 I want to start my address to the nation by reading a verse that has been given to me by my dear wife. The verse is Isaiah chapter 41 verse 10, and it states, So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, and I will uphold you with my rasha's handi, so help me God. I decided today to address the nation at a setting of my choice that represents who I am, Kalingalinga, because this is exactly where I come from. This is what has shaped me and what has shaped my life. All my adult life, I have stood for justice, equity, accountability, transparency, peace and unity, national development, and ensuring that every zambian is given an opportunity to make it a life. Early on in my very young days, I was given an opportunity to lead as a prefect at school. I was given an opportunity to lead as a leader in the church, the seventh day Adventist church where I belong, where I was baptized more than two decades ago, and through my journey for a fair zambia, a just zambia, a corrupt free zambia, I've made enemies and I've made friends. I have fought against regimes, I fought against the late president Meysaw Rest in Peace, president Manawasa, I fought against president Rupia Banda Meysaw Rest in Peace, I fought against president Michael Chilufiassata Meysaw Rest in Peace, I fought against president Edgar Chagualungu, our 63th Republican president. In all these things, I've done so to provide the credible checks and balances so that somebody can have an opportunity that I had to go to the University of Zambia, finish school even when my parents had died long before, go into the University of Zambia and have an opportunity to graduate even when we didn't have anything and have made decisions that would have made it so easy for me if I wanted to be rich because of an opportunity to sit with presidents, to sit with decision makers. I have an opportunity to sit with the highest people with the highest level of authority and influence and I've had opportunities to have access to resources, to power, to influence but throughout my life I've chosen to speak for those that are downtrodden, I've chosen to speak for my people from Kalingalinga, my monks, my mojos, my pohiz, my rumiz at the University of Zambia, Kopa Beta University, all colleges and universities, that is what I've stood for, that's what defines me and through that journey it has not been easy, it's been difficult. I started my politics way way back when I was a young guy in our village in Nubiru, in Imsoro. At age 13, when Zambia was changing to a multi-parted democracy, I was very young but I remember giving a vote of thanks at age 13 at a meeting that was attended by the MMD leadership there. I remember my father hosting the late Wezi Kaunda and putting up a unique campaign camp at our village in 1996. I was given the greatest opportunity to leadership when I was elected the president of the University of Zambia Students Union, 2005 to 2006. It gave me impetus, it gave me an opportunity to voice out and to speak to the powers that be. We fought for mere allowances, we fought for the scrapping off of the buzzeries to increase the number of young people that had access to government scholarships. We fought for the accommodation of university students and I was given a privilege to sit in the constitutional reforms, the National Constitutional Conference of 2008 as a delegate. I was given an opportunity to sit in the constitutional reforms, the technical committee, period of President Michael Silufia Satame, so rest in peace. I was given an opportunity to sit as a delegate at the BU 10 constitutional reform process and through my years at UNSA I fought for the common man and I learned a lot and helped to shape me to be what I am today. It was during my days at UNSA that I came to know when I moved to Meso Rest in Peace, Anderson Kambira Mazoka. I joined UPND in 2001. I was in UPND for seven years. I joined Anderson Kambira Mazoka for a simple reason that this is a man who was a nationalist. If you look at the original team that we had in UPND in 2001, way before President Haga Indesami Jilema, we didn't even know him then. He didn't even know us then. He was never anywhere near UPND. If you look at that team, it represented unity of peoples, all regions, all ethnic groupings. Mazoka, the clear vision to unite and develop this country. I was joined him as young techs and worked with him for seven years. When President Haga Indesami Jilema joined us in 2006, we worked so tirelessly to build him. I was among the people that were at the center of the UPND 2006 general conference or convention that was held at Mungushi International Conference and we delivered the president. I left UPND in 2008 because we didn't agree with the direction that the party was taking. Let me just use this opportunity to clear this fallacy that I've heard from some people from UPND that President Haga Indesami Jilema took me to school. He can't take me to school. I'm 45 years. The time was joining politics. I was in the field. I was a retiree. I had worked. I had done everything. So there was no point at which president Haga Indesami Jilema released the coin for my education nowhere. He was not even there. By the time he was coming to the forward left universe of Zambia. So he doesn't come anywhere near the picture. When we couldn't agree with the direction that the UPND was taking, we separated and I left UPND in 2008. I knew President Edith Nawakwe because when I was the president of the Inverse of Zambia Students Union, she was our member of parliament from Nari constituents and we used to work together very closely and it's from that interaction that I built that relationship and I joined FDD where I served as national youth chairman as party spokesperson and as national deputy secretary of the party. I was joined to FDD because it stood for what I believe in devolution of power, decentralization to allow ordinary people in Kalingalinga, in Chasafu, in Mugubudu, in Kanele box want to have an opportunity to also have a say over the leadership of the country in terms of the resources and I'm proud of the work that I did for FDD and I'm proud of the leadership of the FDD and the opportunity they gave me. But the time came for me to continue my journey to contributing the smallest of ways to the development of this country. I had a very close relationship with President Michael Chilufia Sata, Mezora Sinfis. We used to plan a lot with President Michael Sata. When I was the president of the Inverse of Zambia President Michael Sata running PF, we always used to meet and plan. We fought constitutional battles We fought for reforms in the judiciary. We fought for the rights of the workers and we fought for equity and fairness and we fought against corruption and because President Michael Sata was a man like myself, a man of the soil, a man who represents the poor, the marketeers, the toxic drivers, the underprivileged, he stood for poor promises, policies. It was very easy for me to look at the record of the patriotic front in the eyes of President Michael Sata and the drive and the passion that he had to open up this country to come as trade and industry through a robust infrastructure development and I joined the patriotic front. I was so privileged that I was given an opportunity to serve as deputy media director and to serve as media director. I must say that when I joined the patriotic front, I divided opinion and leaders divide opinions. Leaders are not scared of opinions. Leaders do the things that they know are right even when nobody believes in them. I lost friends because some of them thought I was a traitor that I went to the political party that I criticized all my time but they forgot that I started criticizing Levi Patrick Manawasa. They forgot that I was the same guy that was criticizing Rupia Buesanibanda. They forgot I was the same guy that was criticizing President Michael Sata and I was the same guy that was criticizing President Edgar Chagualungu and my criticism has never been about me. It has been about the people. It's been about a difference in policy. Some of them thought I was a sellout. Some of them thought in Jalani Nyokola. I come from Kalingalinga. We have nothing. We don't own anything. The only things that we own our integrity our belief in self sufficiency our belief and commitment to Uwuntu our belief and commitment to making sure that Zambia is united and that everybody who works hard is given an opportunity to prosper that is what makes us who we are. You cannot buy, you cannot sell more in you. I cannot be sold. I have no price. My life is a very simple life. Anybody who knows me from my days at university knows who I am. When a president of the University of Zambia was given the whole room to live in I was living in a banker a pantry. I was sleeping on the bathtub and I put a door, a broken door on top and that's why I was sleeping because I wanted to feel the pain that every student was going through who didn't have accommodation. Some people questioned my loyalty to the patriotic front and I want to say that if there is anybody who has stood for the patriotic front who has fought for the patriotic front who has defended the patriotic front if there is anyone who defines what loyalty is dedication, selflessness commitment to duty is that person is Antonio Mourinho once I have fought for this party, the patriotic front. I've spent the last five years defending things that nobody was ready to go on radio, on TV to defend. I've spoken in favor of the party even when it was not fashionable to do so even when we were unpopular I've always stood to defend the patriotic front because I've always believed in our goal to assure a properly developed zambian terms of infrastructure and opportunity for all especially those people like myself who come from the compounds and the farmers who toil every day the workers who work every day and still can't take their children to school because the money is not enough I have been to every radio station and every television station in this country to fight for patriotic front, to defend patriotic front I have lived, breathed and spoken patriotic front I've been to all the ten provinces of this country I've been to every constituency, every word I've knocked on doors, I've walked on roads I've spoken to people in defense of the patriotic front and I'm proud for everything that I've done and all my contributions to the party that I love so dear very very dearly I love the patriotic front very dearly very very dearly so if anyone wants to question my loyalty then they're not being honest they're not being fair they're not being just because I have been a definition of loyalty in the party and I wish to use this opportunity to thank president Ediga Chagwarungu I want to pay particular tribute to my boss Honorable Davis Mwila Ulusadu whom I've worked for and worked with for almost five years I want to pay tremendous tribute to the leadership of the patriotic front for giving me an on and a privilege to save the patriotic front and this brings me to the issue of the PF in 2001 we went to a general election we lost power there are those who thought maybe we never used to tell our people or our leaders the truth everybody was honest to tell you Mourinho does not mean his words I speak from my heart nili ben gongole nili ben gongole sini opamuntu I don't butlik I have no time for that I speak my mind because I don't worry about what I'll eat tomorrow aslong un gaurimu o lo sotin ndiyu we don't worry we come from garingaring we did our part as secretariat and we continue to do our part as secretariat we continue to provide our opinions our advice but we don't have any authority to make decisions we are simply workers of the party we are simply caders of the party ours is to provide our honest opinions to our leaders and it's up to our leaders to make decisions for themselves after our loss in 2021 the patriotic front took a very important step they appointed a team that went country-wide to come up with a post-mortem report that gave details of why we lost power and that post-mortem report also gave details of the recommendations of what patriotic front ought to do to bounce back into office in 2026 I'm not here to give the details of the post-mortem report because it's an in-house document and I will not betray the saw of the patriotic front by addressing the party that I love I want but one of the key issues was that the patriotic front must go to a general conference to elect a leader to take over from president Edgar Chagualungu and mobilize the party PF for 2026 there was a key recommendation among a several recommendations of the postmortem report and that is what brings me here today when I sit here and look at people like Charlie the engineer I look at young ladies like Nonom Kundanangi Retro Lampi Samatha Warya I look at young guys like Ketis Martin Mukuka Tina Mukuka Smith these young people spend every day fighting for the patriotic front they have risked their careers nobody is going to employ them because they have been labeled as PF they can't get a job they can't get any opportunity because they have been labeled as patriotic front they use their hard-ended money to defend the party every day on social media because they believe in the patriotic front I think of elderly men like Vashkulmaiko like Vafanu Omuangala who don't have much but they spend the little that they have to call radio stations to defend the patriotic front because they believe in the ideals of the patriotic front I think of Elvis Thomas Lungu Eye of the Eagle I think about my aunt Virgin Muleng Francis Mumbi Muana Muviza Muana Wa Muviza I think about the provincial leaders the district leaders the constituents leaders I think about the ordinary members of the patriotic front that love this party so much and today they are in limbo because the leadership of the party has failed to provide them with direction it has failed to provide them with hope it has failed to show them where we are going every day people call me every day people come to the secretariat every day people ask if a PF today are kwee Lisa Mulesala Rida when are you choosing a president are we ever going to have a general conference what is our hope two years down the line the leadership has failed to provide direction for this party the leadership has failed to give a clear roadmap when the party is going to a general conference and elect the president of the patriotic front that will mobilize this party for 2026 almost two years down the line the party is failing to mobilize president Michael Sada gave us an example every time he lost elections he went back to the structures he went back to the people our structures are in dilemma suba zubakoya in Danikuti are we going to have a general conference or we are not going to have a general conference that's the question the membership of the party has been loyal to this party I know the central committee I've worked with the central committee for the last five years the majority of the members of the central committee means well for this political party but there is a small clique within that thinks that they can bulldoze and the risk the contributions and sacrifices that people that worked with president Michael Sada have sacrificed the contributions and sacrifices of those that have been in PF for 20 years and they have not benefited anything but they continue to support this party there is a small group that thinks they can bulldoze and delay the process to elect the next leader even those that mean well for the party are failing to come forward and help the party because a party without a leader cannot sell a party without a president cannot sell our members want to see a president elected our members recognize that we only have got two years before the next election our members want to see a party with a president having been part and parcel and worked for the central committee as a person at the secretariat I can say this with confidence that there is no commitment there is no willingness there is no desire there is no dedication whatsoever from central committee to take this party to the general conference the principle recommendation of the postmortem report to take this party to the general conference has been hijacked by a few people who don't want to see this party go to the general conference and delay the next leader and this party has continued to lose honorable men and women who cannot see the direction of the party you have heard some of the excuses they have given that we don't have money it is the job of the central committee to mobilize resources to go to the general conference this is your job as members of the central committee to mobilize resources it's your job are you leaving it to Shkrumaiko to raise money for the general conference are you leaving it to Grayford Mwende to raise money for the general conference are you leaving it to William Peady to raise money for the general conference it is the responsibility of the central committee to raise money for the general conference you have heard another excuse that has been given that we can't have a general conference because there is a court case that honorable Miles Sampa has filed in the High Court the case that honorable Miles Sampa has put in the High Court has nothing to do with the general conference of the patriotic front I have this this is a complaint this is from the High Court of the Republic of Zambia the issues that Miles Sampa has raised are here three of them one is to stop the patriotic front from expeling him or suspending him number two is to stop honorable given Mwende and honorable Nick Sonchilangwa from acting as president acting president and acting Secretary General three is to stop members of the patriotic front from defaming him there is no case in the High Court or any court where patriotic front has been stopped from having a general conference so this cannot be used as an excuse it cannot be used as an excuse not to hold a general conference this part belongs to that great legend Michael Chilfresad this part belongs to every member of the patriotic front it belongs to every Zambian who doesn't agree with what is going on in this country the hopes the dreams the desires of all members across the country are being dashed every day because some people within the Central Committee have opted to push an agenda not to have a general conference and they are killing the party for Michael Chilfresad they are killing the party for a marketeer they are killing a party for the student they are killing the party for a retiree they are killing a party for an ordinary Zambian on the streets clearly we have reached the crossroads there is no intent there is no commitment there is no willingness to have a general conference as you might be aware on Saturday Central Committee will be meeting and Central Committee has been meeting from 2001 to 2023 the key issues that affect our members are not being addressed our members have lost property lost jobs lost opportunities our members have sacrificed everything yet there are some people who want to continue growing us backward and where we have reached I don't see the patriotic front holding a general conference to elect a new president and I don't see a party without a president mobilizing itself for 2026 in fact there is no mobilization that is going on we have left this party to a few individuals that are fighting for the soul of this party there is no direction there is no hope and because of that I want to announce that today I have decided to take the following steps number one I have decided to step down as the media director of the patriotic front effective 31st of June I have already written the letter of resignation to the party subsequently I have decided to withdraw my membership as a member of the patriotic front it is not an easy decision because PF is my family because PF is my party because PF is the party that I fought for and I have dedicated everything I have spent more time out there fighting for the patriotic front than I have spent time with my family with my friends with my colleagues and to the members of the patriotic front I want to say we cannot allow this to continue we have to preserve that party for my kusata we have to preserve that party for my kusata and this call goes to members of the central committee that mean well and that the majority that mean well it goes to members of the provinces the districts they mean well we need to find a home to popularly this country we are losing the country and we cannot afford to go on on this trajectory without hope, without direction we have reached a level of wacha waida kwaacha kwafiq kwaacha kwafiq general conference zero direction zero mobilization zero we can't I want to thank the PF that's my family that's my home I have to say we need to find a home to help this country we can't afford to continue on the trajectory that we are in to lelo mba 180 million dollars money which is a salary for the only missing a country with sujlite with cobalt with copper with emeralds with gold with diamond with manganese we have to be going around with a begging boat to lelo mba 180 million US dollars we want to build a school we want to get along to build a school we want to build a hospital we want to get along to build a hospital we have a country with no medicines no medical supplies we have a country with farmers working so hard at getting nothing we have a country with millions of young people that need jobs having no opportunity even when you go to school you still don't get a job Zambia deserves better and Zambia can do better and Zambia will do better I want to thank you all I end here I'm not going to take questions I was here just to address the media and sorry comrade I will not take questions thank you so much