OVER 420 UNITED PARTY FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (UPND) MEMBERS IN KABWE HAVE DEFECTED TO THE RULING PATRIOTIC FRONT (PF).

By KETRA  KALUNGA OVER 420 United Party For National Development (UPND) members in Kabwe have defected to the ruling Patriotic Front (PF). Receiving the defectors at Comet grounds in Bwacha constituency, PF deputy secretary-general, Mumbi Phiri, said the ruling party was dismantling UPND in all its strongholds. Ms Phiri said the PF would use the dismantling strategy to ensure that the UPND gets zero votes in its strongholds. She said the PF was not in any way ashamed to dismantle the UPND in areas where it is popular.  “I am happy to be with a big crowd in the Central Province to receive 425 defectors, we are going to use what we are calling dismantle UPND in our strongholds. “UPND started this game, in Dundumwezi we were coming up with almost zero votes so we are not ashamed about it just as the UPND were not ashamed,” she said. Ms Phiri warned party members against the spirit of selfishness but to ensure that they accommodate new members. She said the PF was a tolerant and accommodating party and this was evidenced by the increasing number of people that were joining the party. And the PF deputy secretary-general said that the party was working on the 2021-2026 party manifesto which would tell  Zambians how the ruling party would work in that period. Earlier, Central province PF chairperson, Chanda Mutale, directed the district leadership to integrate the new members into leadership positions. Mr Mutale said most of the defectors were founder members of the party but had made a decision to come back to the party. He said, therefore, that the new members should be supported because they had come back to ensure victory for the PF in the coming general elections.