By CHILA NAMAIKO –
JUSTICE Deputy Minister Keith Mukata has resigned from his position to join the United Party for National Development (UPND) along with 11 other MMD Members of Parliament (MPs), who have endorsed the candidature of party leader Hakainde Hichilema.
Announcing his defection at Chainama Hotel in Lusaka yesterday at a UPND meeting, Mr Mukata claimed there was poor governance by the Patriotic Front (PF) administration.
But PF Chilanga District chairperson Simon Nsunge said the departure of Mr Mukata would enable the people of Chilanga elect a suitable MP to foster desirable development.
Mr Nsunge claimed that Mr Mukata antagonised civil servants and the local authority to gain  personal political mileage and failed to take development to the Constituency.
PF deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri said Mr Mukata had the democratic right to join any political party of his choice and that the ruling party was not worried about his resignation.
Ms Phiri said there was nothing that the PF could worry about, because the people of Chilanga had given him an opportunity to serve them.
Mr Mukata claimed that he resigned, because the PF was going against its policies, citing the economy of the country which he said was deteriorating.
MMD Sinda MP, Levy Ngoma, who spoke on behalf of the other parliamentarians, said Mr Hichilema could liberate Zambia from its current economic challenges.
Others that had defected to the UPND, were Nalikwanda parliamentarian Geoffrey Lungwangwa, Liuwa’s Situmebeko Musokotwane, Brian Chituwo of Mumbwa and Chisamba’s Moses Muteteka, Chrispin Kalila (Lukulu East), Sarah Sayifwanda (Zambezi East), Ronnie Shikapwasha (Keembe), Elijah Muchima (Ikelen’gi), Kabinga Pande for Kasempa and Ndalamei Mundia of Sikongo.