PF suspends Lusaka mayor

PF suspends Lusaka mayor
By George Chellah
Wednesday February 28, 2007 [02:00]

THE Patriotic Front (PF) has suspended Lusaka Mayor Susan Nakazwe and John Howard ward 03 councillor Borniface Musondamwaume. But Nakazwe yesterday said she expected to be suspended. In a letter dated February 26, 2007 to Nakazwe, which was also copied to PF president Michael Sata, the provincial chairman, district chairman and ward secretary, PF secretary general Dr Guy Scott stated that Nakazwe had been suspended from the party with effect from February 24, 2007. "I refer to the above quoted matter and also to the charge letter to you dated 09th February, 2007. I would like to inform you that the Central Committee meeting held in Lusaka on Saturday 24th February 2007, decided that you be suspended as a member of the Patriotic Front with effect from the date of the said meeting," stated Dr Scott. "The suspension shall remain in force pending disciplinary proceedings in respect of the hearing of your case. Following this suspension, all your rights and privileges as a member of the party are hereby suspended accordingly."

Dr Scott, who is also Lusaka Central PF member of parliament, further wrote to Musondamwaume to inform him about the Central Committee's decision to suspend him from the party. And PF Lusaka province chairperson Rhoda Nsama led a team of party members in two buses from Nakazwe and Musonda-mwaume's wards to the Civic centre to deliver the duo's suspension letters. However, Lusaka town clerk Timothy Hakuyu stopped them from proceeding to the mayor's office and only allowed three people to deliver the letter to the mayor's office. When contacted yesterday, Nakazwe calmly responded: "That's all right. We have been expecting it, thank you."

On January 16, 2007, Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata threatened to discipline Nakazwe for not attending the party's demonstrations against the International Monetary Fund (IMF) tax proposals and the privatisation of Zambia National Commercial Bank (ZNCB). Nakazwe went to Lilayi Police Training College for a pass-out parade officiated by home affairs minister Lt Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha instead of attending the demonstration organised by PF.

On February 2, PF threatened to suspend and later expel Nakazwe for being part of the people that welcomed Chinese President Hu Jintao at Lusaka International Airport. Dr Scott said it was gross indiscipline for Nakazwe to attend the ceremony when she had been written to and told not to attend. "She is going. I will be very surprised if she remains in the party. Unless president Sata who is out of the country has gone for a brain transplant and he comes back a soft man," he said.

He said the government had snubbed the party's top leadership but mayor Nakazwe, in her own wisdom, decided to attend. "She is dead meat. If she wants to join MMD, let her join. Her case is straightforward," he said.

And addressing journalists on arrival from London earlier this month, Sata said he would be receiving a report over the PF councillors that went to welcome President Hu at the airport.
"Some indisciplined councillors were doing our civic duty. They were saying civic duty; what civic duty? What came first, is it PF or civic duties? The choice is yours, choose now," Sata said. "So people with one leg in comfort and the other leg in the struggle will have to go. This is a struggle and I will only go with people who are willing to go with me in the struggle."
Sata urged all PF leaders that thought that there was comfort in MMD to cross over.