The upcoming parliamentary by-elections in the Pambashe and Petauke Central constituencies have not come about due to the actions of Republican President Hakainde Hichilema and the ruling UPND, Special Assistant to the President for Political Affairs Levy Ngoma has said.
Ngoma arrived in Pambashe yesterday as he continues to rally support for the ruling party’s candidates, Justin Kapema and Severian Lungu, having also visited Petauke last week ahead of the polls set for 6th February 2025.
Speaking when he met scores of Pambashe residents last evening upon his arrival, Ngoma refuted allegations by political opponents claiming that President Hichilema and the UPND had engineered the nullification of the Pambashe and Petauke Central seats.
“This by-election here in Pambashe and Kawambwa has not been caused by President Hakainde Hichilema or the ruling party but has come as a result of some people breaking the law. When you break the law, there are consequences, and it is also the same in Petauke,” Ngoma said.
Ngoma further declared that President Hichilema desires to transform the lives of the people of Pambashe with his government’s developmental initiatives such as the Community Development Fund (CDF), Social Cash Transfer (SCT), and Cash for Work (CFW).
“President Hakainde Hichilema is eager to see development in Pambashe and Kawambwa because he is a man who believes in development,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ngoma has urged UPND members and supporters in Pambashe to conduct their political activities peacefully as desired by the Head of State.
“You, as political stakeholders, are a very important ingredient in the development of this country and the message from His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema is that he desires so much that, as you go about your political activities or campaigns, it should show a difference between how things were before he became president and how they are now that he is president,” said Ngoma.
He continued: “There should be a clear distinction between peace and violence, and as you go about your political campaign, the president does not want the shedding of blood.”
He called on UPND members to go out and spread the message of harmony and development to the electorate as campaigns leading up to the elections intensify.
“As you go about your political activities, talk about development and peace, and then the people will be able to interact with you and make the right decision for Pambashe,” he said.
The Pambashe seat was nullified following the conviction of PF Member of Parliament Ronald Chitotela, while the Petauke Central seat fell vacant after independent lawmaker Emmanuel Jay Banda fled the country while pending trial and still remains on the run