SOME of the confusion in the PF-UPND pact may be tribal, senior chief Bright Nalubamba of the Ila people of Namwala district observed yesterday.

Commenting on the problems that have emerged in the Pact, chief Nalubamba asked Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata and his UPND counterpart Hakainde Hichilema to meet and resolve the problems that had beset the pact.

“You know some of the confusion may be tribal, some of the confusion may be provincial, and some of the confusion may be partisan. You see then we will be in trouble as a country,” chief Nalubamba said. “They Sata and Hichilema understand their role to the community.

Both are in Lusaka, I don’t know what stops them meeting each other to resolve such an issue. And they choose to go to the press like their party members. In fact, it is both Mr Sata and Mr Hichilema who must stop party members from commenting against the Pact.

“Someone says that ‘if you don’t allow so and so to become the presidential candidate, then I will vote for MMD’. It shows that that person is already MMD. On the outside, he may appear that he is supporting and yet he is actually MMD. Because I am sure that you can’t go to that extent.”

Chief Nalubamba emphasised that the two leaders should meet to stop “this nonsense.” He said the PF and UPND went into the Pact and they should resolve the crisis that had arisen. “They want the people to suffer.

In my view, my instruction is that Sata and HH must meet as a matter of urgency to resolve this issue. Don’t allow their party cadres at random to comment as they like. There will be total confusion,” chief Nalubamba said.

He said Zambians wanted change, therefore Sata and Hichilema should respond to the cries of the people.

Chief Nalubamba said Sata and Hichilema should remove selfishness and realise that whatever they did was for the people of Zambia.
“They must show that they are not a selfish clique of leaders. They must show that they are there for the people. If it is one of them to lead this country come 2011, so be it.

I don’t believe in people who are greedy for power,” chief Nalubamba said. “That is why we don’t get a real leader in this country because people who come there are selfish. They are greedy for power. When they have the power they want to enrich themselves. If you don’t want to be led, then you can equally be a bad leader.”

Chief Nalubamba said Sata and Hichilema must come out with something clearer to respond to the wishes of the people. He said the answer did not lie in issuing statements in the media.

Chief Nalubamba said the Pact leaders should tell Zambians how they would lead the nation. The Pact has gone against its agreement not to compete in any election by fielding separate candidates in Chadiza and Kaoma wards ahead of the August 5 by-election. This has been followed by various and sometimes contradicting statements from both parties, an indication of cracks in the unit.