Eight UPND officials have defected to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), citing lack of political strategy and divisive tendencies in the United Party for National Development.

And NDC chairperson for gender and child development Saboi Imboela says the defection of the eight UPND officials is evidence that the National Democratic Congress is the only party with a national character to truly represent the Zambian people.

Announcing the development to News Diggers in an interview today, former UPND western province Spokesperson Nyambe Muyumbwana who is also one of the defectors, said NDC was the only political party that had the calibre to dislodge PF.

“We have decided to move to NDC because of lack of leadership and direction in the UPND. The party is static and lacks political strategy. Party officials spend more time quarrelling and scandalising themselves instead of mobilising the party. Their is also too much divisive tendencies. We believe the NDC has a good manifesto and calibre to dislodge the PF. We helped form structures of UPND in Western Province and we shall turn them over to NDC,” Muyumbwana said.

He named the defectors along with the positions they held while in UPND.

“Mubita Danny Mubita was the vice chairman for education and NMC member. David Chengamali who was provincial vice secretary. Then Chinyama Kambita provincial vice youth-chairman, myself provincial spokesperson. Mwiba Mundia who was until yesterday Mongu district chairman, Jeremia Lihonga, he was provincial youth coordinator, Eugene Kapatiso, provincial youth secretary and Shindo Luhila, he was just a UPND member,” he said.

Muyumbwana further said the defectors have since been appointed with immediate effect in the NDC.

“Nyambe Muyumba has been appointed member of the central committee for media in the NDC. Jeremiah Lihonga has been appointed provincial youth chairperson for Western Province. David Chengamali has been appointed Provincial Secretary then Mubita David (former provincial chairman) MCC-Education. Shindolo Luhila NDC provincial chairman, Eugene Kapatiso has been appointed NDC provincial vice youth chairman. Chinyama Kambita is NDC provincial treasurer while Mwiba Mundia has been appointed provincial vice chairman,” said Muyumbwana.

The eight who joined NDC yesterday during a party meeting in Mongu were received by party secretary general Mwenya Musenge.

Meanwhile, Imboela said the NDC was expecting a lot of defectors from both UPND and PF in the next few months.

“NDC is a party with a national character. So we are happy that they were able to come to us. NDC is the only party that can represent the people. And I think it’s also important to mention that apart from them [the eight UPND officials], there are many other people who defected from PF and UPND both from the structures and just from the members of the UPND and PF. And we are definitely expecting more people to come and join us,” said Imboela.

“If you look at these people who have defected, no wonder we have even put them at the top in the province because these are people that are very influential and they did so much in UPND. So these are people that can move things in the province and just them coming to join us, we know that we are going to get a lot of people on board.”