Kabimba forms party

Former Patriotic Front Secretary General Wynter Kabimba has officially announced the formation of his own political party called the Rainbow Party (RP) with the slogan ‘United We Can’.

Mr. Kabimba, who is also former Justice Minister, said he has no doubt that his party will form government in 2016 and transform the country into a better place to live in.

The RP leader described as a scandal the current social and economic situation in the country saying it is unacceptable that 50 years after independence, people were still living in abject poverty.

He was speaking at a media conference in Lusaka today at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre.

The former PF Secretary General said it is a scandal that people still have limited access to basic education and health care services.

He alleged that the levels of inequality in Zambia are equally alarming, adding that statistics today show that the lowest 10 percent social economic group in Zambia consumes a bare 1.5 percent of the country’s GDP whereas the 10 percent of the elite take up 47.4 percent.

Mr. Kabimba declared that the current disparities between the rich and the poor are unacceptable as they pose a political risk to the country.

The RP leader said he decided to form a political party because he did not want to belong to a political party that is owned by individuals and which is regionally or ethically inclined or dominated and devoid of clear ideological direction.

Mr. Kabimba said the demand by Zambians is to have a party that will be different from all existing political parties whose constitution and manifesto would enhance democratic governance, ensure high economic growth, reduce poverty amongst the majority of the people and have equitable access to economic opportunities.

He also condemned existing political parties saying they lack the ideological understanding required to transform Zambia.

Mr. Kabimba noted that common features of existing political parties is that they exist to only serve as vehicles for capturing state power in order to foster what he called a parasitic agenda of the elite in the country.

He said his party will be for the public who have tasked him and the leadership of the new party to foster development in the country.

He and the leadership of the party pledged to serve the nation as servants of the people in order to enable them achieve the goals which they have set out for the party and country.

Mr. Kabimba said Zambians must benefit from the current boom in commodity prices and increased foreign direct investment.

He charged that none of the current political parties has the leadership with the capacity, commitment and appropriate ideological understanding to effectively tackle these fundamental issues.

He said the political elite of this country has become the worst enemy of the people and survives for the sole purpose of enriching itself.

Former Patriotic Front Lusaka Province Chairman Geoffrey Chuumbwe, former PF Lusaka District Chairman Goodson Banda, former Chawama PF Chairman Robert Chikwelete, and former Anglican Priest Father Richard Luonde were among some of the people that flanked Mr. Kabimba at the conference.

Meanwhile, ruling Patriotic Front (PF) national chairperson Inonge Wina expressed surprise to that former party Secretary General Wynter Kabimba has formed his own party and taken a swipe at a party his once presided over.

Asked to comment on assertions by Mr. Kabimba that the indiscipline in the PF was as a result of failed leadership, Ms. Wina laughed before saying she was taken aback by that statement.

She however said she could comment on the matter later as she had just arrived in Lusaka and has no enough information on the happenings in the City.

And the United Party for National Development (UPND) declined to comment on the formation of Mr. Kabimba’s party.

UPND Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said his party was tired of commenting on the same drama all the time.

Mr. Mweetwa however stated that his party is not threatened with the formation of a new party saying the UPND is confident of forming the next government.