Sata calls Mpongwe electorate to vote PF’s Namulambe

—-The people of Mpongwe constituency on the Copper belt Province have been urged to vote for Patriotic Front Candidate, Gabriel Namulambe, in the Parliamentary by election which takes place on February 28, 2013.

President Michael Sata this afternoon held two public political rallies in the district and called on all residents of Mpongwe Constituency to vote for his party’s candidate who he said resigned from the opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) in order to work with the government of the day.

President Sata said Mr Namulambe’s decision to resign from the former ruling party to join the PF was to work with the government of the day and take development to the area.

The President said the ruling PF wants to develop Mpongwe district through a PF Member of Parliament and not an opposition MP who he said will not understand the party policy.

The President noted that the district was not developed because the former ruling party had no vision to do so, adding that his government will ensure that the roads, hospitals and other infrastructure are worked on.

He said the PF has chosen to float Namulambe as its candidate so he can facilitate development as he knows the area better.

Mr Sata said the people of Mpongwe deserved equal developmental projects like other areas and asked the PF candidate to ensure that he works with the people of Mpongwe to develop the area.

He said government has a responsibility of ensuring that the future of the children is brightened by building more schools and embarking on poverty alleviation programmes.

Mr Sata said the former ruling party was given an opportunity to develop the area when they were in power but that they failed to do so which he said led to their exit from power.

The President, however, said the people of Mpongwe have been given an opportunity to vote  for a PF candidate who will take development as close to them as possible, saying that voting for the opposition would be a share waste of time .

And New Generation Party President, Cosmo Mumba who was also at the same rally, called on the people of Mpongwe to vote for Namulambe so that government can develop the area.

Mr Mumba said he has chosen to work with government because of the open policy which allows other progressive parties to work with it.

He charged that his brother, Nevers Mumba, the President of MMD, was an opportunist who only wants to be at the helm of power without regard for others.

He said Pastor Mumba was fired as Ambassador in Canada which has led him to take up the MMD presidency, saying if he had not been fired he could have been working for government.

And Campaign Manager, Jean Kapata, disclosed that over 1000 people in Mpongwe have defected to the ruling party but could not be present at the rally because of the distance.

She presented two of the defectors, among them the former MMD Copper beltprovince coordinator, Nebart Matatingo, who was welcomed and clad in PF regalia.

The first rally was at Ibenga central business area and the other at Mpongwe town centre where crowds of people turned up.

The Mpongwe seat is being contested by PF’s Gabriel Namulambe, UPND’s, Rapson Chilufya, NAREP’s Reagan Ndhlovu, MMD’s Miniva Mutesa, while UNIP has floated Kenny Kuveya as its candidate.

The President, who arrived in Mpongwe district morning, attended a church service at St Theresa Mission at Ibenga and is expected to return back to Lusaka this evening.