FORMER North-Western Province minister Dawson Kafwaya has returned to the UPND after resigning from the ruling party earlier this year.

Kafwaya, who is also former Solwezi Central UPND member of parliament, says he was enticed to join the PF shortly after being elected in 2014 but was disappointed because most of the promises that were made were not fulfilled by the President.

“I know very well that in 2014, the people of Solwezi central gave me the mandate to be the member of parliament for Solwezi central and after I won the elections, I received a lot of enticements from the PF government. Before President Sata could even die, I was invited so they can appoint me as minister but I refused for that time. In 2015 after winning the elections, the PF invited me through Honorable Chikwanda so that I can serve as provincial minister for North-Western Province. Sometimes the decisions we make, we rush into making decisions but what is important in life is to know that when you make a mistake, you have to correct it one day. I know that I came here, it was a very difficult situation that I disappointed the people of Solwezi Central because I only served for less than five months and then accepted to be provincial minister. Unfortunately, all the promises which we discussed with the President, if we look at them they haven’t been fulfilled,” he said during a press briefing announcing his decision,” he said.

He however apologised to the people of Solwezi Central and the UPND

“Mr provincial chairman, may I take this opportunity to apologise to the president of our party but I am back in the party to serve the party as a servant of the party. I have consulted a lot of people, I have consulted my family members, I know that some of the family members even hated me because of the decision which I made,” he said.

He added that there were more people who were with him but would not come out in the open because they were benefitting something from the PF government.

“You know, the PF government is giving a lot of money to the people and some people don’t want to come out in the open because they are also benefitting something from the PF. So What we can do for now, let us allow them to continue benefitting whatever they are benefitting rom the PF but they know what they are going to do on the 12th of August 2021. So members of the party, you have to be free with us who have come back to the party, we belong to UPND and we are members of UPND, we are going to work together,” he said.

Kafwaya urged the party to be aggressive as fear is what had cost them elections in the past.

“My encouragement to each and every one on politics is that it is brutal, sometimes we have feared and that’s the reason we have lost elections. As I am talking now, our colleagues the PF are campaigning day and night, they are giving money, they are giving what, they are campaigning but you see, when you are in opposition they will continue intimidating you to an whereby they will even tell you, no we will come and arrest you, they can come here to disturb the meeting. But remember that when you want to get something from a running chicken, you have to be aggressive. We know the tactics of the PF, we have served in PF government, we know how they rig the elections and it’s a privilege that we work together to ensure that the elections are done in a fair and free manner in 2021,” said Kafwaya.

Speaking as he received them, UPND North-western provincial chairman retired Col Grandson Katambi urged the party members to embrace the new members and avoid having a negative perception towards them because no single individual owns the party hence the need for them to work together.

Katambi further praised Kafwaya for not dividing the party or insulting it after he left to join the PF.