SOCIALIST Party General Secretary Dr Cosmas Musumali says about nine political parties have agreed to be in the United Front.

Speaking at a press briefing Monday, Dr Musumali said the Socialist Party had directly talked to 11 political parties and announcements would be made on the progress made with regard to the United Front.

“We have directly spoken to at least 11 political parties, and without revealing too much because there are going to be special announcements concerning this. At least eight to nine of them are 100 percent in the United Front. And we are working hard to ensure that the others also buy into the United Front. We would ideally want to get everyone inside, that’s our aim. We should not leave anyone outside, regardless of what people think about them. We want that unity because we want to avoid splitting the votes. We are on it; our principle is let’s unite the opposition political parties,” he said.

“Coming to the second question, ‘how soon?’ It’s also an issue we have been raising as the SP, the sooner it’s done, the better because time is running out. We have to expedite this, and in the call for action it’s one thing which I mentioned, this has to be done as quickly as possible. So, our aim, all I can say for now, is soon Zambians will be told, Zambians will be informed that this is the United Front. If, for example, two or three are still outside, we will still go ahead and announce. Hopefully, those that are outside will still tag in and join on the way. But our conviction is let’s get moving; Zambians are becoming impatient, they want to see that unity. The sooner we do it, the better, it’s a race against time indeed.”

Dr Musumali also accused the UPND of trying to tempt Socialist members to turn against their leaders.

“As the UPND is attacking us, let’s also be a bit careful. As the Socialist Party and the structures, we have to be extremely careful. They are planting a lot of lies, they are abusing some of the leaders, they have said things that they have never said. And of course, there is negligence, there have been mistakes made by some of our leaders, that’s our mistake, we will sort it out. Let’s refrain from the methods of the past; we would not like to hear insults being used against any leader whether we like them or not. That’s not the socialist style of doing business. It’s one thing saying you are wrong, but it’s another to demean or belittle another human being,” Dr Musumali said.

“That’s not acceptable, and we have said this over and over as a party, we don’t want to use the methods of other political parties. But also, some of our leaders who have been misled, who have been told stories, stay away! The UPND is a failed project. Those that are telling you that if you worked with them, you will do very well, they will give you a Cabinet position, they will give you a job, they are telling millions of other people. These are people that are living on promises; they promised the Zambian masses, they never delivered. Today they want to promise you, no, they will not deliver to you. Who are you compared to the masses? So be smart also. Shake off the dust, come back if you were already turning your head away, come back. Maybe I will subject you to more ideological training after.”

And Dr Musumali said it was total bullsh*t to accuse Socialist Party leader Dr Fred M’membe of being a tribalist.

“There are people who have said, he (Fred M’membe) is there because of hate. Hating who? And when you ask that question, they have said, ‘it’s because of The Post.’ What? It is not the UPND that destroyed The Post; it was the PF. But the same Fred M’membe today is able to sit with people that destroyed The Post. He is talking to them, where is the hate? Hating who? They have developed a lie and they are selling it to Zambians, that he is in politics because he is hating. Hating for what? That’s not part of his life and it’s not part of his nationality. Fred M’membe will give it to you the way he thinks. When you come back tomorrow, he will say, ‘we talked about it yesterday, it’s over, it’s done.’ He is a firm leader, he is affirmative, he says things the way they are, and I think Zambia needs that,” said Dr Musumali.

“Zambia, for once, needs a leader that’s truthful, that will say things the way they are. We have had leaders that have said one thing and did the other. With Fred M’membe this will be different. That propaganda of hating, this is very far from that. We have heard some say that he is a tribalist, that’s all bullsht, total bullsht. You are talking about a person who belongs to, I don’t know, seven tribes in this country.”