Maravi

My private talks with Levy have triggered speculations - Nevers

My private talks with Levy have triggered speculations - Nevers
By Brighton Phiri
Monday July 09, 2007 [04:02]

MY private talks with President Mwanawasa have triggered speculations within MMD, Reform Party president Pastor Nevers Mumba has said. Commenting on reports that he was making manoeuvres to rejoin the ruling party, Pastor Mumba, who denied having had taken steps to rejoin the MMD, said the debate about him rejoining MMD arose after his private discussion with President Mwanawasa. "It is important to note that I have not gone to anybody asking them whether or not I should go back to MMD. A lot of this debate has come from the fact that I had a discussion with the President. It is true that we had a meeting and that it was a very fruitful meeting.

That is what I could give in terms of information because the preserve to disclose what was discussed in that meeting remains with President Mwanawasa," Pastor Mumba said. However, Pastor Mumba disclosed that he had received delegations from the Church and ruling party, who were asking him to consider reconciling with President Mwanawasa and rejoining the MMD. "I have since received delegates from different people, not just MMD people. I am talking about church people, politicians, members of the ruling party at different levels who have asked me questions such as why can't I go back to MMD? I have also seen several editorial letters calling for reconciliation between the President and myself," Pastor Mumba said.

"I am also alive to the fact that there are a lot of people out there that have been making insinuations and demands that I go back to MMD. But I have not responded to any of those until now. Because after the last elections and the events that proceeded that time, I thought it was important for me to spend some time with my family, to rebuild things that were affected by my participation in the election. I felt that during the time when I was engaging in my political activities, my children underwent a very challenging season. I am using this time to ensure that my family is in good shape."

He said it was a futile attempt for anyone to think of divulging the outcome of their private talks because they would not know the information was basically between him and the President. "You reported well that the meeting was for reconciliation and reconciliation is between the two people. You must be aware that the President and I worked very well together when he asked me to join government. I was very happy to serve with the President," he said. " But like anything else, there are always forces and times, not only in government but also in churches, NGOS, clubs or organisations, when there are misunderstandings between members."

Pastor Mumba admitted that President Mwanawasa and himself faced that the challenge of misunderstanding that led to his expulsion from the MMD. "So the meeting I had with him had nothing to do with anything except that we felt, and I as a Pastor felt very strongly, that the best way forward as a country was to set the precedent of harmonization and that learning to talk about issues you differ is a sign of maturity. So I did talk to the President and we talked to each other and I am thankful that he gave me that opportunity."

Asked whether he could consider going back to MMD if an opportunity was offered, Pastor Mumba said he would take an appropriate decision after receiving an official invitation. "I did not resign from MMD. We had issues of circumstances that led to the MMD NEC expelling me from the party. Because of that it was not just the decision of Nevers Mumba and his supporters to go back, but there are other issues to be considered such as the party has to make a decision of that nature. Until now we have done nothing to arrive at that play. Until I have information, I cannot say much," he said.

Asked further what his response has been to the people requesting him to rejoin the MMD, pastor Mumba said: "My response has been that the most important thing for me as Pastor is to learn on how to move on and not live on the things of the past. I do not see any major ideological differences between MMD and what I think. It is the ideal thing to do to change things in the country. I don't have a problem with MMD. I resolved that problem when I dissolved my party to join the MMD," he said.

"Some of my members and supporters are still in MMD. But there are processes when dealing with issues like mine. The people that I met, their views were that... Dr. Mumba you sacrificed so much to the extent that you dissolved your party to support MMD, why do you want to get out of the party which you supported so much? You contributed to it as Vice-President and what is it that you differed with the President that is so complicated and so bad that the two of you cannot reconcile?

So those were their presentation and for those that have come after my private talks with President Mwanawasa, I have told them that there is nothing between the President and me and that we have put the past behind us. For me that is highest score and it extremely important that my heart is cleared and I have nothing against anyone in the MMD." But some sources within MMD NEC insisted that Pastor Mumba had made several moves to solicit support among them in order to be re-admitted in the ruling party.

According to MMD sources, Pastor Mumba had been soliciting favours from President Mwanawasa and some NEC members in order to pave way for an easy comeback. "Mr. Nevers Mumba has been making manoeuvres, meeting our boss (President Mwanawasa) and NEC members asking us to consider him for re-admission, but that is a non-starter," said one of the MMD NEC members. "Mr. Mumba...how can we consider him when he has been to Patriotic Front (PF) and he was not adopted as parliamentary candidate...he goes back to his Reformed Party and he fails, and he decides to come back to MMD?"

According to the sources, the general feeling of most NEC members was that Pastor Mumba could not be accommodated because there was no vacuum in the party. "We don't have a vacuum in our party for anyone to rush for it," said the source.

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 Congo 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. Pastor Mumba then 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's ZRP, PUDD and ZADECO to form the 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: MMD, MWANAWASA, NEVERS MUMBA

posted by MrK @ 9:59 PM