• PATRIOTIC Front cadres celebrate Wynter Kabimba’s dismissal as Justice Minister and PF Secretary General at the district office in Lusaka yesterday. Picture by CHUSA SICHONE.

By REBECCA MUSHOTA, MAYA NTANDA, JULIUS PHIRI, BRIAN HATYOKA and PHELILE MWANDILA –
A CROSS section of society has welcomed the decision by President Michael Sata to dismiss Justice minister Wynter Kabimba, who was also PF secretary general.
These include members of the Patriotic Front (PF) on the Copperbelt, who have welcomed President Sata’s decision to relieve Mr Kabimba of his duties.
CB PF chairperson Stardy Mwale said in an interview that the party in the province had faith in President Sata’s decisions and they, therefore, backed his decision to let go of Mr Kabimba as both party secretary general and Justice minister.
Mr Mwale said the move would make the party stronger and even more popular because with Mr Kabimba as PF secretary general, party members spoke and acted with fear.
“Communication between the lower ranks of the party and the higher ranks will improve now and operations of the office of the secretary general  will be smooth because people will now be free to work,” Mr Mwale said, adding that the secretariat would also be more effective in its operations.
He said the PF on the Copperbelt was of the view that the party would gain further popularity because many members were happy that Mr Kabimba was no longer the secretary general.
In Kitwe, PF members gathered at the City Square and Little Theatre in support of President Sata’s decision to fire Mr Kabimba.
National youth chairperson Chishimba Kambwili, who addressed PF members, urged them to pay their allegiance to President Sata.
Mr Kambwili said Mr Kabimba had caused divisions in the party by creating parallel structures. He said no one was above the party.
“I would like to thank you all for supporting President Sata’s decision to drop Wynter Kabimba,” Mr Kambwili said. “We will not victimise those that were with him but if they do not change we will deal with them because no one is bigger than our party.”
Mr Kambwili urged the members to remain united and mobilise the party.
Former Eastern Province (PF) chairperson Lameck Mangani also welcomed the decision to sack Mr Kabimba.
Mr Mangani said in Chipata yesterday that the PF was founded on the principles of democracy and that Mr Kabimba had completely done the opposite of what the party believed in.
He  recalled that Mr Kabimba’s last visit to Eastern Province led to his dismissal as provincial chairperson, describing the former of Justice minister as being arrogant.
Some PF cadres yesterday celebrated the dismissal of Mr Kabimba from his ministerial and party positions by carrying a mock coffin and honking as they drove around Chipata town.
In Livingstone, the United Party for National Development (UPND) commended President Sata for dropping Mr Kabimba.
UPND Livingstone District spokesperson Neto Halwabala said firing Mr Kabimba was a relief not only to opposition political parties, but to the democratic dispensation of the country.
Mr Halwabala said in an interview that the dismissal of Mr Kabimba was long overdue because he was not only causing confusion and division in the PF, but did not respect divergent views of the opposition.
Operation Young Vote (OYV) executive director Guess Nyirenda also welcomed the dismissal of Mr Kabimba.
“The move by President Michael Chilufya Sata to rest Wynter Kabimba has not only come as good riddance to the PF party and Government but to the political and democratic dispensation of the nation and people of Zambia at large,” Mr Nyirenda said.