STEVEN Nyirenda has announced that he is leaving the National Restoration Party and forming his own political party, saying there are people who have been fighting him ever since he joined NAREP.

And Nyirenda says Zambia is still poor because it has had leadership which bootlicks foreigners.

In an interview, Nyirenda said he would be launching his new party next week.

“We have the name, we have everything. We should be launching because of Easter perhaps, it disturbed [the process]. We are launching next week. Ever since I went to NAREP, I was hardly two months inside there, people started fighting me. Their expectations were different; I don’t know what they expected. So, the fight went on until we went to court. And our aim is not to be fighting each other all the time or to be taking each other to court, it is draining. Our aim is to provide solutions for the country not to waste time at court. So, this is the biggest reason why we said ‘let us not waste time’. And I can assure you that everyone else who we were with in NAREP is moved along with us. There is no one who is remaining, the ones we were active together with,” Nyirenda said.

He said once elected into office, he would ensure that Zambians benefited from the country’s wealth.

Nyirenda argued that Zambia was still poor because it had leadership that bootlicked foreigners.

“I am a better one. There is only one thing we are all fighting for. This country is our country, it has so much wealth but there is no wealth that is in the hands of Zambians. Maybe from those that are selfish or amassed [wealth] through corruption and they are keeping it, they can’t even go outside and enjoy it. What we are fighting for is that Zambians should own the Zambian wealth. Why should England be more expensive, more richer than us? It should be poorer than us, we have the water, minerals, trees and land, we have everything. But the reason why we are still poor is that we have had leadership that bootlicks the foreigners. We are not going to do that! We will work to make sure that the Zambians do own the Zambian wealth in their own hands,” said Nyirenda.

NAREP factions, led by Nyirenda and Charles Maboshe have agreed to withdraw and discontinue a leadership wrangle from the Lusaka High Court.

This is according to a consent to withdraw matter filed in court recently.

“By consent of the parties herein represented by their respective advocates, it is hereby agreed and ordered that this action under Cause No. 2020/hp/0799 and the counterclaim be and is hereby withdrawn and discontinued without liberty to restore,” read part of the consent order.

The parties have further agreed that there shall be no action arising from the facts already pleaded in the matter or incidental thereof.

This is a matter in which Nyirenda and three others sued Maboshe and other party members in the Lusaka High Court, seeking a confirmation and declaration that Nyirenda was duly elected as NAREP president.