Maravi

Nevers meets Levy for reconciliation

Nevers meets Levy for reconciliation
By Bivan Saluseki
Thursday February 15, 2007 [02:00]

Reform Party president pastor Nevers Mumba on Monday met President Levy Mwanawasa at State House for reconciliation. And pastor Mumba yesterday confirmed the meeting, saying he was against politics of hatred and revenge. State House sources disclosed that pastor Mumba had in the past been pushing for a meeting with President Mwanawasa until the President accepted to meet him last Monday.

When asked about the meeting with President Mwanawasa, pastor Mumba became silent for a few seconds before asking from where he could start from since the meeting was not for public consumption. "If the meeting was for public consumption, it would have gone that way. It was a very good meeting, it was a necessary meeting," he said.

Pastor Mumba said like his principle had always been, it was important for leaders to feel free to compare notes. "It's important that leaders put aside the thought that political leaders who differed should hate each other. We should learn to move on," he said. Pastor Mumba said it was important that leaders did not propagate hatred. He said personally he enjoyed the fact that he discussed various issues with President Mwanawasa during the meeting. Asked on who initiated the meeting, Pastor Mumba said it was not important to know the initiator. He said he was against hatred and revenge because it was the electorate that suffered at the end of the day.

Asked if he had resolved his differences with President Mwanawasa, pastor Mumba responded: "It was a cordial meeting in terms of anything that could have been explained. We even took time to pray together." Pastor Mumba said he believed in love and reconciliation and acceptance of one another. He prayed that there might be love in Zambia. Pastor Mumba said he was opposed to politics of fomenting of hatred by individuals.Pastor Mumba, a tele-evangelist cum politician lost the 2001 elections under the sponsorship of the National Citizens Coalition (NCC). As National Citizens Coalition president, Pastor Mumba was appointed Republican vice-president - a decision that almost earned President Mwanawasa an impeachment in Parliament. Later with a diplomatic tiff with DRC whom he accused of funding some opposition parties in Zambia, pastor Mumba was relieved of his duties by President Mwanawasa who even regretted having appointed him.

Later, pastor Mumba decided to have a go at the MMD presidency but was expelled and as a result formed Reform Party. He later had a loose alliance with Ben Mwila, PUDD and ZADECO and formed National Democratic Focus (NDF). NDF went for a convention in Kabwe last year where Mwila was elected president but pastor Mumba petitioned the results, and his petition was upheld by the Kora Foundation although Mwila rejected it. This development saw pastor Mumba's departure from the NDF to independently run the Reform Party.

Labels: NEVERS MUMBA, RP

posted by MrK @ 10:55 AM