UPND IS DANGEROUS – BELEMU

By MULENGA MUSONDA ZAMBIANS should not give power to bitter and dangerous people who would want to hold on to power like someone has held on to most Tonga Traditional Associations as patron, Ephraim Belemu has warned. Mr Belemu, who is former UPND Mbabala Member of Parliament sounded the warning during a press briefing in Choma. He said UPND President Hakainde Hichilema claims to be a democrat but his actions were not that of a democrat. Mr Belemu added that UPND consisted of crooks, led a bitter leader who does not subscribe to the fundamentals of peace, co-existence, unity and brotherhood. He charged that the UPND leader wanted to use deceit to ascend to the country’s leadership. “Some of the leaders of the people in the UPND have been leaders of traditional associations, the president himself, so if you are a democrat why not relinquish power at a very critical time? You hold on, you lose presidential seats you’re holding on, you lose whatever you are holding, you keep-wanting to run everything around yourself,” he said. Mr Belemu who served Mbabala for 10 years under the UPND ticket categorically stated that Mr Hichilema cannot run the country as he is surrounded by crooks. He said the UPND top leadership comprised people who only wanted to amass wealth they did not deserve. He said some leaders in the UPND have been in government for years like Mr Hichilema’s running mate, Ms Mutale Nalumango. Mr Belemu said UPND was a dangerous group of people who should not be given power, adding that it was also a group of failures who were power hungry. “That is a very dangerous group of people to give power; they must never be trusted with power. And very important for me as a person that comes from this province (Southern), you can all tell their anger, their bitterness on their faces; in their language…you don’t give executive power to someone who is full of bitterness. “To the contrary our presidential candidate Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu has demonstrated his capacity to work with people with divergent views, I’m an example, I ran a crusade to de-campaign him but here I am working with him. “How many people have left UPND and have gone back there? Unless you want to go back and be injured there because they are full of anger, bitterness and vengeance,” Mr Belemu said. And former Kanyama constituency  aspiring candidate Chrisantius Changwereza has said it is important Christian vote for President Edgar Lungu to ensure that the country remains a Christian nation. Mr Changwereza said Zambians are a deeply religious people who love the Lord and would not risk losing this by voting for people with questionable characteristics.