Maravi

Accusations of tribalism rock MMD

Accusations of tribalism rock MMD
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Saturday October 18, 2008 [04:01]

The husband of losing MMD Kanchibiya parliamentary candidate Judith Kapijimpanga, Davies has accused community development minister Catherine Namugala and Northern Province MMD chairman Griever Sikasote of practising tribalism and being behind his wife's loss.

But Namugala said she did not want to respond to Davies because he did not hold any position in the MMD.

In an interview yesterday, Davies accused Namugala and Sikasote of being tribalists. He said his wife was totally abandoned by her own party.

"No one was sent there to go and campaign the way they did with the Milanzi by-election and even if resources were sent, she needed human resource; people who were going to be helping her there.

PF literally camped there, all the PF MPs camped in Kanchibiya. None of our MPs from Northern Province camped there. And the reason is very simple. It is people like Catherine Namugala and Griever Sikasote who think that Northern Province only belongs to their tribe because they are tribalists," Davies said.

He said from the beginning, Namugala and Sikasote never wanted Kapijimpanga to be close to the hierarchy of Northern Province because they think it belonged to them only.

"And if you remember at one time, Namugala was even fired by Mwanawasa because she made announcement that ‘Aba bemba baliteka pafula’ (Bemba's have ruled for many years) and Mwanawasa didn't like people who were full of tribalism and she was fired at some point and the only time she was re-appointed is when Richard Kachingwe (former MMD deputy national secretary) went to plead with the president and pleaded that 'No, Your Excellency people wont look at this as a good point because we are talking about 30 per cent women representation'," Davies said.

"That's how Namugala came to government, but she made it a point that she decampaigned my wife. Even when the adoption process started, she said 'I would rather support a dog than Judith Kapijimpanga’. So how are we going to be in a party where people are going to be selective in their dealings?"

Davies said Namugala was not a person of integrity and he had no apologies to make on this issue. He dared Namugala to challenge him on this score if she felt that she was a person of high morals and integrity.

"I know a lot about her and let her dare me. Namugala thinks she is a very intelligent person. She is not intelligent. I am not making excuses. Even Griever Sikasote has been misleading Rupiah Banda that Northern Province is okay, but there it is.

That by-election is not the true reflection of what the people wanted. Judy would have won the election if they had supported her but they never supported her, they never! It is the likes of Griever Sikasote and I am not making apologies to anyone: Namugala and Sikasote are behind my wife's loss.

Not that the people of Kanchibiya didn't want her, they are the ones who were decampaigning her. They didn't want her in the beginning, they wanted a lady called Patricia Mukwala to be the candidate," he said.

Davies said if people like Namugala surrounded Vice-President Banda, then MMD was in trouble. He said Vice-President Banda needed people with morals to surround him.

"I am not going to sit down and see MMD being wrecked by restless people. We are true supporters of MMD. I personally started MMD with my uncle Mr Humphrey Mulemba and I am still here. I am a true supporter of MMD and I have never changed from supporting MMD.

I supported the late president Mwanawasa from the first to last day and I am going to continue supporting MMD on that issue, but if we are going to have reckless people like Namugala coming and destroying Northern Province because of their own benefits, then we are in trouble.

Ask her where her integrity is. Even Sikasote has got no morals. I am not going to be a diplomat like Mrs Kapijimpanga," he said.

Davies said only desperate people could do desperate things and that was why Namugala would hoodwink people not to go to Kanchinbiya and campaign for Kapijimpanga.

He said PF president Michaela Sata knew that Kapijimpanga was a credible candidate.

"Ask Sata, he will tell you that Judy has performed in Kanchibiya. She was one of the few MPs in MMD that worked because if you go to Kanchibiya today, you will see clinics, roads and developmental projects," he said.

Davies said Namugala knew that if Kapijimpanga won the election, she had no chance of being given a ministerial job. He said president Mwanawasa appointed Namugala as a minister because he had a limited choice.

"How many women won the elections but if he had a choice he would have appointed a woman of integrity even where he lies, may his soul rest in peace. People of Northern Province must learn. There should be no tribalism. When making a programme for Rupiah Banda for Northern Province, they didn't want to go to Kanchibiya.

They wanted Rupiah to first go to Isoka where Namugala comes from. I had to call them myself and ask 'You guys, what are you doing? Let's go to Kanchibiya, that's where the elections are'. I was questioning why the acting president wanted to go to Isoka and not Kanchibiya where the elections were," he said.

Davies said there was a lot of tribalism in Northern Province and the people who were practicing tribalism were Namugala and Sikasote and this could never be disputed. He said Mwanawasa knew this and that was why he never appointed Sikasote in any position during his tenure.

"They are just full of lies. You have seen how the MMD had taken a causual approach to Kanchibiya. They just said it was a PF stronghold, but that's not the reality on the ground. Go to Kanchibiya, we lost because we had no support. Judy was alone. She was like an orphan. No one supported her.

So MMD should not say that 'Judy was not popular, and Judy has caused us embarrassment'. They have caused themselves embarrassment. They never supported their candidate and I have no apologies to make to anyone," Davies said.

But when contacted for comment, Namugala said she would avoid discussing this issue, saying if she responded, she would be attacking Kapijimpanga who did not raise the matter.

She said looking at where Kapijimpanga had come from (the loss), she (Namugala) didn't want to start arguing with people.

"I don't think we should come to that. We have lost as a party and we are not happy with that so I think for me I don't think you should write that story because Davies Kapijimpanga doesn't hold a position in the party. It will not even help his wife," she said.

Namugala said looking at where her constituency was situated, she wondered how she could practice tribalism in Kanchibiya.

"You know where Muyombe is and where Kanchibiya is. How do I practice tribalism and how do I affect the outcome of the election in Kanchibiya?

I am very far from where Judy is and if I am not a factor, how does my not supporting her make Judy lose?

Those stories don't make sense and I think it is unfair for Mr Kapijimpanga to blame individuals for his wife's loss in Kanchibiya," Namugala said.
She said it was sad that Davies wanted to get personal over his wife's loss.

"I am very far and this is not the first time she lost; she lost in 2006. How does tribalism come in? There are no Tumbukas in Kanchibiya, so how does practicing tribalism make her lose in Kanchibiya? Namugala asked.

She said Northern Province had many tribes and she was not in any way trying to dominate any tribe in the province.

"So I don't think it is fair for any one to call another person a tribalist. Judy lost in 2006, did we have anything to do with that? So when he says we did not offer support I think that is very unfair.

We all wanted Judy to win. Personally, I know that Judy did a lot of developmental work in her constituency and we felt she can be given a chance to continue with those projects. So for Mr Kapijimpanga to say those things, it is being unfair and ungrateful," said Namugala.

Labels: CATHERINE NAMUGALA, GRIEVER SIKASOTE, JUDITH KAPIJIMPANGA, MMD, TRIBALISM

posted by MrK @ 4:07 AM