We will grab Katuba seat – PF

THE Patriotic Front (PF) in Central Province will scoop the Katuba seat in the coming parliamentary by- election, PF Provincial chairperson Chanda Mutale has said. The Katuba by- election in Chibombo district fell vacant after the death of UPND area Member of Parliament (MP) Patricia Mwashingwele in May this year. Mr Mutale who is Chitambo MP said the party was on the ground to ensure it grabbed the Katuba seat from the UPND. Speaking to the Daily Nation in an interview, Mr Mutale said contrary to perceptions that Katuba constituency was a strong hold for the UPND, any other party could scoop it. “The history of Katuba is that it was under the MMD so no one should come and tell any person that Katuba is a strong hold of UPND. No, Katuba is not the strong hold for UPND,” Katuba is and shall remain for anybody,” said Mr Mutale. Mr Mutale PF would concentrate on issued-based campaigns and that the party would refrain from violence. Mr Mutale said the party would in its campaigns take advantage of the opposition MPs’ continued refusal to work with the PF-lead government, a move he said has made them unpopular especially in the rural parties of their constituencies. Mr Mutale said the move my opposition MPs to shun any government developmental programmes that took place in their area meant to prove to the people that the PF had failed to govern the country had made them look like failures to the people. “The PF is saying we shall take advantage of that and explain to the people because there is this notion with the opposition where they don't want to work with the PF as party in power government even on good things,” said Mr Mutale. He explained that even when government took relief food to hunger-stricken areas in their stronghold at their request, they refused to be part of such a programme. He said this was so because their agenda was to ensure that the people of Katuba realised that it’s only the PF that could give them the development that they wanted such as farming inputs, feeder roads as outlined the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP). He said PF was the only party with a well-defined plan with achievable goals. About eight PF members are up for adoption in the coming Katuba by-election among them Charity Kapona, Maureen Lungu, Bronson Chikusu, Doctor Kennedy Lishimpi, Remmy Mulandu Mukosa, Austine Katunta and Leonard Chibunga.