By Pedro Mbewe Andras
Lusaka, Zambia – Thousands of people gathered in Lusaka as leadership changes for one of the prominent political party as emerged ahead of the country’s general elections scheduled for August this year.
The development follows the political rise of Honourable Engineer Chanda Katotobwe, who hails from a prominent political family. His father previously served as a Member of Parliament in the same constituency and was also a Minister of State under the leadership of Zambia’s founding president, Kenneth Kaunda.
Eng. Katotobwe, a prominent businessperson and current Member of Parliament for Luapula Constituency in Lungu District, recently announced the appointment of a political party, the Patriots for Economic Progress (PEP). The party which was registered in October 2016 under the societies Act Cap 119 with Sean Tembo as their party President. The event was attended by several senior members from the former Eng Katotobwe’s Patriotic Front, signaling notable political backing for the movement.
During the event , Eng. Katotobwe was officially unveiled as the President and leader of PEP ahead of the upcoming elections. In his address, he pledged to improve the livelihoods of Zambians if elected into office in August.
He outlined key priorities including women’s empowerment and increased youth participation in the mining sector. He also committed to reducing taxes in key industries to stimulate economic growth.
Eng. Katotobwe further promised sustainable job creation for young people, emphasizing that his government would introduce policies aimed at empowering youth and expanding employment opportunities. He also encouraged local businesspeople to invest more within Zambia as a way of strengthening the domestic economy and creating jobs.
Also speaking at the event, the now PEP Vice President Sean Tembo highlighted the party’s strategic approach towards winning the harmonised elections. He urged party members and supporters to rally behind the movement in pursuit of what he described as a “new Zambia” grounded in national values and a shared vision for development.
Tembo also called on business leaders and supporters to unite behind Eng. Katotobwe’s presidential bid in the forthcoming general elections.
Some party supporters who attended the event expressed optimism about the new movement, praising Eng. Katotobwe’s leadership and voicing confidence in the party’s chances of winning the upcoming elections.
