Con men on the loose

ROGERS KALERO writes@sunzambianZAMBIANS must be wary of individuals who are dishing out money and promising to provide a more caring leadership if voted into public office, a member of the PF mobilization committee has warned.Brian Mushimba, who is also Kankoyo Member of Parliament (MP) and Higher Education Minister, said Zambians must not fall prey to fraudsters, but must look at their track record and their relationship with ordinary people in communities where they have lived.In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Mushimba said fraudsters were out dishing out money in constituencies and other areas, but were only interested in using people to gain personal and political interests.He said Zambians, PF officials and members of the public should not look elsewhere, but continue to support President Edgar Lungu and his Government despite the challenges the country was going through.“But when you look at their track record, they are fraudsters with no heart to improve people’s lives. So this is why Zambians must be wary of such kind of people as we get closer to next year’s election,” Mr Mushimba said.Mr Mushimba said there were some people who were going round constituencies de-campaigning sitting MPs, but that he was not shaken about those seeking to challenge him in Kankoyo constituency in Mufulira.He said most of those who were “making noise” in Kankoyo constituency were from the opposition UPND and a prominent civil servant.He said some of those who were “making noise” especially had only succeeded in dividing the constituency and district executive officials.Mr Mushimba however said he was not shaken by such kind of politics because he believed genuine politics were about service delivery to the people which he was doing.“Well, I know that some of the people aspiring for Kankoyo constituency are dividing the party structures through buying off some members of the executive. I am not surprised about this, because some of the people who have been bought have never supported me from the beginning.“I am not intimidated by such kind of politics, especially that some people who are buying some constituency officials have found the ground to be hostile because they are perceived to be fraudsters. Like I said earlier, people must be wary of fraudsters,” he said. The Sun