MILES SAMPA IS A LOST SHEEP, SAYS HAPUNDA

By Kalobwe Bwalya

CLAIMS by Miles Sampa that the Socialist Party (SP) has not held a national congress since its inception and that Fred M’membe imposed himself on the party as its president is nonsensical, party Media Director Brain Hapunda has charged.

Mr. Hapunda has since described the allegation as a cheap lie and should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves.

In an interview, Mr. Hapunda said Mr. Sampa was a lost sheep which did not have any direction politically, but survived on lies and misleading statements.

“Those alleging that the SP has not had a National Congress since its formation in 2016 are suffering from serious mental fragmentation caused by irrational fear.

“The SP was formally registered as a political party in 2017 and later officially launched on March, 31, 2018. The party held its first National Congress from 29 to 30 September 2019 in Lusaka and the party’ s manifesto was launched on June 17, 2020,” Mr. Hapunda said.

He said it was worrying that some politicians like Mr. Sampa could take a path of misleading the masses, adding that the SP was the most well-organized political entity in the country and that the masses had commended the party for this admirable feature.

He explained that all SP’s party programs and activities were governed by three democratic principles namely; collective decision-making, active participation, and transparency.

“In the context of the declining popularity of the United Party for National Development (UPND), political permutations are changing. The Socialist Party is becoming a decisive factor on Zambia’s political landscape,” said.

He wondered how one could undermine the sanctity of a National Congress that brought together over a thousand delegates from all provinces and claim that it never took off.

He said Mr. Sampa was desperate and should not be taken seriously because he was no longer a political influencer to the Zambian people adding that politics based on the fabrication of truth, deceptions, and distortion will not take him anywhere.

He added that the leadership of the SP had made it abundantly clear time and again that the second National Congress will be held this year in August as required by the party’s constitution.

“Our leaders in SP are democrats and they do not dwell on lies and we have solid leadership that Zambia needs to take us out of the mess we find ourselves in today,” added.