Africa-Press – Zambia. SOCIALIST Party leader Dr Fred M’membe has bemoaned the opposition’s lack of unity following the UPND’s victory in the Kasama mayoral by-election.
Dr M’membe notes that the Kasama mayoral by-election should serve as a lesson to promote collaboration and strengthen the opposition by making a formidable force.
UPND candidate Bywell Simposya scooped the Kasama mayoral by-election after securing 17,647 votes. Simposya was followed by Peter Yuda of the FDD under the Tonse Alliance, who got 14,302 votes, while Citizens First candidate Aaron Zimba finished third with 4,405.
In a Facebook post on his page, Saturday, Dr M’membe, who is People’s Pact 2026 presidential candidate, said some PF and Tonse members rejected the idea for the opposition to unite in Kasama.
Dr M’membe stressed that opposition leaders must swallow their individual pride, rise above personal ambition, and form a strong united pact.
“Fellow citizens and opposition political leaders, the time for division is over. We called for an opposition electoral pact in the Chawama and Kasama by-elections. We achieved some unity in Chawama, and the opposition won. It was rejected by some elements in PF and Tonse, who are opposed to Given Lubinda in the Kasama mayoral by-election and the opposition lost. Let’s learn something from this. Our nation is yearning for hope, and that hope rests on our ability to stand together. We must swallow our individual pride, rise above personal ambition, and form a strong united pact. Let us choose collaboration over fragmentation and unite our structures to build a formidable opposition force. Together, we can build a nation that is more just, fair, humane, equitable, and prosperous for all. Let’s unite for August 13, 2026,” he stated.
Meanwhile, addressing citizens in Muchinga, Saturday, Dr M’membe, who spoke in Bemba, urged the electorate not to sell the country’s leadership, indicating that the UPND only knew how buy votes.
“If you start selling leadership of the country, you would have destroyed the country, you would [have] killed people. When installing a chief, do we bribe? Do we get paid? Our friends who are ruling only know how to give people money, buying votes. If you sell your votes, it’s the same as selling the country, it’s the same as selling leadership. Here we don’t sell leadership that’s why you find our headmen, chiefs are poor. Even if you have a lot of money, you can’t buy leadership here in the Bemba land. Let’s not sell the country. Whatever they will bring get and eat, it’s your money, don’t be scared; get and eat, it’s your money. But here in our home, we have been embarrassed, the Bemba land has been embarrassed. Muchinga Province has been embarrassed, we are the most impoverished people [here] in Muchinga Province. I am not lying; Muchinga is number one with poverty in the entire country,” said Dr M’membe.
“We have poverty [levels] of 82.6 percent. What does that mean? If you get 100 people in Muchinga, you will find from 100, 82 are extremely poor, it’s 18 who are living a bit better, not a lot, just a bit. Number three, Northern Province has poverty [levels] of 78 percent. Number four, Luapula Province has poverty [levels] of 77.3 percent. We have been embarrassed for poverty and hunger”.
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