By SIMON MUNTEMBA
UPND is a tribal and selfish political party which I failed to work with because it is only interested in using other political parties, expelled NDC president, Chishimba Kambwili has charged.
But UPND spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa, said it was not true that the UPND was tribal as it has leaders from across the country.
Mr Mweetwa condemned Mr Kambwili for practicing what he termed as ‘archaic politics’ which was a danger to the country’s democracy.
He said in an interview that politics of tribalism practiced by Mr Kambwili were long gone as it could not bring development but divisions in the country.
“Those type of politics is archaic. Let’s drift towards issues. The country is not in a tribal division crisis, but in an economic and governance crisis. These are the same people who have brought us here where we are, poverty,” Mr Mweetwa said.
Addressing NDC members through a telephone in Chipata during the party’s elective conference on Sunday, Mr Kambwili charged that the UPND was a party only interested in using other political parties for selfish political gains.
Mr Kambwili said he went to work with the UPND with a view of changing them but failed to do so.
“I want to thank you for being magnanimous and refused the people who have always wanted to use other people for their own personal and tribal gains. As your leader, I would not want to support a grouping that is going to divide this country.
“We formed NDC to serve the people of Zambia, to give them hope and to unite them. But there is a certain political party which just believe in themselves and where they come from. When we went to work with them, we said where I come from they say kupesha ilungu kwendamo, I thought of going to be close to them and really find out if we could help to change them but I can tell you, I failed,” Mr Kambwili said.
He also accused NDC members who have chosen to remain in the UPND Alliance of having initially wanted to sell the party to the highest bidder, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the UPND president.
