of parliament for the unsafe drinking water, poor roads, general lack of development and the fact that she has overstayed.
However, some of those interviewed still appreciate the work their MP has done in helping some to benefit from the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and other developments in the area, with Siliya also using her opponent’s suspended sentence slapped on him by the courts in the campaigns.
During random interviews conducted in Petauke, it is very clear that Siliya has an uphill battle to get re-adoption going by the popularity being enjoyed by her opponent, the suspended PF Eastern Province youth chairperson Emmanuel Banda, popularly known as Jay Jay, from the general population to the traditional leadership, except that most senior chiefs are careful not to come out and declare who they support.
The main complaint in the vast Petauke-Central constituency is the insufficient boreholes that were dug in the area, have dried up and there has been very little action to have them repaired, plus the inaction even on the K1500 paid by each of the over 750 headmen in the area after they were asked to contribute the amounts over two years ago.
The sentiment is being echoed in several of the meetings involving the headmen.
Women too, who have been known be Siliya’s backbone over the years are angry over what they term as Siliya’s sarcasm. The point was made on record more clearly by the PF’s Wongolwe Ward chairlady Mbangose Tembo.
“She told us ‘I have given you these chitenges to wear, not for you to start giving birth and hoping that Dora will bring us (more) chitenges. She said don’t start bearing more children. Me, I only have one child whom I have educated’. And she gave us K100s, transport and food inclusive when we spent the whole day without eating (during the time she called us for a meeting in town),” Tembo, who also accused Siliya of referring to them as pigs. “She says, ‘my pigs are not difficult, I just knock and they come. How can they fail to come?’ We are very angry and upset.”
Another lady named as Rachel Banda from Mpamba village said Siliya should have done more for the people particularly that she has been serving as cabinet minister for almost the entire political life as member of parliament.
“When they introduced the voucher system A Dora was supposed to know that my people are farmers. We don’t have fertilizer tililile pati kuti tili naba MP batu (where are we gong to cry to that we have an MP here?). There is no development here, and tell madam Dora Siliya there is no development here, we don’t see it. The vote for 2021 is in our hearts,” Banda said. “Ati ‘villagers are not difficult they just need materials of chitenge, they are going to vote for us’. But we, in the village are angry. Dora Siliya won’t get any vote.”
Headman Agab Zulu of Isaac village, less that two kilometers from Petauke town center and a few kilometers from Siliya’s Petauke house and also the house for the aspiring MP Banda, said the people were no more different from animals in terms of the water they drunk, wondering why the people should not change leadership given the circumstances.
Pointing to the filthy well, still with muddy water and frogs swimming in there, headmen Zulu said he and the community around that area drink the water from the same well.
He said they experienced a reprieve when a borehole was dug, but once it dried up a few years ago, no one has been able to come to their aid despite their area member of parliament and other relevant authorities knowing the dire situation. Zulu was not the only one to complain about the dried boreholes and generally lack of clean water in the constituency, as that has been a reoccurring theme.
While the overwhelming majority have no problem with President Lungu, they seem resolved to change guard in lower positions. However, just a few of those interviewed, are of the position that the poverty levels are too much in the country, which was enough to warrant a change of government.
Nevertheless, Siliya is not without her own supporters, particularly those trading in markets who have been privileged with her monetary donations, something which has not sat kindly with others who feel that is a sideshow to the underdevelopment in the area during the time Siliya has served as member of parliament.
During a meeting with fellow headmen in chief Mumbi’s area, senior induna Kalapuka prodded his fellow headmen, who clapped in approval, to speak to the people that have vowed to change the member of parliament, saying Siliya promised to address a lot but has delivered little, including in 2016 when she promised to work on the bad state of the roads like the one leading to senior chief Mumbi’s area, that takes around one hour to travel despite the short distance from the town center.
The adoption contest between Siliya and Banda is one of the most hotly contested battles, with Siliya using the suspended sentence slapped on Banda against him, and Banda claiming that he was cleared as he was not the one who was involved in the fracas, plus also using Siliya’s own record as member of parliament against her.
Sources have said State House has been providing resources to both campaigns, in an effort to tap support from both bases
We have compiled a video capturing some of the grievances people have expressed against Siliya, including some offering support to her. Please take a listen.