Sata, Chimumbwa differ over meetings

Sata, Chimumbwa differ over meetings
By Brighton Phiri
Thursday August 02, 2007 [04:02]

OPPOSITION Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata has differed with his former secretary general Charles Chimumbwa for refusing to attend parliamentary caucus meetings which he (Sata) chairs.

This was after Chimumbwa, who is also Nchanga member of parliament, wrote to PF whip in the National Assembly Elizabeth Mulobeka, indicating that he would not attend any of the parliamentary caucus meetings because they were being chaired by Sata as party president.

In his letter dated July 20 2007, Chimumbwa tendered his permanent apologies for his intention to continue absconding PF parliamentary caucus meetings, describing them as illegal as they were being chaired by Sata as party president.

"My understanding of a caucus is that it is supposed to be a consultative meeting among MPs, but what I have learnt is that every time you have one, the president comes and chairs it," read Chimumbwa's letter in part.

"Madam, you are aware that amongst MPs, there are Members of the Central Committee (MCC) and whenever there is a meeting attended by MPs and MCCs and chaired by the president in the presence of the vice-president and the secretary general then that meeting ceases to be a caucus and becomes a national council.

Going by our party constitution, only the president has powers through the secretary general to call a national council. I hope you understand where my fear to attend the meetings comes from."

Chimumbwa stated that the last time he innocently attended a consultative meeting, which was organised by Sata's niece Sylvia Chalikosa, he was accused of mounting a coup de'tat on the presidency.

Chimumbwa told Mulobeka that he had not only lost his position as secretary general but that he expected the worst in view of serious accusations that he was organising other parties.

"Not to leave you speculating, organising another party while belonging to PF is a very serious offence which calls for expulsion from PF. You may not understand what is going on, but I do because I have been a custodian of the party constitution," Chimumbwa stated.

"By copy of this letter, please accept my permanent apologies as along as you continue to call these meetings, which you do in good faith, but becomes illegal the moment the president attends."

But Sata challenged Chimumbwa to explain why he had so suddenly become allergic to his presence during party meetings. In his letter dated July 23, 2007 to Chimumbwa, Sata warned him that the curse of his irrationality, cheap pride and baseless emotionalism would result in him receiving a devastating blow just as it had happened to his business ventures.

"You are a very intelligent, energetic and pragmatic person... unfortunately your irrationality and baseless emotionalism and pride have always derailed you from the first qualities," read Sata's letter in part. "You would have been a very successful and prosperous person, but short cuts have always worked against you. You are a rising political star, unfortunately the curse of irrationality, cheap pride and baseless emotionalism is at it again giving you a devastating blow as it has done to your business ventures."

Sata described Chimumbwa's letter to Mulobeka as unwarranted and that it exhibited unproductive pride. "Since you were elected to Parliament, you have not cared to read about your new bequeathed honour but you would like to use it wrongly to throw your weight around intimidating wrong and innocent people without letting us know your real problem. I shall use this letter to assist you understand issues you are ignorant about. I will give no copy to anybody, but if you do not mind I shall gladly do so," read Sata's letter to Chimumbwa, in part.

"Contrary to your ill-conceived definition of caucus...in Oxford English dictionary tenth edition, caucus means...a meeting of policy making committee of a political party...or a group of people with shared concerns within a larger organisation. Article 50 composition of national council is members of central committee, members of the national assembly, provincial secretaries, district chairmen, district secretaries, and committee members of the women's and youth leagues and senior officers from the party national headquarters.

From the above your lecture to our whip was not only misleading but a complete lie." Sata reminded Chimumbwa that when he took over as secretary general of the party, he took over the functions of Dr. Guy Scott, among them to attend as a board member of Zambia Centre for Inter-party dialogue (ZCID). He accused Chimumbwa of calling ordinary party cadres and giving them fake titles when ZCID board of directors asked each political party to bring with them 20 policy makers for a consultative meeting.
"Without consulting me or Dr. Scott, you decided with Mr. Kaizar Zulu to call ordinary party cadres and gave them fake titles. When I protested, you had no courtesy of coming to see me. When Dr. Scott contacted you, you told him you would not come to the meeting...tell Sata to appoint his niece as secretary general," read Sata's letter. "Hon. Chimumbwa it is a lie to say that Miss Chalikosa organised the ZCID meeting."

On Chimumbwa's removal as secretary general, Sata reminded him that the party called for a central committee meeting on June 30, which he did not only attend it but never bothered to explain the reason why he failed to attend the meeting. "I presume because I was going to chair it, it became illegal. Members of the central committee were very irritated, proposed and seconded that they needed a full time secretary general or at least have somebody who will have regard for the central committee.

Therefore, attributing your removal to Miss Chalikosa is very unfair," Sata stated. "You have in the past attended my meetings, chaired by me, but why all of a sudden have you become allergic to my presence at any meeting?"

Sata denied having had chaired any of the caucus meeting of PF members of parliament stating that the first meeting which was held at Parliament Motel was chaired by Mulobeka and both meetings held at Blue Nile and Mika Lodge respectively were chaired by Dr. Scott.

"Can you please let me know which parliamentary caucus meeting I chaired?" Sata asked. "Hon. Chimumbwa, you are telling us to accept your permanent apologies and calling party meetings illegal? I would like to draw you to article 29 offences against the party...breach of rules of the party, acting in the manner that is likely to bring the name of the party into ridicule and disobeying any rule, direction, order or instructions of any organ of the party, false information or rumours which tend to injure the reputation of the party or any of its officials and acting disrespectfully to the party or any of its officials with intent to deceive or mislead."

Sata told Chimumbwa that PF was waiting for him to resign as he had announced on radio. He reminded Chimumbwa that he was wearing four hats since he joined PF; namely member of the central committee, chairman of industry, secretary general and member of parliament. "With your own I do not care attitude and baseless pride, you have removed one hat of secretary general and you have remained with three hats...you have now discovered that all meetings chaired by me are illegal. To avoid illegality in the future life please use your pride and remove the remaining three hats because the above hats belong to an illegal organisation... instead of forcing the party to remove them from you...please do it for yourself honourably," read Sata's letter.

Sata further told Chimumbwa that he was accused of over-nursing and heaping too many favours on him by the party membership. He stated that some members went to the extent of saying Chimumbwa had bought him even though they did not state the amount. "As you asked Mr. Mumbi to pay you all the money he owes you, please let me know how much I owe so that I may liquidate my debt with you to enable me run this party with the impartiality expected from me by the party leadership," he stated.

Sata further reminded Chimumbwa that members of the party had not taken it kindly when he defended him after he (Chimumbwa) described the devastating pollution by Konkola Copper Mines as a small issue.