By Miles B. Sampa, MP
I am still out of the country on Africa Union election monitoring duties but audio has been brought to my attention where a Mr Chilufya Tayali President of EPP has mentioned my name several times claiming that I do not qualify for the PF Presidency because I have not been a member for the last 5 years. He also mentioned the name of one of the 9 applicants that he is supporting.
President Tayali seems to have a lot of PF inner circle privileged information and now has alerted us to what has been schemes behind closed doors. To those he may have misled or those that may have misled Mr Tayali, I was a member of PF from its formation by its founding father Michael Chilufya Sata in 2001.
Upon his death in 2014, succession conflicts arose after the two parallel General conferences held in Kabwe. The High Court and now Constitutional court Judge Mulenga Mungeni and Supreme court led by then Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda ruled against the general conference that had elected me as PF President.
I retreated but later got pushed or frustrated out and proceeded to form a party we named Democratic Patriotic Front (DPF). It was how we got deregistered by then Home Affairs Minister. I stayed partless until late 2016 when I wrote to the PF SG office advising that I had decided to rejoin the club (PF) which was home to me.
In 2017 the then SG Davies Mwila summoned me to the PF secretariat for a welcoming public ceremony. In 2018 the PF adopted me to stand as its Lusaka mayoral candidate. In 2021 the PF adopted me to stand as its Matero constituency MP candidate.
As PF has no membership cards and joining or disjoining is voluntary by public acclamation, I returned to PF in 2016 and we are in 2022 whereas the general conference will be in 2023.
2016 – 2022 = 6 years
2016 -2023 = 7 years
So whichever maths President Chilufya Tayali wants to use, it will show that l have been back in PF atleast for last 5 years. I therefore more than qualify to stand as PF President and I am standing. “ No piece of paper” or scheme by anyone or groups of people will stop me.
I am also against anyone of the candidates being prevented from standing by any technicality.
Let bonafide PF officials or grassroot in the structure have the pleasure to freely choose who they want as their leader. Imposing anyone on them will not do and I am very certain that themselves will not condone it.
In latin it is said “ Vox Populi; Vox Dei” (the voice of the people; is the voice of God).
Let the people exercise their right to voice out who they want. Boardroom tactics won’t work atleast not this time around.
Let those who still wish to apply to stand also go ahead between now and the congress. The more the better for our party officials so they have a wider choice.
Muyopa chani. Finshi muletina. What are you fearing to scheme to target and disqualify me and selected others. Tamwaipule. Your scheme will fail and I will stand come March 2023.
Again I think President Tayali for revealing what those scared of free and fair intra party elections have been scheming. Baicheme while they can before we start exposing and deal with them one by one. We are 5 steps ahead of them and they won’t catch up. Mwatwangasha pafula.
To our supporters in all the 10 provinces in the party structures, please spread the word above that Miles Sampa is definitely standing and no human being or ‘any piece of paper’ will stop him. I get your numerous inquiries on when I will visit you and be assured that it will very soon. I look forward to reunite in person with each one of you.
Together We Can
Miles Bwalya Sampa
Matero MP & PF Presidential candidate
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, West Africa
Tuesday 22nd November, 2022