Chirundu MMD district secretary Gift Chanda has urged former members of the party who broke away to form their own parties to rejoin the MMD and form a formidable force ahead of the 2016 general elections.
Chanda wants opposition leaders leaders such as Edith Nawakwi, Mike Mukongoti, Godfrey Miyanda, Ng’andu Magande, Nason Musoni, Ludwig Sondashi and Danny Pule – all former MMD members – to take advantage of Zambia’s 51st anniversary and join hands with MMD leader Nevers Mumba in his “Zambia shall be saved” crusade to save the country from total collapse.
“My appeal goes to Madame Edith Nawakwi, Mr. Mulongoti, Mr. Magande, Gen. Miyanda, Mr. Msoni, Dr. Sondashi, Rev. Pule, Mr. Chipimo and other well-meaning Zambians to join Nevers Mumba in his Zambia shall be saved crusade,” he said.
“All these leaders are children of the MMD, so let them come back and form a formidable team that can kick out PF in 2016,” he added
He observes that opposition leaders and other progressive Zambians, interest groups and organisations have an opportunity to work together and work out a strategy that will help to form new government in 2016.
He warns that it is a wishful thinking for opposition political leaders to think they could win elections in 2016 when some of them do not have a single councillor or MP.
Chanda feels the MMD lost elections in 2011 because Zambians were “cheated” by the “big promises” the PF made and now everyone is convinced that MMD was better, looking at the way the PF has mismanaged the country’s economy.
He claims the hunger situation in the country is so bad that most women now “survive on lipstick” for breakfast and lunch, a situation he says is unacceptable.
“Most women in this country especially workers now just apply lip stick and off they go for work. Most people in this country now just pretending that they have eaten something but the truth is they are on non-voluntarily fasting,” Chanda told Zambian Eye. “Imbwa nomba shalileka ukusuma abantu mu comboni (Dogs are no longer biting in the compounds). It is the PF economy that is biting our people.”
“Zambians should not allow this economy to die a natural dearth. They should not to allow our Kwacha to die a natural death. PF is worse than UNIP, even if things were bad in UNIP at least they left a very strong kwacha. Zambians should support MMD because it is not a regional party but a national movement with sound economic policies. This is the time of working together and redeem our country. Indeed Zambia shall be saved,” Chanda said.