rbCHIEF Lubunda of the Chishinga people in Luapula Province has put together a taskforce to spearhead door-to-door campaigns stretching across all the 62 villages under his chiefdom to ensure President Rupiah Banda’s victory in the 2011 presidential elections.
The taskforce has representation at every village in which all the headmen and sub-chiefs are involved in the day to day organisation of the group that was launched last month.
Chief Lubunda said this when Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, Tourism Minister Catherine Namugala and Mines Minister Maxwell Mwale paid a courtesy call on him at his palace situated at Musangu Village in Mwense District.
He said with the on-going construction of Mwense High School in his area and a district hospital, whose first phase is set for completion by September this year, the people in his area did not have a reason to change government.
“If you want to get married and a man comes to promise marriage and then another one comes to say I have married you, who is better?
“This is a very serious matter, people want development and given another five years, Zambia will be different under President Banda,” Chief Lubunda said.
He said Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata was MMD national secretary during which time he held very influential positions under the Chiluba administration but did nothing for the people of Luapula.
Chief Lubunda predicted an outright victory for President Banda in this year’s elections, adding that Mr Sata should expect shocking results in areas like Luapula where chiefs had resolved to vote for a progressive president.
“If Sata has never collapsed this time he will collapse twice. The time to get rid of Mr Sata from Luapula is now,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ms Namugala has urged former members of PF who had defected to the ruling party following the decision by the rebel PF Members of Parliament (MPs) to join the MMD to work closely with the old members to strengthen the party.
She said this on Saturday evening when she addressed a public rally at FJT Basic School in Mwense to put a stop to a near punch-up between supporters of Mwense MP Jacob Chongo and his rival Norman Chibamba, who have applied to contest the seat on the MMD platform.
Ms Namugala said the former PF members and MMD supporters should work in unity to defeat PF.
The two groups who were separated by police officers to avoid clashes demanded the adoption of their own candidates.
At the same rally, Dr Musokotwane appealed to Zambians to promote peace as a way of honouring Dr Chiluba who worked for peace and unity both in Zambia and abroad.
And Mr Mwale said the Government would continue working hard for the benefit of the Zambian people and urged the residents of Mwense to vote for President Banda who wanted to develop all parts of Zambia.