PF distances itself from Kambwili’s statement against Siliya

STATEMENT ON REMARKS ATTRIBUTED TO INFORMATION MINISTER CHISHIMBA KABWILI AGAINST MS. DORA SILIYA – ISSUED BY SUNDAY CHANDA, VICE CHAIRPERSON, PF MEDIA AND PUBLICITY COMMITTEE

The Party Secretary General Mr. Davies Chama has already given the Party’s official position regarding former Petauke Member of Parliament Ms. Dora Siliya.
She has been welcomed and embraced by the Party and remains at liberty to participate in Party Programs, including availing herself to re-contest her former seat on PF ticket. It is therefore highly regrettable when those in leadership begin to openly defy and contradict the Party’s official position on Ms. Siliya’s decision to join the Party.
It must be placed on record that the statement attributed to the Honourable Minister Chishimba Kambwili, MP and published in the Post Newspaper’s edition of May 3, 2015 against Ms. Siliya does not reflect the position of the PF. These reported remarks instead represent his own personal views and but they go to compromise the Party’s position. This is considering that unsuspecting members of public would easily confuse the statement to be the official position of PF and Government at large, bearing in mind that Hon. Kambwili is Chief Government Spokesperson.
Hon Kambwili does not need to be reminded that the Late President His Excellency Michael Sata stood for reconciliation as he forgave and embraced those who had previously either fought him or issued disparaging remarks against his person.
He demonstrated this reconciliation and forgiveness when he embraced the likes of late Mr. Willie Nsanda, former Tourism Minister Hon. Sylvia Masebo, among others. It is also common knowledge that late President Sata reconciled beyond Party lines when he made peace with late President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa. It would therefore be a misgiving to portray that if the late President was alive, he would fail to forgive Ms. Siliya. This is the mark of leadership PF must continue to espouse if his legacy is to live on.
Lastly, all PF members are urged to adhere to President Lungu’s directive to recruit and embrace new members and Ms. Siliya is no exception. It is only by so doing that the Party will continue to grow from strength to strength.
Issued By Sunday Chanda – Vice Chairperson, PF Media and Publicity Committee