By MILDRED KATONGO

. BWALYA

THE Patriotic Front (PF) has wondered whether UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema will genuinely look after the vulnerable Zambians if he has failed to use his money or that of the party to help senior officials facing financial difficulties.
Central committee member Paul Moonga and PF deputy spokesperson Frank Bwalya said the development involving the eviction of UPND vice-president for politics, Canisius Banda, from his house for failure to pay rentals was disturbing.
Mr Bwalya said it was evident that Dr Banda was struggling financially and wondered why it was so, when he had a wealthy leader in Mr Hichilema, who could easily use his money to render assistance.
He said the predicament facing Dr Banda spoke volumes about the failure of the UPND and its leader, Mr Hichilema, to support one of his top officials who was working for the party on a full-time basis.
Mr Moonga challenged Mr Hichilema to explain his side of the story instead of keeping quiet following the eviction of Dr Banda from a rented house.
He said the opposition leader had houses in Lusaka and wondered how his party’s vice-president should face eviction in such a humiliating fashion.
Mr Moonga said Mr Hichilema was seeking political office at the level of head of State, yet he could not aid his own members when faced with difficulty.
He said leadership was about service and helping those in need, which value appeared to be absent in Mr Hichilema.
On the other hand, Mr Bwalya said in a separate statement that people should now look at President Edgar Lungu as the only candidate suitable to lead Zambia and that they should not be swayed by riches, but consider the candidates on the basis of humility and service to the people.
“This is why we have been saying that Mr Hichilema is not genuine when he says he wants to aspire for presidency to serve the people. We believe he wants to ride on others to rise to political fame and will do nothing to help the poor people should he become president,” Mr Bwalya said.
He said Zambia had many people who were troubled by lack of resources and that there was need to elect people who would be humble and feel the passion to help those in need.
Mr Bwalya said leadership was not about telling the world that one had a lot of money and fail to use it for the benefit of colleagues in financial trouble.
“The attempt by Dr Canisius Banda to drag the Patriotic Front (PF) into his known problem of failing to pay rentals for his dwelling should be understood as a veiled message to his party, the UPND, to take care of him,” Mr Bwalya said in a statement.
“Therefore, when Dr Banda says that PF has offered him charity and better treatment, including financial support, he is actually sending a message to his rich leader and brother Mr Hichilema to take care of him.”
Efforts to get a comment from Mr Hichilema proved futile as, by Press time, he could not be reached.