• Kasama Central MP Geoffrey Mwamba (inset) with his wife Chama (middle) and Lukashya MP Alfridah Kansembe (right) during a solidarity march by PF members in Kasama. Mwamba addresses PF members at the party offices in Kasama (main picture).- Pictures by ZANIS

By NORMA SIAME and  SYLVESTER MWALE –
KASAMA Central Member of Parliament (MP) Geoffrey Mwamba yesterday led scores of PF members in a solidarity march to show support for President Michael Sata’s decision to relieve Wynter Kabimba of his positions in Government and the party.
Mr Mwamba, who led the march in Kasama, said the exit of Mr Kabimba as Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general and Justice minister had heralded a new era devoid of cliques in the ruling party.
“We do not want to hear things like ‘I am team GBM’, ‘I am team Wynter’, ‘I am team so and so’,” Mr Mwamba said. “We all belong to ‘Team Sata’ whose decision to replace my friend Wynter with Edgar Lungu must be respected and supported without question,” Mr Mwamba said.
The former Defence minister, who is popularly known as GBM, said the President relied on Northern Province to build the party, and that squabbles between members was something he was troubled about.
Mr Mwamba said it was important to acknowledge the fact that President Sata took his time before arriving at the decision to replace the party secretary general.
Even though it was normal to question why, Mr Mwamba said it was important not to forget that it was within the President’s power to do so.
He also praised Mr Lungu, who aside from his position at Defence has also taken over the Justice minister portfolio, as being a person just right for he job.
“Edgar Lungu is a level-headed young man. He is dynamic and we expect him to transform the party in a spirit of unity,” Mr Mwamba said.
Other notables at the march, which culminated in a meeting at the provincial party offices in Kasama, were Lukashya MP Alfredah Kansembe, PF Kasama District chairperson Caleb Monta, Mr Mwamba’s wife Chama. Ms Kansembe preached love and denounced the past kangaroo type of local party administration that thrived on hate and slander.
A highly spirited Mwamba, who kept on smiling throughout the parade, in his closing remarks called on party members who had aligned themselves to certain influential members in the party to redirect their loyalty from individuals within the PF to the party President.
Meanwhile, PF media and publicity director Chanda Mfula has resigned barely two days after his close ally Mr Kabimba was sacked.
Mr Mfula told the Sunday Times in Lusaka yesterday that he had decided to quit with immediate effect without giving any reasons.
Mr Mfula was seen by many as a close ally of the sacked Justice minister after his appointment in 2012 was announced by Mr Kabimba on behalf of the President. In a related development, all PF Luapula Province MPs have pledged their loyalty to newly-appointed secretary general Edgar Lungu.