Fifty opposition members defect to PF

—About 50 Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) and United Party for National Development (UPND) members in Chavuma district in North-Western province have defected to the ruling Patriotic Front (PF).

The defectors said they have decided to join the ruling party because it is delivering development to the area based on its campaign promises.

Leading the defectors, MMD Nyatanda Ward Chairperson for Women, Lydia Kachongo said the PF government has established a Secondary School in the area which has been the cry of the community since independence.

Ms Kachongo said she and others left the opposition MMD so that they can participate in the positive change the ruling party under the leadership of President Michael Sata is delivering to the Zambian people.

And UPND Nyatanda Ward Chairperson Patrick Chitale said the party membership in the ward was joining PF because UPND has no capacity to deliver development to the people.

Mr Chitale said his team defected to PF so that they could be with a political party which has the mandate to serve Zambians.

He noted that from the time PF was voted into power, the lives of the rural people have been transformed as evidenced by funding of 20 women clubs, empowerment of youth groups and the introduction of the Social Cash Transfer Scheme.

Meanwhile, PF district Chairperson Lawrence Kamalata who welcomed the defectors said the aim of the party is to deliver development even to the remotest parts of Zambia such as Chavuma West.

Mr Kamalata who was flanked by PF District Youth Secretary Richard Kakoma said PF wants to empower more women clubs and youths groups in order to alleviate poverty and curb unemployment in rural areas.

He boasted that Chavuma district has now become a PF stronghold and maintained that the party will continue with its mobilization campaign this year for it to grow stronger on the grassroots level.