Several sections of society have urged Patriotic Front President, Michael Sata, to come up with issue based campaigns in order to woo voters in this years election. They say the same old story of "action in 90 days" is outdated and has been overiden by events that unfolded in the PF run City Councils. They complained that when they hear Mr. Sata on radio telling the nation how he will do this or that within 90 days, PF as a party becomes less desirable and it becomes clear that its leadership needs to be renewed. They cited the gross theft of funds at the LCC, lack of service delivery and theft of public property through land allocations to councilors, as the end result of Sata's 2006 pledge of how he would show Mwanawasa how to run the public sector."We are tired of being told stories about 90 days. Within 90 days, the PF councilors in our city council started stealing money instead of improving on service provisions in the city." said Mr. Chomba outside Society House on Lusaka's Cairo Road. He further said that "Sata failed to deliver on his promises in 90 days and his councilors took us for a ride. He even failed to reprimand them when their wrong was exposed. Instead, he defended their crooked ways."
A shop keeper in Lusaka's City Market said "90 days is just a myth to get blind support. We have given PF a total of five years and they have failed to clean the city. They have failed to kick out the Lebanese, Indians and Chinese who have taken over most of the market stalls. Today, we even have Somalis, Congolese and unknown people being given stalls which were meant for Zambians. The PF councilors are taking bribes for stalls from foreigners at the expense of national development. Now my sales have dropped because of price under cutting." Mrs. Mweene, who sells cosmetics and hair products, also complained bitterly about intimidation by PF cadres and councilors.
In Kitwe, Mr. Bwalya, who is a resident of Wusakile Township, complained bitterly that the PF led council has failed to keep to its promises of 2006. "These PF councilors led by their president promised that our area would be cleaned within 90 days. They said drains would be cleaned and bridges would be built over drains. They said they were concerned about our health and living conditions but they have done nothing. This is 2011 and we are still suffering. The councilors have allocated plots to themselves and they have threatened us with taxes and market fees in order to increase revenue. We have paid and they have in turn used the money to pay themselves hefty cheques. The 90 day promise is nothing more than a campaign gimick which has been over used." he said.
A Ndola resident complained that when the PF won the local government elections, it promised to speed up house sales and issuance of title deeds. "This process stalled after the 2001 elections and in 2006 PF said they would accelerate it. Five years have passed and we are being told to pay exorbitant rentals or face eviction. These useless PF councilors want to take our houses away from us and keep them for themselves. Is this the change Sata promised us in 90 days? The PF leadership just watches as we are robbed of our homes like they did not promise to settle our titles. When we confront our MP, we are threatened by the Kaponya's who are PF vigilante." Mrs Mwaba went on to say that "It was only after FTJ came that our issues were heard and President Banda ordered the issuance of title with immediate effect. All the developments you see today are owed to FTJ and Rupiah Banda."
Minister of Education, Dora Siliya, has advised the Zambian people to reflect and remember all that was supposed to have been done in 90 days when PF won the local government elections in major towns. She said the PF should be judged by its performance over the last five years in the same vein that MMD is being judged after President Banda took over to continue what Late Levy Mwanawasa started. She said it is important to note that PF is full of empty promises because the people in the party are opportunists who only want to enrich themselves.
She pointed out how President Banda has seen that PF have failed and he has come to the aid of our people by taking on responsibilities of the local authorities. He has ordered the issuance of title deeds, the repair of roads and drains, and the slashing of house prices in order to empower our people to be able to take loans from CEEC and commercial banks.
"This i will do this or that in 90 days has been tested and it failed to generate a better living for our people. Instead, in 90 days, PF was able to enrich its MP's and councilors by paying out inflated administration fees and allocating themselves plots meant for the masses." She said. "So tell us now Mr. Sata, what promises are you going to sell us in 90 days for this years election? Ask him what he will do to his theiving councilors and MP's in 90 days before the election, which he should have done 90 days after winning local government elections in 2006."
In 2006 after the general elections, Mr Sata is on record saying he would show President Mwanawasa how councils should be run. When PF had won seats in most of the councils, Mr Sata promised that the councillors would collect garbage, work on roads and deliver social services to the people of Zambia but to date, none of these promises have been honoured.
In FJT's last press conference, he said "It would be politically naive and dangerous for the nation to forget the strong 2006 post-election policy statement, the PF leader Michael Sata made when he said; ‘Mr Mwanawasa will run State House but I will run the country through the councils. We must never forget that because people are now paying a high price for electing PF councillors and MPs who have followed their leader’s policy statement to the letter and caused all the misery."
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