I DIDN’T LEAVE SP BECAUSE OF ANTONIO MWANZA – FRANK BWALYA
Lusaka.. Monday, August 14, 2023
Immediate Past Socialist Party – SP Spokesperson Frank Bwalya says he did not leave the opposition political party because of the coming in of newly appointed SP Deputy General Secretary-Politics Antonio Mourinho Mwanza
In an audio that has gone viral, Mr. Bwalya clarified that he has not resigned from being Socialist because he went through ideological training and was baptized in that ideology.
Mr. Bwalya urged the new Deputy General Secretary to concentrate on building the Socialist Party because it has potential to form government in 2026.
“Comrade Antonio, this is Frank Bwalya. I want to say this to you, my brother. We come a long way, you and I. And I remember almost 8 to 10 years ago when we went to Cape Town when we went for that NDI Programme, we had a beautiful time. We went shopping together, joked and so on. That has been our relationship with me. When you came to PF, I embraced you and I showed you a few corners in the party, here, there and so on and you settled down. We never quarreled in PF, you and I. We used to meet on Programmes. You are on the side of FDD and I am on the side of PF. On the Programme we would quarrel but after that we would laugh and laugh ati ba Father nikwisa twalanwinako tea? That is you, Antonio Mwanza and Frank Bwalya,” he said.
Mr. Bwalya said the narrative that has started to build among SP members that he left SP because Antonio Mwanza joined the party is negative energy and a negative narrative.
“You are a senior member of SP now, Deputy General Secretary and if there is anything you can do and ask senior leaders to do to stop members of SP to stop them from propagating destructive stories, let them stop. The more they say Frank Bwalya has left SP because of Antonio Mwanza, it is as if they are saying Antonio should not have come to SP. Who are they to decide where you go and where you should not go? Even myself, who should decide where I go and where I should not go?” he said.
Mr. Bwalya said Zambians have a Constitutional Right to go where they want to go as long as they are allowed to go.
“You came to SP, you exercised your Constitutional Right. I left SP, exercising my Constitutional Right. So those who are trying to insinuate you caused my departure as if within the short time you came, you frustrated me or you did certain things or you told the senior leaders something and therefore, you frustrated me as an individual and you have made me to leave the party, that is wrong. The senior leaders should guide the general SP membership to stop this nonsense,” he said.
Mr. Bwalya said Mwanza should be allowed to settle down with Alick in SP.
“They should allow you to settle down and contribute to this party and I know that you have capacity to do great things. I have left, they may not like it but such is life. They should just respect that Frank Bwalya has gone. They should be happy that I contributed something. They should build on momentum from there,” he said.
Mr. Bwalya said it was possible in politics for him to work with Dr. Fred M’membe again.
“This is politics. Who knows? Tomorrow I may find it difficult to settle elsewhere and Comrade Fred M’membe who is very close to me, may again call me kung’anda and say ba Father, bwelenifye ba Frank bwelenifye this is your home. I am now Socialist. I have not resigned from being Socialist. I am Socialist. I went through ideological training. I have been baptized in that ideology. So let those people stop these insinuations because they are targeted at you not me because I have left. The more they talk about this, it is like they are undermining you not me. They should stop it. Thank you, Comrade, and please assure our brother Alick as well. Concentrate and build that party. It has potential to even form government in 2026. Aluta continua my brother,” he said.
And in a message to SP members, Socialist Party General Secretary Cosmas Musumali says the opposition political party continues to value it’s Immediate Past Spokesperson Frank Bwalya because there are long-lasting bonds of friendship that were forged with him.
Dr. Musumali said the SP will continue to appreciate Mr. Bwalya’s great contributions to the Party.
He said further thanked Mr. Bwalya for openly being positive about SP scooping power in 2026 if the party remains on course adding that Mr. Bwalya is ready to contribute to the socialist revolution, despite being outside SP.
Dr. Musumali has urged all SP members to continue wishing Mr. Bwalya good health and success.
He urged SP members to ignore mountains of rubbish and lies being peddled by UPND vuvuzelas, which should not be given momentum.