Minister of Southern Province Daniel Munkombwe says the ruling Patrotic Front (PF) party will lose popularity and face dissolution due to increasing problems of rumour mongering, intra-party fighting, and power-hungry individuals within the party.
Speaking from Livingstone on Saturday, Munkombwe said that the “impending demise of the PF was obvious if the ruling party did not remain united.”
Munkombwe, an elder statesman who defected from the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) party after their defeat in the 2011 general elections, said there has been significant rumour mongering and infighting among PF members in recent months.
“I wish to advise our members especially here in Southern province to desist from rumour mongering, fabricating lies and gossiping about each other. This is what we in the PF must avoid if the party was to be much stronger and survive in the province,” said Munkombwe.
He said there were many ruling PF members at all levels who had selfish motives and ambitions in the party and it was these individuals and groups of individuals who were promoting their own selfish interests and agendas, but he warned that such people would not be allowed to escalate their activities in Southern Province.
He said the PF was now characterised by people who were holding dark corner meetings to plot against others.
“There are members in our own party who have been having dark corner meetings and they think that the darkness has ears to hear their plans. We are not going to allow parallel structures in the party especially in Southern Province,” said Munkombwe.
A number of recent gatherings organised by the PF have broken out in violent exchanges between members, which some say are the result of sponsored provocateurs, sent to sow disorder and create an advantage for certain parties.
Munkombwe issued a warning to those behind the violence, commenting that the PF has enough manpower to those members who were fanning trouble at PF meetings.
“If you have been sent by people to come and interfere with PF meeting, we in the PF have enough power and we are capable of man handling anyone who is giving us trouble,” he said.
He said PF members that were harbouring leadership ambitions must halt their intentions and stop rebelling against the party and its leadership and President Michael Sata in particular.
The post Rumour Mongering Will Destroy PF, Says Munkombwe appeared first on Zambia Reports.