THE Patriotic Front has scooped nine out of 12 local-government by-elections held yesterday, with party secretary general Davies Mwila saying they stand on firm ground.

Meanwhile, the United Party for National Development (UPND) has retained the Council chairperson seat for Itezhi-Tezhi District with a landslide victory after beating its closest rival, the Patriotic Front (PF), with a margin of 5, 027.

The ruling party has won the Mabinga in Chama South, Chililalila in Kabwe, Chitwi in Luanshya, Luansobe in Mufulira, Luntomfwe in Kaputa and Chimanja.
It has also won in Lunte, Kanchibiya and Lavushimanda.

As for the UPND, it has won Itezhi-tezhi, Libonda Ward in Kalabo district as well as Mpindi Kakonja in Zambezi.

The Itezhi-tezhi Council chair seat fell vacant following the death of UPND’s Gift Luyako, 34, in April this year.

Itezhi-Tezhi returning officer, Stanley Shikabona declared UPND’ Steven Shaloba winner at 12: 59 hours today after polling 7,215 votes.

Commenting on the outcome of the results, Mwila has congratulated the ruling party on its victory, adding that no party can dare challenge PF.

“On behalf of His Excellency President Edgar Lungu and the entire Central Committee, I wish to salute Zambia’s number one (1) party of choice – the PF for registering great victory in the local government by-elections held yesterday, 14th September 2017. Besides winning, we have managed to reclaim the Mufulira and Chilanga Wards from UPND. No one dare challenge us when we say that we stand on firm ground,”

Mwila said in a statement released on PF media director Sunday Chanda.

“The Local Government council chairperson victories we have registered in Kanchibiya, Lavushimanda and Lunte Districts, including victory in Chama, Bwacha, Luanshya, Mufulira and Chilanga is testimony of the confidence the Zambian people have in the leadership of His Excellency President Edgar Lungu and the Patriotic Front. We want to assure that we place great value on the confidence Zambians have in us and we promise more hard work by way of improved service delivery across the board.”

He further said the PF’s good performance in Itezhi-tezhi was a sign that the ruling party’s popularity was on the rise in the area.

“This victory is also for the hard-working members who campaigned on issues and convinced our people that PF was indeed a government of the People, for the People and by the People. It shows that support for the PF is on the rise in the Itezhi Tezhi and Copperbelt, Northern and Muchinga Province remains unshaken. These by-election results are a clear demonstration that our pro-poor party is on the ascendancy and such is due to the type of leadership provided,”

said Mwila.

“People in these areas continue to demonstrate their confidence in the PF as the only organisation that can deliver to their expectation and all we must appeal for to all elected and serving officials is that we dare not disappoint them.”