Maravi

Levy urges MMD to unite against tribalism

Levy urges MMD to unite against tribalism
By Chibaula Silwamba, Christopher Miti and Fridah Zinyama
Monday March 31, 2008 [04:00]

THE emergence of tribalism in the MMD is a curse,President Levy Mwanawasa has said. And Kennedy Zulu has been elected MMD chairman for Eastern Province at the just ended extraordinary provincial conference. Officiating at the provincial conference in Petauke last Saturday where the new Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) was elected, President Mwanawasa said the MMD needs leaders that would promote unity in the party within Eastern Province and the entire country.

"It is regrettable that I have heard that the scourge of tribalism is beginning to show its ugly face in our party in the province.

This is a curse on our party. It is unacceptable and destructive to our party's development agenda and must be condemned in the strongest terms," President Mwanawasa said. "We need unity... we need commonality of purpose in our quest to improve the standard of living of our people as a ruling party.

The mandate that the Zambian people have put on our shoulders is enormous and we cannot deliver on our development promises if we are fragmented, for 'a house divided against itself cannot stand.

President Mwanawasa said the MMD needed quality leadership that understood the policies of its government and could effectively contribute to the development of Zambia.

"Only then shall the party remain relevant to the development aspirations of the entire citizenry," he said. "MMD needs a clean leadership committed to the services of not only the party but the entire Zambian populace.

The virtues of service above self are imperative to our own survival as a ruling party and promoting integrity in public life."
He urged all members of the MMD to detest corruption and condemn those that practise the scourge by leaving them out of the party's leadership ranks.

"MMD needs a credible leadership that will instil public confidence in our party for the Zambian people to continue giving us the mandate to run the affairs of our country. Leadership credibility calls for individual self-introspection on the part of those aspiring for positions," President Mwanawasa said.

He said the MMD needed a committed leadership that was ready and willing to sacrifice individual time and sometimes resources in the service of the party and the nation.

"We need a leadership that is selfless, service-oriented and not masters that will look down upon those they lead and use them only as tools to acquire fame when convenient," he advised.

President Mwanawasa advised that the MMD must organize itself in a manner that instils confidence in the people if the people of Eastern Province were to fully embrace it as their party of choice in future elections.

"We cannot afford to be complacent and take people for granted. They are capable of shifting their support to the other competing parties, "said President Mwanawasa. "As I said earlier, our entry into this province has been very slow. Now that we are here we must do everything possible to remain here and continue enjoying the support of the people."

And Zulu emerged winner during the elections beating Lusaka Province minister Lameck Mangani, Zambia Business Forum vice chairperson Sherry Thole and Allan Sakala.

Other newly elected PEC members are; Charles Nyirenda (vice chairperson), Reuben Chisanga (secretary), Hanif Mohamed Badat (treasurer), Philimino Banda (information and publicity secretary), Nyimba member of parliament Forrie Tembo (deputy publicity secretary) and sports deputy minister Angela Cifire (women committee secretary).

Earlier, a recount was conducted after Mangani and Zulu recorded a tie of 84 votes.

The delegates pondered on whether to go for a re-run before settling for a recount. It was after a recount that Zulu was found with 84 votes while Mangani had 80.

But Mangani claimed there was a tie of 84 votes each for him and Zulu, which should have led to a re-run. However, he conceded defeat.

"But I have decided that there is no need to have a re-run, for two reasons; one, we are worsening these differences within the party so the best thing I can do is to allow the young man to head the province," Mangani said. "In my view in order to leave this story that has been going on for too long the best to do is to say, Iam not going for a re-run, I wish you all the best as leader of the MMD in the province". I felt I should lead by example by giving in so that we move forward because these wrangles have taken time and we seem not to have solutions to that."

Mangani advised Zulu to promote unity and discipline among party members in the province. And MMD chairman for elections Mike Mulongoti said candidates who were underdogs had won the provincial elections. In an interview after the conference, Mulongoti said Mangani and other losing candidates were very confident that they would win but they had lost.

"When we talk to those who are aspiring, what we say is that in democracy even mad people have got rights. You cannot predict how they vote until they have voted... and you have seen the outcome.

The outcome is what people didn't expect because those who were underdogs have become the leaders," Mulongoti said. "For me I assured him Mangani that it was his democratic right to stand that is why he was allowed to contest but the President said we attach as much importance to development as much as to politics.

What he wants is that provincial ministers should concentrate on development projects. If provincial ministers are lumbered with positions of political parties, it means they will have divided attention.

His (President Mwanawasa's) wish is that let them (provincial ministers) concentrate in one area so that the provincial chairman can concentrate on organizing the party."

Mulongoti urged the new PEC to hold the province closer to the government.

"It is hell to be outside government. If the province will be outside the government it will be PEC to blame," said Mulongoti.

Meanwhile, MMD Mambwe district secretary Zephenia Kaleya has accused Mulongoti of inciting aspiring candidates to engage in electoral corruption.

In a letter to Mulongoti, who is also information minister, Kaleya stated that Mulongoti had told the candidates that they were free to buy talk time for the delegates.

Kaleya stated that after Mulongoti's speech some aspiring candidates started bribing the delegates (voters) with talk-time.
But Mulongoti said his statement was just a joke to make people relax.

Losing candidate for position of youth chairperson Luka Banda resigned from the MMD.

"MMD is corrupt so I have joined PF and I am going to meet Michael Sata in Lusaka," said Banda.

The MMD's PEC in Eastern Province was dissolved following intra-party squabbles early this year.

And local government minister Sylvia Masebo yesterday warned that government would not hesitate to deregister chiefs that were causing problems.

Masebo said it was unfortunate that the country was experiencing a lot of difficulties with successions and land disputes due to greed on the part of the people involved.

"The position of chieftainship has become lucrative due to greed by people," she said. "It is sad and unacceptable that this is happening because there are family trees and land records to show who owns which piece of land in the districts."

Masebo said some chiefs were encroaching in other people's land, leading to land disputes in most districts.

"The President is very unhappy with these happenings and has called on royal families to dialogue when they have succession disputes," she said.

Masebo said government would not condone any succession disputes that most royal families were experiencing as it was hindering development in these areas.

Masebo condemned the behaviour of some headmen as it was contributing to succession disputes.

"As a ministry we have advised the wrangling families to sit down and come up with a name of the person they would rather take over than have succession disputes," she said.

Masebo said due to some royal families' failure to resolve succession disputes, they had ended up taking their cases to court for judgment, which they refused to accept when not in their favour.

"As a ministry we shall not disobey a court judgment," she said. "When the court makes a decision of who should become chief, government will recognize the one chosen by the courts."

Police in Petauke District on Saturday arrested 15 headmen who attempted to protest before President Mwanawasa over the MMD government's failure to accomplish its election campaign promise.

According to sources in Petauke, the headmen wanted to meet President Mwanawasa so that he explains why government had delayed to withdraw its recognition of Everson Mumba as senior chief Kalindawalo as promised during the 2006 election campaign.

"We were told that if we supported MMD in Petauke Central and Msanzala, government would help us resolve the wrangles over the Kalindawalo chieftaincy by withdrawing its recognition of Mr. Mumba so that the chieftaincy goes back to Micheal Nsangu, whom we all want to be senior chief Kalindawalo.

Since that is what we wanted, we gave the MMD votes and now it is their turn to fulfil their promise," said one of the headmen in chief Kalindawalo's area.

According to sources, chief government spokesperson Mike Mulongoti held private talks with Petauke based Nsenga chiefs, where senior chief Kalindawalo Mundikula was carpeted for failing to provide leaders in the district.

According to sources, the Nsenga chiefs among them Mumbi, Nyampande and Mwanjabantu, area MMD members of parliament Peter Daka and Dora Siliya blamed chief Kalindawalo for contributing towards the disputes in the district.

The sources further disclosed that it was during the meeting that the Nsenga chiefs were told that Paramount chief Gawa Undi of the Chewe people had summoned them to his palace in Mkaika.

According to the sources, chief Undi's call was received with mixed feeling among the Nsenga chiefs, some of whom declined to commit themselves to attending chief Undi's indaba in Katete on account that he was a chief of a different tribe.

On the official appointment of Southern Water and Sewerage Company as manager of Maamba, Masebo said the appointment followed Maamba Collieries failure to provide quality water to the township.

Masebo said in order to safeguard the health and lives of the people of Maamba town, Southern Water and Sewerage Company should take the responsibility for the abstraction of water from the river, treatment and distribution to consumers.

Labels: EASTERN PROVINCE, MMD, TRIBALISM

posted by MrK @ 3:49 AM