The United Party for National Development (UPND) has suffered another setback following the defection of Hon Ephraim Kaang’andu Belemu, who people described as President Hakainde Hichilema’s ally and Senior UPND Member of Parliament. Hon Ephraim Belemu, Defects to the ruling Patriotic Front
Hon Belemu who was until now a sitting opposition UPND Mbabala Constituency Member of Parliament, Hon Ephraim Kaang’andu Belemu has ditched the opposition political party to join the ruling Patriotic Front (PF).
At a colorful ceremony held in Lusaka, Hon Belemu was received by the ruling PF National Chairperson Hon Samuel Mukupa on behalf of the party President Edgar Lungu.
Other senior members of the ruling party present included Hon Stephen Kampyongo, Hon Joseph Malanji, Hon Brian Mundubile, immediate former UPND Spokesperson Hon Charles Kakoma and Deputy Media Director Mr. Antonio Mourinho Mwanza.
Mr. Belemu becomes the second high-profile person to defect from the opposition to the ruling party months just before parliament is dissolved, a backing trend not seen in Zambian politics where ruling party candidates tend to resign from the ruling party to join the opposition.
There was no immediate comment from the UPND president, though he urged his members to respect the choice of former spokesperson Chares Kakoma’s defection to PF.
Welcome to the winning team comrade. When I said that upnd members are getting frustrated with that tribal losing arrogant under 5 dictator,hh, I was called all sorts of names by his gay supporters. See your lives now. Hahaha. Chibaba to be in opposition but even worse when you know you will never rule this country. Are upnd members telling us that they are all too dull to take over from that boy hh?
It’s only because of tribalism that a person can continue standing as president even when he has lost over 5 times
The wind is blowing. UPND is feeling it. It’s not easy to dislodge a working government.
Kwashal Jack Mwiimbu and Garry Nkombo
Ichigondo chimbi mumatole yakwa kachema….
Ba Kaizar. You receive someone from a region you call tribalists but you still say the same. You are the worst tribalist who sees tribe everywhere and each time you open your mouth. Same on you.
I have noted the calls by some angry upnd diasporans to have me blocked by lusaka times. As I am a man who believes in democracy it’s only right that we leave this decision to the bloggers.
SO, IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO GET BLOCKED BY LUSAKATIMES THEN PLEASE UPVOTE THIS COMMENT. AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE ME REMAIN ON THIS SITE THEN PLEASE DOWNVOTE THIS COMMENT.
MAJORITY WILL WIN
The writing is on the wall, more defections are looming in the UPND camp especially when the adoption process is completed. Prior to 2016 we had seen defections from the ruling party to UPND but still PF won the election what more with thsese defections it is now a foregone conclusion that PF is winning this election come sunshine come rainfall. WINA AZALILA
What’s happening to Akainde?
THESE ARE NOT UPRIGHT MEN WHO CAN STAND FIRM AND STRONG ON THEIR PRINCIPLES.THEY ARE TOO BLIND TO SEE THE BRIGHTER FUTURE THAT WILL BE WITNESSED BY ALL UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF HH AND THE UPND ! NONETHELESS WE RESPECT YOU AND THE DECISION YOU HAVE MADE!
So KZ owns Lsk Times…???? lol
Izula manje Under 5 ayangana.
No worries here, they will defect back. What Top Brass, some name no one has heard of…..?
Sad moments for UPND. They always win by losing. What a shame to begin to lose to the ruling party. A party that has no IMAGE BUILDERS.
Only fools and thieves like arrogant uneducated Kaizer Zulu can boost about a defection that has been caused by the money that is being offered to unpatriotic Zambians.
Mufuliria Mokombo is only 15km but it takes 2:30hrs to due to the poor works done as its all corruption in Zambia. Tell us why is it costing US$1 Million to do 1 Km road in Zambia when other countries it is US$250,000. Cooking Oil that was K45 for 5 litres in now costing K298 US$ that was K8 is now K23.08, eggs was K39 tray it is now K69.
Explain and not fool people with the corruption that is being used to win these elections at all cost.
There is nothing for ever one day justice will be done to the poor people of Zambia. Enjoy your stolen money whilst you can
The best they can do will be for that rusty trumpet Anthony Bwalya to call into Hot FM and spill verbs and nouns without anything concrete. We had a glimmer of hope for August 12 but it seems UPND will struggle to keep a handle on things heading into the election. Zambia needs a new, formidable opposition leader. HH has served his purpose but its time to move on. Respectfully.
Kkkkkkk he has eyes, but he can’t see. He has nostrils but he can’t smell. He has ears but can’t hear. Headed for doom. It’s just a matter of months before he realizes his wrong decision. This time, not even money, nor defections will save the boat from sinking. This is a war that God will fight for his people of Zambia. Just wait, very soon things will start falling apart. You can’t make people go through hardships and expect to walk free. These defections are just a decoy that God is creating. He hears the cry of the poor.
And how come Kaizar is suddenly finger happy on the keyboard for such news? when he, of all people should know that this is Africa particularly Zambia were we practice jungle politics of defections every now and then! Your hype mood for such news is totally beneath you…
We should legislate against such behaviour otherwise we are heading back to one party state. These are not principled men. Imagine if the entire opposition decides to join the ruling party? Politics of sangwapo should stop. VOTE UNIP, power mulilo!
Next to defect…HH??
We are watching from afar. And every move is watched and calculated. let the weak be among the strong so that they can draw the strength
HH is not a politician, please excuse him. One who promises the impossibles.
Nothing to worry about. PF is spending big buying people, what they forget is that the people they are buying each has only a right to cast a single vote. And their so garantte that PF will get their vote. If PF has the money let the give jobs to all Zambians now, that might probably have an impact, but handing out stolen money and bribing people won’t deliver the votes. I am sure PF remembers don’t kubeba.
Never heard of him.
Is that Mbabala island?
According to comment number 4 above, 4 people want me to be blocked here and 9 want me to remain blogging.
We need a strong opposition in Zambia. This sounds like a volcano that has been waiting for a long time to erupt. And the time is up.
Right now UPND is melting to fast like – Cone Ice-cream on the hottest day in Zambia, the 22nd October of each year.
The problem is not UPND but the captain of the ship. Some dude called HH.
The truth of the matter is that if you subtract Southern Province, UPND is dead as a log.
No one needs to know HH personally. Zambia has come to know him over the years. He does not connect with people very well, like the present and past presidents. They all beat HH by by a distance milestone.
He talks like he is entitled by birth to be the next king of Zambia. And that Zambia owes him a lot having ploughed his money into running UPND.
Even in biblical times,people doubted Moses during the exodus and returned to slavery under pharaoh.
This is a journey for the strong and not the weak
Where is Mbabala? Do we have to Google it…please learn how to be informative in your writing.
Doesn’t make sense. When an incumbent MP fails to win the Party Primaries and then defects.
There is money at play because he will be lucky to be adopted by PF and worse still will not stand a chance of winning this seat.
If the money is good, get it bro because this might be your last flag in politics. Ask Kambwili.
We don’t discuss commodities
@upnd cadre I don’t own Lusaka times. I am not in the business of online news sites. However, I am just an influential man with good looks.
No backbone characters with only thoughts for their own stomachs will always be there – and they do not always move to the side that is victorious. Because of a lack of principles, they are easily swayed by tainted pieces of silver. They are ready to join the band of looters of the nation’s resources while turning a blind eye to the abyss that the majority have slowly and surely been dragged into.
What is it that is attracting the opposition members to join PF?
Is it money offered? Or is it politics
Of the Belly?Or they Feel they will
Be dribbled again? I know it’s not
For weak to remain in opposition
And miss out on benefits offered.
@18 ati independent, Moses was holy used by God and was able to hear God’s voice therefore it’s right to compare Moses to your idol who is not in right standing with God, He was once asked a question, Are you a freem.asonry and then he goes there is no such a thing, such do not exist Yaba…hahaha
Haha, commenting before a story even comes out. It spokes volumes about who is the “cook”. We will wait until you blink.
He is not a uniter this h². He is a selfish divisive individual.
He will lose this election and I will laugh again. He will cry again. The PF will win again. Zambians will win again. Zambia will forge ahead again.
Zambia forward again.
PF 100%, ECL 100%, PEACE 100%, ZAMBIA OVERDRIVE 100%, ELITE ZAMBIANS 100%, EMPOWERMENT100%, MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKETS WITH HARD WORK 100%.
Who is he again? Never heard of him he must be a nobody and an unprincipled tumbocrat .Politics of issues,values and ideology is alien to him just like “the born again KZ” who insults and hates like a fake Christian that he is.
‘Empowerment’ funds at play 🙁
When Gold is being purified, the dross will appear and has to be seperated.
The weak ones will not stand against the lures of the money being offered by corrupt. BOZ is printing money for free distrinution.
This is not the last you will hear of an official from UPND resigning.
pf don’t have any agenda except to corrupt people and show Zambian how popular they are.
Those are just spies we are sending to see how the PF will try to rig the election,its our gimmick for 2021 we don’t want any more nonsense.
So ba KZ celebrate but you’ll see how our strategy will yield better fruits.
It has taken this long to realize that he was following a block
I think people have sensed an impending loss for a party. This is due to a flawed voters’ roll in favour of a rival party. No wonder these defections. And we expect more defections come May 12. Some parties can never win a free and fair election and they know it themselves
The issue of Ka G 12 certificate has caused and will continue causing more defections.
Are these guys join the PF to be members or to spy? Wina azalila zoona…..
Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.
These people you call defectors are not real men. They are cowards who only think about their pockets. They are weak and for sure they fulfill the true essence of Good Friday and the job Judas did. It is not HH’s life that is on the line. It is the Zambians. HH is settled and well positioned for the rest of his life. Zambians are in deep trouble because of these Mwankoles that only cares for their tummies. If I am in Zambia and seeing what everyone is seeing despite having few coins in my pockets, I would not support PF or useless and visionless Lungu. It’s Zambia and its people in trouble. The suffering is by choice. The poverty is by choice. The unemployment is by choice. The corruption seen Zambia is by choice. Remember, it’s nobody’s fault, but yours.
When sata formed government in 2011 he lost 22 mps zambians don’t forget the general elections are coming..just show edgar lungu how powerful we are on the ballot ..these defecting they don’t deserve to be among the winning team they have already fufiled the good friday this is april.