Condemn tribal sentiments by PF campaign teams in Kasenengwa, UPND challenges Lungu
UPND deputy secretary general Patrick Mucheleka says it is despicable that President Edgar Lungu has continued to allow tribal campaigns in the Kasenengwa by-elections.
The PF campaign team in Kasenengwa has said there is no need for Easterners to vote for politicians that hail from other provinces.
But Mucheleka, in a statement yesterday, said there was need for President Lungu to come out in the open and condemn the tribal sentiments coming from the PF campaign team in Kasenengwa.
“We find it despicable that Mr Edgar Lungu has continued to allow reprehensible tribal campaigns in the on-going Kasenengwa Constituency by-elections in Eastern Province through his supporters such as the Sinda Constituency MP Masautso Tembo. Even more shocking and repulsive is for Mr Lungu and his PF leadership to keep on dragging the UPND into their hateful tribal campaigns when our party is not even participating in the Kasenengwa Constituency by-elections,” Mucheleka stated. “The obnoxious remarks by the PF campaign teams as seen on television amounts to xenophobic tantrums against the people of Southern Province and those from other parts of the country not hailing from the Eastern Province. It is this kind of abominable hate speech by Mr Lungu and his PF leadership that has led to violence in the country. We have always said that there is a systematic and well calculated scheme by Mr Lungu to completely isolate other citizens from the governance and resource benefits of this country and we are now being vindicated by the appalling and sickening comments by the Sinda independent MP using a PF platform.”
Mucheleka stated that the PF tribal campaigns in Kasenengwa confirmed the systematic marginalisation of citizens from other parts of the country some of whom were being retired from their jobs in the infamous process of ethnic cleansing being carried out by President Lungu.
“As UPND, we demand that if Mr Lungu doesn’t approve the divisive and demeaning message of the Sinda MP and the PF campaign team in Kasenengwa, let him come out in the open and condemn it in the strongest possible terms. From past experience, we, however, know that it will really be too much to expect Mr Lungu to rise above board and condemn these xenophobic campaigns by his campaign teams in Kasenengwa,” stated Mucheleka. “We call on all well meaning Zambians including the church, civil society organisations, and even the people of Eastern Province to condemn and reject the PF leadership that is dividing the country along tribal lines. The people of Eastern Province, just like other citizens from other parts of the country are equally hurting and suffering due to the mismanagement of our economy and corruption by Mr Lungu and his PF leadership. Our brothers and sisters in Eastern Province, just like citizens from other parts of the country, are looking for solutions in areas such as sound agriculture policies, job creation, health care, education, and other economic opportunities for their well-being instead of being conditioned and incited to hate fellow citizens who are equally suffering and yearning for a better life under a solid and united country.”
Source: The Mast