There’s no place like home, says Lubezhi as she rejoins UPND
By Ben Mbangu in Choma
I APOLOGISE for letting you down, I used my emotions, says former Namwala UPND member of parliament Moono Lubezhi as she sneaked back to UPND.
Lubezhi, who was received back by UPND spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa, thanked President Hakainde Hichilema for having ushered the UPND into government.
“There is no place like home.You are only at peace when you are home.Please find a place in your heart to forgive me. I’m home. As a founder member it would not be right for me to sit and watch the party which we formed together fail because some of us have left,” she said.
Lubezhi said UPND can only succeed when its members work together.
“Let’s consolidate our efforts to see to it that we actualise our promises we made to the people. We need to support the leadership,” Lubezhi said.
She said she decided to rejoin the UPND from Choma because it’s the provincial capital.
“When I left UPND I defected from Kapiri Mposhi because I was scared that you will beat me here,” Lubezhi explained.
She said the UPND had scored tremendously in the seven months it has been in power.
“The new dawn government is already subsidising the nation. Us who come from rural constituencies, it was hard but the new dawn which is not segregative decided to put all farmers with equal allocation of inputs. Now there is employment of teachers and health personnel. And you hear someone complaining,” she said.
She said MPs were no longer receiving calls from the electorates asking about help for school fees because of free education.
Lubezhi said opposition political parties that were not giving meaningful checks and balances will be taken for jokers.
“Us in the UPND we used to give correct and meaningful checks and balances” she said.
In receiving Lubezhi, Mweetwa called for unity in the party.
“Let us lead by example so that it becomes easier for government to govern,” Mweetwa said. “We welcome Hon Moono Lubezhi back where she belongs. History of UPND back into the opposition can never be successfully written without the name of Moono Lubezhi. She was there and held on to ensure that party forms government. There can be no another better day than today to celebrate reunion,” he said.
Mweetwa said the UPND family missed Lubezhi and “we’re happy that she had come back”.
“Her loyalty cannot be questioned. We stood together through Bill 10. If Bill 10 had gone through there would be no HH as President today because the bill was drafted to make it difficult for any political party to unseat the PF,” said Mweetwa.