No room for non-performing MPs, says President Lungu

By SIMON MUNTEMBA in LundaziNON-PEFORMING members of Parliament (MPs) should forget about being re-adopted for the 2021 general elections, President Edgar Lungu has said.The President said the ruling Patriotic Front would only adopt the best MPs, mayors and councillors based on their performance and choice of the people ahead of the 2021 general elections.“Next year, it will be sonta epowabomba, if you are not performing, forget about re-adoption,” President Lungu said.He was speaking when he met chiefs and headmen in Lundazi.President Lungu wondered why the traditional leaders were complaining that the district had lagged behind in terms of development compared to other districts when Government was distributing resources equally.He challenged them to encourage their subjects to register as voters so that they could vote for their preferred candidates who could deliver in 2021.The President has however assured traditional leaders that Government was committed to improving their welfare.Earlier, Senior Chief Mwase of the Chewa appealed to President Lungu to reconstruct the Mwase Dam which collapsed.Senior Chief Mwase, who spoke on behalf of other chiefs asked Government to complete the Msuzi and Lundazi bridges.The other chiefs were Mphamba and Kapichila.Senior Chief Mwase also complained of the poor road network in the area.The traditional leader said Lundazi-Chama Road was in bad state, and that the Lundazi District Hospital needed to be completed to start servicing the people.And Headman Ponyanga bemoaned that the district had lagged behind in terms of development citing bad road network and lack of clean and safe drinking water.In response, President Lungu said much as he took note of their complaints, there was need to appreciate where Government had delivered.He called on Housing and Infrastructure Development Minister, Vincent Mwale, and his Local Government counterpart Charles Banda to explain what their ministries were doing to resolve the matter raised by the traditional leaders.Mr Mwale said that Government had last week released K15 million towards completion of the Msuzi bridge, and that the contractor working on Chipata-Lundazi Road was on site.Dr Banda said all the township roads in Lundazi would be worked on soon.