MUFULIRA ‘STRONG MAN’ REAGAN KASHINGA JOINS SP
Mufulira, Friday, June 30, 2023 ( Smart Eagles)
OVER 50 National Democratic Congress (NDC) leaders from various layers of leadership in Mufulira, Wednesday, joined the Socialist Party (SP).
Leading the defectors, Mufulira strongman Reagan Kashinga, who was one of the principal architects of the UPND alliance in Mufulira declared Dr. Fred M’membe as a leader who represents hope for Zambia.
“We thought that by running away from the PF, Zambia would be better governed under the UPND. But today, we have a government that is far worse off. Mediocre governance, abuse of human rights and mindless corruption are the key features of the UPND government,” stated Kashinga.
He said a leadership that lacks moral uprightness and does not serve the needs of the masses should be detested.
“The UPND is a huge let down. Look at the mediocrity in the energy sector. Fuel shortages have become a constant feature of the UPND government while the cost of electricity is way too high for the great majority of our people. The cost if fuel is not favorable to a hustler like me, while the cost of connecting electricity to a house or shop is now a far-fetched dream for a commoner like me,” he lamented.
“At the expense of our sweat, tears and blood, the mining sector is Zambia awarded huge tax holidays. What a shame! Our support for Dr. Fred M’membe is not simply for political convenience but is support anchored on the conviction that he is a people’s leader. For a long time, the name ‘Fred M’membe’ has stood for the quest for justice, equity and peace. For the sake of the voiceless masses, Dr. M’membe has refused to be silenced by monstrous totalitarian regimes. The Zambian masses yearn for a leader who is incorruptible and whose leadership is not driven by an insatiable appetite for material goods. One who has no lust for power nor personal prestige nor is seeking personal glory from collective efforts and indeed Dr. M’membe fits this bill.”
Speaking on the same event, SP Copperbelt Provincial Chairperson Martin Chikwanda thanked the defectors for making a progressive move to the Socialist Party.
He urged the opposition political party District and Constituency leadership to ensure a smooth integration of the new members into the party’s structures.
He advised that members should not be obsessed with position and status.
Chikwanda emphasized that positions were there but to ensure coherency and orderliness.
“We must intensify mobilization and recruitment of members into the party. Numbers are important and everyone can tell that 2026 is for the Socialist Party. Indisputably, SP is the fastest growing political party today.”
And in welcoming the defectors, SP Member of the Central Committee Faston Mwale, said the fact that various political movements and organizations were endorsing Dr. M’membe for Republican President in respect of the 2026 general elections signifies that the masses were now beginning to wake up to a reality that a time has now arrived to unite under the banner of socialism and wage a decisive struggle for genuine emancipation from capitalist subjugation.
“For far too long, we the struggling masses have been duped, deceived, humiliated and suffered de-humanization at the hands of puppet regimes. For far too long, we have been used as a ladder for the elite class to gain access to political and economic power after which the masses were ditched. It is now time for the masses themselves to rise and play a central role in shaping their own political destiny. Under Dr. M’membe, we have a chance for genuine liberation,” said Mr. Mwale.
He added that having failed to fulfill campaign promises and out of fear of losing the elections in 2026, the UPND has become one of the most brutal regimes on the continent.
“It is only by coming together and forge a formidable transformative force under the able leadership of Dr. M’membe that we can bring authoritarianism to a decisive end in 2026.”
Meanwhile, speaking at the same occasion, SP Copperbelt Vice Chairperson Gitipher Kalungu urged the women to rise to the occasion and lead a struggle for progressive change.
“Many of our youth today are involving themselves in anti-social vices because they were out of employment and not engaged in any productive activity. We need to find the necessary unity to put an end to poverty, corruption, unemployment and all that constitute the existing intolerable underdevelopment amidst national riches and blessings,” stated Ms Kalungu.
