By RABECCA CHIPANTA –
THE Patriotic Front (PF) leadership on the Copperbelt has backed President Edgar Lungu’s directive to the police to arrest unruly cadres in the habit of intimidating civil servants.
PF provincial chairperson Stephen Kainga said as the leadership in the province they were in support of the stance taken by President Lungu and called for discipline among cadres.
He said there was need for people to respect civil servants as they were appointed by the President and going against that would be undermining the appointing authority.
Mr Kainga said there was need for people to follow the correct channels and procedures in airing grievances and not resort to actions that would not only undermine President Lungu but bring the party’s name into disrepute.
He said there was need to have order and sanity in the manner cadres aired their grievances adding that to this effect the party leadership in the province has cautioned cadres that would continue to undermine the directive of disciplinary action.
“There is need to respect civil servants as they are appointed by the President. We are supporting the stance taken as that has been our stance. When someone has been appointed by the President there is need
to respect that decision. We promise President Lungu that we will move in line and help him to deliver on the promises to the Zambian people,” he said.
Meanwhile Mr Kainga has warned party members against using the media to air grievances but follow the laid down procedure of doing things.
Asked on the recent attacks by provincial vice chairperson Amon Chisenga who’s also Ndola Mayor and other party officials on Copperbelt minister Bowman Lusambo, Mr Kainga said all parties involved had been called and advised on the right channel of communication.
He said issuing statements through the media against the provincial minister in the media was tantamount to undermining President Lungu as the appointing authority.
He said that despite several warnings and caution people had continued to issue statements undermining the appointing authority and said the provincial leadership would not hesitate to take disciplinary action against such people.
Mr Kainga said members that have been involved in issuing statements to the media bringing the office of the Provincial Minister into disrepute had been cautioned and advised to refrain from doing so.
“Those that were involved in issuing statements have been cautioned and asked to refrain from issuing statements to the media. Statements should be issued through people assigned to do that and if there are grievances there is a system and procedure. We are not stopping people from complaining but they need to do it using the right channel,” he said.