PF CENTRAL COMMITTEE SIDELINED AS M’MEMBE TAKES OVER

By SUFZ Staff

Chaos is brewing in the Patriotic Front (PF) over the Cobra’s decision to ditch meetings with the PF central committee in preference to meeting with his chief strategist Fred Namakando M’meebe from The Post Newspaper.

According to dissatisfied members of the central committee, Mr. Michael Sata has stopped meeting senior party members apart from his close circle and now takes advice only for M’membe.

The sources say that many senior members have been sidelined and are unable to strategise ahead of the elections because Mr. Sata just works only with The Post nowadays.

“You know, we rarely have central committee meetings.  This started even before the convention but this time it is worse.   Even senior member such as ourselves just here our president speaking from Mongu, Chipata or Kasama.  We are just like spectators,” the source said.

Senior party members are also afraid that Mr. Sata might make a lot of mistakes in nominations for elective positions so much that he might dampen the mood of supporters. 

“What we know is that our president is always communicating with M’membe and just walks in the Post Offices and chooses which reporter he wants to talk to or accompanying him wherever he is going.  he is really just like part of that company.  But you know, he is forgetting that he has members of the central committee who are his chief advisors and the highest policy organ of the party but he has decided to listen to only one man,” the source complained.

Mr. Sata is also reported to be causing confusion at the grass roots in Lusaka by imposing candidates.

The PF Lima Ward leaders have warned Mr. Sata against imposing a candidate on them or else they will boycott voting.

The angry members who staged a demonstration that was filmed by Muvi TV, aired their grievances and frustration at Sata’s undemocratic tendencies and vowed to take him on if he imposed a candidate for Matero Constituency.

The Lima Ward Executive Committee insists that the primary adoption process for candidates has not been completed.

Ward Secretary Robson Lwisha who tried to calm the irate cadres said all aspiring candidates for parliamentary and local government elections on the PF ticket have been interviewed at ward level.

He further told Muvi TV news that the names of shortlisted candidates have been handed over to the constituency committee.

The cadres allege that corruption marred the adoption process and that it is being condoned by Mr. Sata.