Livingstone fishmongers defect to PF

We have failed to continue supporting the opposition; we now join the PF because we want to work with the ruling party. — Livingstone Fish Mongers Association

SOME members of Fish Mongers Association in Livingstone have joined the Patriotic Front (PF) and praised Government for reducing school fees.

The association has also thanked President Edgar Lungu for the recent release of 2, 182 prisoners from correctional facilities under the presidential pardon. Association vice-chairlady, Alice Mulako Mate, said members decided to join the ruling party after seeing unprecedented development which the party in power had done. She was speaking when Southern Province Minister Edify Hamukale received them after they ditched the opposition. Ms Mate said members, especially from Dambwa Central Market, had for a long been supporters of the opposition. She said they have however realised that there was nothing that the opposition could offer. She said that there were a number of challenges at Dambwa Central Market, which the Government should address. Ms Mate said that lack of conducive trading space and lack of security at the market was a source of concern. She complained that her members had been paying money as fish levy and purpose fee but that the funds were not accounted for. “We have failed to continue supporting the opposition; we now join the PF because we want to work with the ruling party. We are not trading well at Dambwa Central Market because the shelter is not good for business,” she said. “We are also paying a lot of money to the fisheries but we do not know where the money goes…we have also decided to join the PF because President Lungu loves the people of Zambia that is why government has reduced school fees and no one will fail to send their children to school,” Ms Mate said. And Dr Hamukale assured the women that he would do everything possible to address some of the challenges. The Minister said that the PF Government was a listening government and understood the challenges that communities were facing. “We are a listening government and this is how it is supposed to be. The PF is a party of natural colour and anyone who wants to join is free to do so,” Dr Hamukale said.