•SAMPA
By REBECCA MUSHOTA and CHILA NAMAIKO –
THE Patriotic Front (PF) in Matero Constituency in Lusaka has challenged their Member of Parliament (MP) Miles Sampa to resign from the party and as an MP because his resignation as deputy minister is a source of confusion.
Matero PF Constituency chairperson Crispin Kabole said Mr Sampa’s resignation was not in good faith but, instead, showed disloyalty to the party and Republican President Edgar Lungu.
However, Mr Sampa has dismissed the allegations, stating he was faithful to both the PF and President Lungu.
Mr Kabole said when he and scores of Matero PF members presented their petition to Lusaka District PF chairperson Staford Kayame that they did not support their MP’s decision to resign as deputy minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry about two weeks ago.
He alleged that contrary to what Mr Sampa said that he had resigned to help organise the party, the MP was a source of confusion because he had been creating parallel structures in Matero.
“We want to put it on record that we are not behind Miles Sampa and we want the district to demand his resignation because since he has quit being deputy minister, he should go further and quit as PF Matero MP,” Mr Kabole said.
He said the Matero parliamentarian had not reciprocated President Lungu’s efforts to work with him in unity since the PF convention in November 2014.
Mr Kabole alleged that Mr Sampa had not been loyal to the President and had been forming parallel structures in a bid to destabilise the party and prepare a way for himself to become party and Republican president.
Mr Kayame said he accepted the petition and also called for Mr Sampa’s resignation.
He said it was unfortunate that Mr Sampa, after resigning, had issued statements saying that a life of a minister was too luxurious.
He said the party members recognised President Lungu as PF President for five years from the time of the convention last year.
Mr Kayame said those that could not accept these facts should step down from PF or wait until God gave them presidential appointments as he did for Mr Lungu.
Meanwhile, Mr Sampa, when asked for a comment later, said he was in full support of the party and of President Lungu.
“I am PF 100 per cent. I support President Edgar Lungu 100 per cent,” Mr Sampa said.
