Controversy In Chilanga Continues - Two UPND Councillors Refuse To Support Musonda

Two United Party for National Development (UPND) Councillors from Chilanga have refused to support the preferred party candidate Charmaine Mel Musonda on moral grounds.

The two Councillors, Arthur Moonde for Nakachenje Ward and Peter Mulubisha for Chinyanja Ward, told journalists at a media briefing held at Chrisma Hotel in Lusaka yesterday afternoon that the UPND erred on moral ground to settle for Charmaine Musonda and will find it difficult to campaign for a candidate who is morally bankrupt.

“Having thoroughly consulted our people in our Wards and Chilanga district at large on the adoption of Musonda Charmaine Mel, we came to conclusion that the UPND has erred on moral grounds to settle for a person whose morality is being questioned,” Councillor Moonde told journalists.

Although the party followed the preferred process of adopting Charmaine, Moonde explained, the UPND leadership never consulted key stakeholders in the party including Councillors.

“On the strength of this serious anomaly, we resolved never to campaign for Charmaine and even if we did, our people will never accept Charmaine for what she did.”

The two Councillors also accused Charmaine of harbouring acute hatred for the deposed area Member of Parliament after he was convicted and sentenced to death for murdering his security guard.

Moonde indicated that Charmaine did not speak to her conscience honestly before accepting the adoption to contest for the vacant Chilanga seat.

Mr Moonde alleged that it was an act of hatred that led Charmaine to accept the adoption otherwise she could not have accepted the adoption.

“To our surprise, Charmaine accepted the adoption…. this means, she had a hand in his conviction.”

Moonde observed that Mukata does not deserve the kind of betrayal he has received from a person who claim not only to be a partner but also a close ally.

“For those of us who appreciate the work Mukata did in Chilanga, we will find it hard to turn our backs against him and we will find it difficult to campaign for any person that betrays the man who has done so much for the Chilanga.

Meanwhile, Councillor Mulubisha told journalists at the same briefing that he agreed with his counterpart Moonde that Zambia as a Christian nation does not support immorality.

“It is for this reason we come to put records straight that, Charmaine is not our candidate because supporting her will be endorsing immortality which the UPND endorsed after adopting Charmaine.”

Mr Mulubisha said that he had doubts that the people of Chilanga will give Charmaine a vote after betraying Mukata who did a lot for the constituency during the time he served as an MP.

And Councillor Mulubisha ticked of calls by UPND election chairman Garry Nkombo’s advice to UPND members to use violence to win an election.

Mulubisha explained that violence has no room in a civilised society like Zambia.

“As Civic leaders, we condemn any form of violence because what comes out of violence is destruction.”