Maravi

MMD begins disciplinary action against Teta

MMD begins disciplinary action against Teta
By Patson Chilemba
Thursday July 17, 2008 [04:00]

THE MMD has instituted disciplinary action against party spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba for bringing the party into ridicule and giving false information. Addressing the press yesterday, MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande said Tetamashimba had brought the name of the party into ridicule by discussing President Levy Mwanawasa’s succession in public when he could do so within the national executive committee (NEC).

Kaande said the MMD was fully aware that there was need for a successor but that the party would address the matter at the right time.
Kaande said President Mwanawasa was still capable and that the party would wait for his further guidance.

"So in my view, honourable Tetamashimba on that one has breached the disciplinary regulation of our party by bringing this party into ridicule," Kaande said.
He said he had tried to tell Tetamashimba that he was not against the issue of succession, but the timing.

"We all want our President when he comes back to have a rest, and we will do that by working hard and helping him to cope with a lot of his work but not to immediately say 'you are sick, so we want to replace you'," Kaande said.
He said Tetamashimba had also been charged for giving false information that party national secretary Katele Kalumba orgainsed seven women leaders from each province as well as seven youths to come to Lusaka.
Kaande explained that contrary to Tetamashimba's allegations, the MMD was supposed to hold a seminar for nine women chairpersons as well as nine youth chairpersons from all the provinces.

He said the seminar was funded by the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue (ZCID).
"Again, that is a breach because that is giving false information or misleading information to the public and the general membership. Unfortunately, we cannot act on him the way we do because he is a deputy minister appointed by the President. And according to our regulations, we can only suspend a minister or deputy minister with the permission of the President," Kaande said.

"However, we have opened a disciplinary action against him. The national chairman will have to constitute a committee to sit and decide his fate, and we trust and hope that by that time, our President would have come back for us to seek permission.

But once the NEC has decided and if they say 'suspend him', we will go ahead because it's them who have to explain to H.E why we have suspended him. And those are standing orders."

On Kalumba's ambitions for the presidency, Kaande said there were more people who wanted to succeed President Mwanawasa.
"The last time we checked that list, there were 19 and Katele could just be one of them," said Kaande.

Recently, Tetamashimba said it would be important to consider President Mwanawasa's successor when he comes back but Kalumba asked him to apologise over his remarks. However, Tetamashimba later maintained that there was need to discuss the matter because President was being overworked.

Labels: BENNY TETAMASHIMBA, MMD

posted by MrK @ 3:52 AM