Maravi

Masebo seeks to protect Nakazwe

Masebo seeks to protect Nakazwe
By George Chellah and Inonge Noyoo
Thursday March 01, 2007 [02:00]

LOCAL government minister Sylvia Masebo has written Attorney General Mumba Malila over Lusaka mayor Susan Nakazwe's suspension from the opposition Patriotic Front (PF). But PF chairperson for local government and housing Wynter Kabimba said there was nothing the Attorney General could do to prevent their action on Nakazwe.

Commenting on Nakazwe's suspension, Masebo said Nakazwe would continue performing her civic duties despite the suspension. "Unless she is expelled from the party. But in this case, one has to look at the reasons if she will be expelled on account that she went to perform her civic duties then it's a matter of seeking legal advice from the Attorney General," Masebo said. "I have since written to the Attorney General seeking an interpretation of the law that, 'if the party expels somebody on account of performing civic duties then should we as government respect such a decision?"

She said Nakazwe has not been performing because of political interference. "A bad precedence is being set. Otherwise, the mayors won't be performing or following the law because of such political interferences. So that's the issue I would like the Attorney General to assist me so that as minister I can protect these mayors. We need to protect them," Masebo said. "That's why I have written to the Attorney General for interpretation... I want to know. Suppose the party expels her on account of performing civic duties? What should we do? Because as minister I have told the councillors that they should perform according to the law."

Masebo described Nakazwe's suspension as sad. "That's the level of Zambian politics. That's why the opposition weaken themselves through such actions. The opposition when they don't make it to State House become so bitter because of having lost the elections and they want those who have been elected to fail to perform their duties," Masebo said. "Such an action in the long run will destroy PF because that action is not supported by many right thinking members of the public. There are a lot of their members who have left the party because of such unreasonable decisions. What did they want her to do?"

She said if PF does not want its councillors to perform, it should advise them to resign so that people could elect new leaders. "Let them do what Kaunda did when he was barred from standing in 1996. He told his people not to contest the elections so PF should do the same because it's very unfair," Masebo said. "In one line they want people to be councillors and in another they don't want them to follow the law. So they should just let them resign so that new people are elected."

And Kabimba who is also former Lusaka City Council town clerk said there was nothing the Attorney General could do to prevent their action on Nakazwe. "So that communication between madam Masebo and the Attorney General is academic because the mayor has been suspended as a PF member and there is nothing the Attorney General can do. Unless madam Masebo is telling the Attorney General to dissolve PF, which they can't do, anyway," Kabimba said. "The mayor is a party member and she has been suspended as a member of PF. Just like Mwanawasa warned his Cabinet and deputy ministers on the 10th of February that if they don't attend party functions they risk being removed from their positions. Why didn't they write to the Attorney General seeking clarification over Mwanawasa's warning?"

And a gender activist Sara Longwe has expressed disappointment with PF's decision to suspend Nakazwe. Longwe accused PF of misusing its position to deprive the Zambian women an opportunity for another women to serve the nation. "She is their member but once elected she is a representative of everybody in the country. She is entitled constitutionally to do her civic duties. It is sad that the PF president says the party is supreme over civic duties. Parties are there to service people, not their own interest or egos," she said. Longwe said it was not proper to have interfered with the mayor's duties given to her by law. "We and the women movement in Zambia are very disappointed with the Patriotic Front. I am begging to think it's a good thing that they don't get into government, it's a good thing they did not win," said Longwe.

But Roan Patriotic Front member of parliament Chishimba Kambwili has said the mayor needed to be suspended as she had exhibited the highest level of insubordination. "I want to clear the air. People are just blaming without knowing the whole issue. We did not suspend her for going to the airport escorting Mwanawasa but that she was insubordinate on instructions given.

Vernon Mwaanga made it clear that all parties had been invited to welcome the Chinese President except the PF. Wynter Kabimba wrote directly to the mayor informing her that government position is that they were not invited but she went contrary, which is insubordination," he explained. Kambwili said any other party would have done the same. "Even UDA or MMD would have done the same. It's not Sata who has suspended her from the party but the entire central committee on the basis of the Chinese President (Hu Jintao)," said Kambwili. On Tuesday, the PF suspended Nakazwe and John Howard 03 councillor Boniface Musondamwaume.

Labels: MAYOR, PF, SYLVIA MASEBO

posted by MrK @ 5:24 AM