DISTRIBUTION OF BICYCLES UNSETTLES UPND-KAMBA
THE distribution of bicycles by the PF for party mobilisation has sent panic among the UPND leadership who are now claiming the Government resources are being used to purchase them, Kennedy Kamba has charged.
Yesterday, UPND deputy secretary general Patrick Mucheleka said his party was not surprised that the PF leadership had decided to procure thousands of bicycles and other campaign materials branded with President Edgar Lungu's face when it lamentably failed to deliver farmers inputs under the e-voucher system.
Mr. Mucheleka said the purchase of bicycles showed complete lack of priorities on the part of Government as it was preoccupying itself with campaigns and elections to keep what he termed as a failed and corrupt leadership in power at the expense of service delivery to the Zambian people.
“When our time comes as UPND, we would channel such materials towards the agriculture extension services in rural areas and combating animal diseases under our agriculture diversification programme. We would rather give bicycles towards traditional birth attendants so that mothers do not die during childbirth,” Mr. Mucheleka said.
But speaking to the Daily Nation yesterday, Mr. Kamba said it was now clear that the reality that the UPND was destined to lose the 2021 elections had dawned on its leadership which had now resorted to distorting facts in the hope of hoodwinking Zambians into buying in their lies about what Government was doing.
He said it was illogical for Mr. Mucheleka to link the distribution of bicycles for party mobilisation to the distribution of farming inputs for farmers because there was no connection between the operations of Government and the party on how the two entities operated.
He challenged the UPND to provide evidence that the ruling party was using Government resources to purchase bicycles for party mobilisation if there was any aorta of truth in what they were talking about.
“The UPND is just scared that we have just launched an unmatched mobilisation drive which we can sustain up to 2021 while they are busty sleeping and making unwarranted accusations against us. The money which was used to purchase those bicycles did not come from Government but from our party coffers and we don’t understand where this panic is coming from.
“When we sat down to plan, we realised that distance especially in rural areas was making party mobilisation difficult and a proposal was made to the secretariat that we needed bicycles for easy mobility and the secretariat responded accordingly and purchased bicycles which our people are using. We will not be distracted by political parties whose leaders cannot think about the best way to mobilise,” Mr. Kamba said.
He urged the UPND to be honest enough and realise that all the strategies it was using to win the hearts of Zambians were failing hence resorting to issuing baseless statements which had no value to the development of the country.