JUST ‘EAT’ THEIR GIFTS
…They won’t know who you’ll vote for – Archbishop Chama
By Mast Reporters
FORGET the money, food and other materials they have been bribing you with and turn out in your numbers today to vote for the candidate of your own choice, Archbishop of Kasama Archdiocese Ignatius Chama has urged residents of Kasama District in Northern Province.
Archbishop Chama, who is the president of the Zambia Council of the Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), told the people of Kasama that they were not obliged to vote for the candidate of a political party which had showered them with unsolicited gifts but choose the person they wanted to be their new mayor.
Speaking on Lutanda Radio on the eve of the Kasama mayoral by-election yesterday, Archbishop Chama said residents had the task of electing a true people’s representative who would deliver development and not on the basis of the gifts they had received.
“Imwe ba Kasama, ubushiku bwa mailo muno mu district yesu twakulasala uuli nokuba mayor wesu. Bonse fwebalembesha ukusala twaba no mulimo wa kusala uyo tulefwaya ukuba mayor wesu. Eico ifwe bonse tukaye mukusala uko kwine twalembeseshe ubushiku bwa mailo. [Kasama residents, tomorrow – today – is the day we shall be voting for a mayor in Kasama. All of us registered voters should go and vote for our candidate tomorrow – today – in places where we registered as voters],” he said.
Archbishop Chama urged voters to turn out in numbers and not believe the lies from politicians dishing out money, mealie meal and campaign materials to influence the results.
“Twikalaba ukuti ukusala kwesu kwa mu nkama. Takwakabe uukeshiba umuntu tukasala iyoo nangula uo tusalile iyoo. Ni fwebene fye tukeshiba umuntu tusalile mu mutima wesu, epela. [we should not forget that voting is done in secret, your vote is secret, nobody will knows who you vote for, and nobody will know who you have voted for],” he said.
Archbishop Chama warned against voting for politicians and political parties dishing out mealie meal, money and beer in exchange for votes.
Archbishop Chama urged the voters to collect mealie meal, money and whatever they were offered and eat but vote for their own candidate when casting the votes.
“Limo limo abana abafulungana nga batupela indalama, ubunga, ubwalya ne fitenge nga batweba ati nga tatubasalile nangula tatusalile umuntu wabo ifi fyonse batupela bakatukonka pantu bakeshiba ukuti tatwasalile umuntu wabo [these confused cadres who are dishing out money, food, fitenge materials and other things will tell you that if you don’t vote for their candidate, they will know and follow you],” he said.
“Ala ubo bufi, mwilaumfwako. Mulepoka fye no kulya fyonse ifyo balemupela, lelo ukusala kwena mukayesala umuntu uyo muli nkampingu wenu no mutima wenu mulefwaya ukusala pa cifulo chabu mayor [that is a lie, don’t listen to such, just get those gifts, eat them then go and vote for the person of your choice].”
He said voting for a candidate in exchange for gifts such as mealie meal and money would be selling one’s freedom of conscience.
“Nakuba nga mwasala uwamipeleko ulupiya, ubunga no bwalwa ne chitenge cimo no kuti mwashitisha mano na nkampingu wenu ku muntu uyo musalile pa mulandu wa fintu amipele [in fact, if you elect a person based on the mealie meal, money and beer they gave you, you have sold your freedom and conscience],” Archbishop Chama said.
“Cimo cine ukuti umuntu uyo amipokolola ubuntungwa bwenu ubo Lesa amipela, ubo Lesa umwine tamipokolola ukusala kwenu ukwakucita ifibi ne fisuma. [similarly, if you have voted for someone because they have bribed you, that person has bought you, and your decision doesn’t matter at all; your plight doesn’t matter at all],” he said.
There have been reports of the UPND distributing money, mealie meal, alcohol and other ‘gifts’ to influence the voters to elect the ruling party’s candidate.
Kasama residents are today expected to elect a new mayor.
The six candidates contesting the seat are Mary Bukisa of the New Focus Party, Bywell Simposya representing the UPND and Peter Yuda Chikweti of the Tonse Alliance under Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD).
Others are Joseph Mubanga of the SP, Aaron Zimba from the Citizens First (CF) party and Kapambwe Mukuka of the United Prosperous and Peaceful Zambia (UPPZ).
