.Kabimba
By JULIUS PHIRI –
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Secretary General Wynter Kabimba has given a 30-day ultimatum to Eastern Province Chairperson Lameck Mangani to lift the suspensions slapped on alleged erring members.
Mr Kabimba, who is Minister of Justice, said when he held a meeting with party members at Luangwa Lodge in Chipata on Thursday that he had issued a directive to Mr Mangani to review the suspensions.
Mr Kabimba said if Mr Mangani did not adhere to the directive, he would lift the suspensions himself.
He said few months ago, PF deputy secretary general Bridget Atanga issued a 45-day ultimatum to the provincial leadership to review the suspensions but was not adhered to.
“Few weeks ago I was on Radio Maria and the following day the same provincial chairman went on the same radio to defy what I said. That is how you work here in Chipata and this not how we work in PF,” he said.
Mr Kabimba said the genuine PF members should carry the spirit of the party and asked those who were not interested in following the party guidelines to join other political parties.
He said he was unhappy that the people who were in the interim committee were busy insulting him as a secretary general without any action being taken against them.
Mr Kabimba said he was in the province to sort out the problems in the party after it had become very clear that the party was divided in the province.
He said he was worried with a group called jimbos in the province.
“I want you to tell me who are these jimbos and who is the leader of jimbos,” Mr Kabimba said.
He said security officers should not allow the group of jimbos to continue attacking people but they should sort them out.
He said he would not tolerate indiscipline in the ruling party as long as he remained the party secretary general.
Mr Kabimba said Mr Mangani was told to submit the list of names of the proposed interim committee to the party central committee which the East Province chairperson had still not submitted.
Mr Kabimba said he did not want to undermine the authority of the chairperson that was why he had left the issue in his hands.
Mr Mangani assured Mr Kabimba that despite the differences in the province, the people were one and that the ruling party was very popular on the ground.
