President Michael Sata says the opposition is like a barren man goes round promising women children and when given one fails to even produce a fly.

Addressing a public rally in Livingstone on Sunday where he was campaigning for Lawrence Evans ahead of the February 28 by-elections, President Sata said the opposition can't bring development to Southern Province.

President Sata said Southern Province has 29 opposition MPs but the region has never seen development.

He urged southerners to give the ruling Patriotic Front its first member of parliament from the region by voting Evans on Thursday. The Movement for Multi -Party Democracy is fielding Siasuntwe while the United Party for National Development is fielding Regina Musokotwane.

President Sata, who was joined by disgraced politician Daniel Munkombwe and Chief Mukuni, said he speaks for the people and demonstrated this when millers increased the price of mealie meal in the country recently although the country is still facing shortages of the commodity in various areas.

"The opposition will always claim they will bring development. 29 seats [in Southern Province] are all in opposition, where is development? Its like when a man has no woman, he'll go round saying he will produce children. Give him a woman, he can't even produce a fly," he said.

President Sata spent 10 years as an opposition leader for the Patriotic Front and promised Zambians development within 90 days of assuming office although all the pledges he made have not been fulfilled.

Disgraced politician Munkombwe sued the opportunity to urge some UPND MPs to ditch the opposition and work with the ruling PF.