Miles banned

The Patriotic Front (PF) has banned its Matero member of Parliament Miles Sampa from conducting nationwide party mobilisation programmes. Mr Sampa is said to have been conducting nationwide party mobilisation activities. PF deputy spokesperson Frank Bwalya said at a press briefing yesterday that Mr Sampa should immediately stop undertaking countrywide party mobilisation exercises. “We wish to make it clear that Mr Sampa, who is our MP for Matero constituency in Lusaka, is not among party officials with the mandate to go around the country to undertake mobilisation activities. “Therefore, in the absence of permission from concerned authorities, Mr Sampa should confine his mobilisation activities to his constituency,” Father Bwalya said. He said no party official was allowed to undertake national mobilisation activities without the full blessing of the party hierarchy. The party had only authorised President Edg ar Lungu, the secretary general, Davies Chama and his deputy Mumbi Phiri to undertake mobilisation activities without seeking prior permission. Others mandated to conduct mobilisation programmes were chairpersons of sub-committees.

They include Chishimba Kambwili, who is also party spokesperson, and members of the central committee Charles Banda, Jean Kapata and Stephen Kampyongo. Mr Bwalya said the party members were, therefore, advised to shun any member claiming to be on a national mobilisation programme to the exclusion of party officials from the relevant structures. He also advised Mr Sampa and other party officials to be mindful of the statements they were issuing. “It is not right, today you say you are with the President, next moment you say something else. We need to ‘walk the talk’,” Fr Bwalya said. He said the PF was a party that encouraged internal democracy and that members were free to engage in discourse on various subjects. However, the party members allowed to issue statements should desist from commenting on alleged political ambitions of Mr Sampa. Fr Bwalya said every member had the right to harbour political ambitions, including that of president, as long as they did not behave in a manner that undermined the PF and took into consideration that Mr Lungu was the party’s presidential candidate for the August elections. He said the party would not entertain any element in the party that did not mean well and had the potential to cause confusion, adding that the PF wanted unity and common purpose. Fr Bwalya also said that the party only recognised former First Lady Christine Kaseba and the late President’s son Mulenga, who is deputy minister at State House, as custodians of the late President’s legacy. Efforts to get Mr Sampa proved futile by Press time.