•PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu (right) greets former United Party for
National Development vice president Richard Kapita who joined the
Patriotic Front at a rally addressed by the President in Mwinilunga
yesterday.Picture by EDDIE MWANALEZA.

By REBECCA MUSHOTA  –
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has said that those that are not willing to embrace new members in the Patriotic Front (PF) should leave the party.
President Lungu was speaking when United Party for National Development (UPND) vice president Richard Kapita officially announced his defection to the PF at a rally yesterday.
Mr Kapita said he decided to join PF because President Lungu inspired him as he wanted to work with all those that wanted to develop Zambia.
Mr Kapita was one of the founding members of the UPND in 1998 and he was Mwinilunga Member of Parliament on the party ticket.
Mr Lungu said he had information that the North-Western PF and the district executive committees did not want new members to join the party for fear of losing their positions.
He directed the provincial chairperson Fabian Mukoso to write a report and give it to  him today at 11:00 hours and, depending on what the report would say, he would decide whether or not to dissolve the executive.
Mr Lungu said that reassurances from the provincial party executive that the party was growing were not true because they were not embracing members of MMD and other parties that wanted to join PF.
He said PF members should forgive opposition members that wanted to join and just provide guidance.
“Even me, I paved way for others,” Mr Lungu said. “PF is bigger than me, than you or than any individual.”
Party members should have a heart for endurance and work to grow the party.
Later on, President Lungu met Solwezi residents at a dinner dance organised by the North-Western provincial administration at Kansanshi Hotel where his hat, bow tie and watch were auctioned.
His hat was auctioned for K35,000 to a local business executive Gerald Chibuye in a tightly contested auction. The watch went for K16,000 and a bow tie at K4,200.
During the day, Solwezi came to a standstill when the President visited the main market and the Kyawama Market.
President Lungu’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda said yesterday that the President was satisfied with his visit to Solwezi.