Former Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary- General Charles Chimumbwa has said former party has lost popularity in its one time stronghold, the Northern Province.
Mr. Chimumbwa who recently visited the province said he met most of the chiefs in the area who openly declared their support for President Rupiah Banda on account of the developmental projects he is implementing countrywide.
“I met almost all the chiefs and sub-chiefs in Lupososhi, Lubansenshi and Luwingu and what I discovered on the ground is the opposite of what people think. The chiefs I spoke with gave me a proverb which states that a bird in hand is better than one in a bush. They said that this country already has a President in Mr. Rupiah Banda so why should they go fishing around?” he said.
“They said they wanted roads President Banda is working on them, fertiliser and the government is giving free farming inputs. They said they do not need any other person because President Banda has proved to be a president for all Zambians, “Mr. Chimumbwa said.
He said he went around schools and markets and discovered that the situation in the province had changed in favour of the ruling MMD.
“The people of Lubansenshi said they made a mistake in 2006 to vote for the opposition PF. They said they were voting for a party without regard of the calibre of the candidate for Member of Parliament (MP). They have since realised that an MP from the opposition cannot bring development to the area. I found the area to be fertile for the MMD, “he said.
He also visited Lunte Constituency where he said people were ready to vote for president Rupiah Banda and the Ruling MMD.
“The people I interviewed told me that the MMD is very popular now in the area because people now understand what President Banda stands for. People in the Province now understand that they were being cheated by PF leader Michael Sata and his MPs who promised to implement development in 90 days, “he said.
“Let them continue making noise that they have their strongholds in Lusaka, Copperbelt, what they don’t know is that things have changed. I visited this province to see what chances President Banda and the MMD have in the so called PF strongholds. I can assure people that come election date, PF will come out crying,” he said.
He said Lubansenshi had a PF MPs who had done nothing for the people in that area.
Mr. Chimumbwa however said government had put up a High School in Lupososhi and had worked on the road from Luwingu to Nsombo and that the road into Lubansenshi had also been done.
He said that there was a programme to electrify Shimumbi School which the PF MP did not follow up.
He also disclosed that there were 27 schools in Lubanseshi and farmers had formed co-operatives to enable them access the farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).
In the telecommunication Sector, Mr. Chimumbwa said four towers had been erected in Lubanseshi and three in Lupososhi, to enable the areas to be covered in terms of the telephone networks.
“President Banda should not worry about Northern Province, there are a few pockets of the opposition but predominantly, he is popular and will win genuinely because of what he has done,” he said. Some of the chiefs that have endorsed President Banda include Chiefs Chabula and Mutondo of Lupososhi, and Chiefs Tungati, Mucheleka, Chipalo and Ndoki, all of Lubasenshi.
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