INFORMATION and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana says crowds attending Brian Mundubile’s rallies are the 1.8 million supporters that voted for PF in 2021. Speaking when he appeared on the News Diggers’ ‘Mind Your Business’ podcast Monday, Kawana said PF supporters had regrouped after the confusion that took place following the party’s defeat in 2021. […]

INFORMATION and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana says crowds attending Brian Mundubile’s rallies are the 1.8 million supporters that voted for PF in 2021.

Speaking when he appeared on the News Diggers’ ‘Mind Your Business’ podcast Monday, Kawana said PF supporters had regrouped after the confusion that took place following the party’s defeat in 2021.

“This noise you are seeing is the same political party that was defeated in the elections. Now what happened was that after it was defeated, it couldn’t find a home in the new ruling party, right? Therefore, all its members and its people just scattered left, right and centre and hibernated. They were looking for a leader. That’s when they started fighting one another. At one time, they must have had four or five presidents, about 18 secretary generals. Confusion everywhere,” he said.

“Now in the end what had happened, there was an offshoot of one of them and an offshoot of another. Then these two now went and found homes in smaller parties and the other one also found a home in a smaller party. Then they said ‘let’s come together’. Then now they make noise and say there is an alliance. Which alliance? So when you tell me that this group has joined Mundubile and therefore Mundubile has grown, and yet that group was part of the 1.8 when PF was losing, I don’t think it’s a problem”.

Kawana said the UPND was not moved by 1.8 million supporters.

“I don’t think there is anything one to fear. There is anything to talk about to take home. I’m not one of those that think that he has put something. There is nothing that he has put. There is nothing that he has put. The leader of this one and the leader of this one who have come together, both are coming from that political party which was defeated. Believe me, the noise you are hearing now is the 1.8 million people. So there is bound to be noise. It’s the same noise we are going to move with all the way to the elections. Even when we are swearing in President Hakainde Hichilema for the second term, there will still be noise from the 1.8 who will now be battling against, I don’t know what number will come out,” he said.

“But what I know is that from the preparations I’m doing at the stadium, as we are swearing in President Hichilema for the second term, the 1.8 will still make noise. So there is nothing new that has happened. There is nothing spectacular that has happened. It’s like us sitting here and then saying this one has grown because, for example, Brian Hapunda has supported you. But Brian Hapunda was part of the loss of the 1.8. He has grown because Nguzu and Paul Moonga have supported him and have joined him. They were part of the 1.8 when they were losing. So people are coming home and you are saying they are growing. You are deceiving yourselves. How is that my problem? That is not my problem. I’m looking at you and I’m thinking, no, you will cry”.

Kawana said government was focused on reducing poverty levels.

“I’ll tell you the focus of this government is not to break political parties. Our focus is to break the poverty levels, is to increase social cash transfer, for example. Introduce cash for work, for example, and bring in programs to support the people. So we are not interested in breaking other people’s numbers, but in delivering on ours, whose resultant is that ours will grow. So I didn’t mention a figure when I said the 1.8 will be crying against, because tomorrow they will say he knows the figure, it is rigged. So I’m just saying that, well, it is a good number, I’m sure. Why I’m sure is because you are here in Lusaka and you are claiming we don’t want Hakainde, we don’t want Hakainde. And when you go out there in the rural areas and you see the people that are able to send their children to school today, it tells a story,” said Kawana.

“When you tell me that over 2.5 million children have gone back to school, oh I tell you there’s something there. Those are 2.5 million homes that have been able to send their children, who otherwise were destined to become junkies, and now they are going to school. Who do you think those people are saying thank you to? It’s here in the urban areas where you are talking anyhow, saying ‘we can’t even see CDF’. In an area where they were not able to draw water, they walked 10 kilometers everyday in the morning to get to the water point, another 10 to get back, 20 kilometers on your feet everyday. The only time you see 10 kilometers is during the ABSA marathon. They do that everyday, going to fetch water and back, and then CDF puts a tank in their community with running water. Who do you think they are saying thank you to?”