GBM endorsements of Sata backed by Southern and Western provinces

THE Patriotic Front (PF) youth leaders in Southern and Western provinces have backed calls by some Cabinet ministers to endorse President Sata as a sole candidate in the 2016 presidential elections.
Southern Province PF youth chairman Charles Hamududu said President Sata should continue after 2016 so that he can continue to foster development in the country.
“As youths, we support the endorsement of President Sata because we want his leadership so that we can continue to see development which we are witnessing at the moment,” he said.
He said youths have benefitted a lot under the leadership of President Sata as they have got jobs.Mr Hamududu said Mr Sata has initiated many development projects such as the construction of roads and universities in provinces.
And Western Province PF youth chairman Honzy Mangwato said the decision to support the endorsement of Mr Sata was made two weeks ago.
“As a youth wing, we are aware that come what may, President Sata is going to stand in 2016,” he said.
Mr Mangwato also urged Government workers to escalate the implementation of development projects President Sata’s administration has embarked on so that they can benefit the people.
But Lusaka Province PF youth Chairman Kennedy Kamba said rather than concentrate on endorsements, the party should perhaps concentrate on job creation because it is a known fact that President Sata shan’t be challenged in 2016 from within.
He said what PF members should focus on at the moment is to mobilise the party membership at the grassroots.
“Our job now is to create more members because we want to strengthen the party. If people are talking of endorsement and they are not mobilising party membership, it will be difficult to win elections in 2016.
“To start saying they have endorsed President Sata is like telling Christians that on 25th December it is Christmas Day…they already know that,” Mr Kamba said.
He said the PF youth leadership in Lusaka will remain loyal to President Sata and urged other party members to follow suit.
Mr Kamba said PF members should not only be loyal to the President but also to the party secretary general because the President communicates his messages to the people through the chief executive officer of the ruling party.
Meanwhile, JERRY MUNTHALI reports that PF youths on the Copperbelt want members to explain President Sata’s achievements in the last two years more than anything else.
Outgoing youth chairman Menyani Zulu said in an interview in Ndola yesterday that, “We have a lot to do other than keeping on mentioning something we already know. We know that President Sata will go for a second term because he qualifies to do so.”
He said President Sata has started implementing projects like the Link Zambia 8,000 which is huge.
“I would appreciate if our ministers told Zambians about what President Sata has done in terms of road construction, fighting corruption, improving people’s lives and job creation,” Mr Zulu said.
He added: “There are people in Zambia who do not know that the PF has built five universities and 80 secondary schools and it is important for us to tell the people about these achievements.”
PF Luapula provincial youth chairman Jacob Chilufya said the party in the province was the first to endorse President Sata as a sole candidate for the 2016 presidential elections.
“We had a meeting some time back and we resolved that President Sata should go for a second term of office.”
At the weekend, Defence Minister Geoffrey Mwamba and Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu held meetings in Western Province where members endorsed President Sata’s candidature for 2016.