I’m ready to die for the Lozis, declares HH
By Staff Reporter
Opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema says the people of Mongu Central’s Lealui Lower Ward should not vote for President Edgar Lungu but for him in Tuesday’s by-election because he is ready to die for the Lozis who fought for his release from treason-related detention last year.
Featuring on a special interview on the Roman Catholic Church-run Oblate Radio Liseli (ORL) in Mongu on Saturday, Hichilema, who was in Mongu to drum up support for the UPND candidate in the ward by-election that arose after the death of the UPND councillor, said, in apparent reference to the Chishimba Kambwili-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) that people should not consider voting for a party that had no single councillor in the Western Province.
A number of top provincial UPND leaders recently defected from the party to join the NDC, which is also fielding a candidate in the Lealui Lower Ward by-election.
“There are only two parties (UPND and PF),” said Hichilema who was flanked by area UPND member of parliament Dr Mwilola Imakando, who was constantly wiping sweat from his face despite the studio being air-conditioned, and former Luena ADD member of parliament, Gertrude Imenda.
“If you vote for the PF candidate, you are voting for Edgar Lungu. If you vote for Bo Muyongo Muyongo, you are voting for Hakainde Hichilema.”
He said it was only UPND that had an idea of developing the country and removing it from the bad leadership of Edgar Lungu and the PF.
Hichilema said people should not vote for the ruling PF because it stole the UPND’s electoral victory in 2016 and that it was the one that arrested him for merely attending ‘his’ Kuomboka Ceremony.
“Vote for Hakainde, because he is ready to die for you,” said Hichilema who described himself as a son of the Lozis. “If you vote for the UPND candidate, you are honouring Bo Mooto (a provincial party leader who died recently), you are honouring Bo Ngenda.”
When asked by the presenter that the people in Lealui Lower Ward in the Zambezi Floodplains were unhappy with the UPND because even the deceased councillor whom they had elected in the August 2016 general elections did nothing, Hichilema said the people should automatically vote for the UPND candidate as a matter of inheritance since the previous civic leader there was UPND.
“Who is the member of parliament for Mongu Central? Dr Mwilola Imakando. Who is the mayor for Mongu Central, sorry Mongu District? They are all UPND,” he said. “That is a UPND seat…So, vote for the UPND candidate so that he can continue where we left from.”
Hichilema said he was going to attend this year’s Kuomboka Ceremony of the Lozi-speaking people to be held in Mongu and Limulunga districts next weekend.
“Now, we are here for the by-election,” he said.
Several political parties have been canvassing for votes in the flooded Lealui Lower Ward in the Zambezi Floodplains in Mongu Central but some members of the public in the area have complained about the poor quality and divisive campaign messages that have characterised the campaigns for the April 24 return poll.
