Maravi

Davies should not comment on MMD issues, says Sikasote

Davies should not comment on MMD issues, says Sikasote
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Sunday October 19, 2008 [04:00]

MMD Northern Province chairman Griever Sikasote yesterday said the husband of losing Kanchibiya parliamentary candidate Judith Kapijimpanga, Davies, had no authority to comment on issues of the party because he was not an MMD official.

And Sikasote said Kapijimpanga had the MMD’s support during the campaign period, contrary to what she and her husband were claiming.

But Davies said he was more MMD than Sikasote and vowed that he would never allow people like community development minister Catherine Namugala to destroy his wife.

Reacting to Davies who accused him and Namugala of practising tribalism and being behind his wife’s loss, Sikasote said Davies should not be issuing statements on behalf of his wife because he was just a husband.

“As a province, I am the chairman and I got seven vehicles. Even my vehicle was given to the party officials to help in the campaign. It is just that the people have rejected Judy, Period! And there is no issue of support. Party officials were sleeping in the villages so what she should be doing is thanking the party for supporting her,” Sikasote said.

He said in an election like the previous one, there were a lot of meetings going on and Kapijimpanga should be grateful that she was supported.

“Why should the husband be commenting on appointments of the party when he is not even an official? Was he part of the appointing authority? The only qualification he has is that he is married to Kapijimpanga,” Sikasote said. “It is like you, can your husband know what is happening at The Post? He (Davies) is not an official of the party and he is not part of the province so he has no authority to comment on issues of the party in the province. Period! He has no authority. He is just a husband.”

Sikasote said the fact that Vice-President Rupiah Banda had accepted defeat was a sign that MMD must move forward. He said when Kapijimpanga was complaining about being abandoned by the MMD, she was speaking out of shock of the loss.

He said this was a general election and other members of parliament could not be withdrawn from the constituencies to stop campaigning for Vice-President Banda.

Sikasote said he could not be a tribalist because he even worked for Zesco for many years. He said being a tribalist was never a cornerstone of his success, but that it was hard work and professionalism that had brought him up.

“Some of us grew up after independence and got educated in the 70s. The UNIP government had killed tribalism, and if you hailed from Northern Province, you were sent to Southern Province for school so there is no tribal arrangement,” he said.

Sikasote said in 1997, he was elected provincial treasurer under the MMD and if he had a tribal inclination, he would have not been elected. He also said he was elected provincial vice-chairperson twice and now he was chairperson so he was not new.

He said he retired as a director at Zesco and none of the other directors were his relation.
“So people should not speak from without, it’s not fair,” Sikasote said.

Sikasote also said Kapijimpanga had asked to remain in the constituency and campaign for Vice-President Banda.

“How can she remain when she has been rejected in her constituency? Let the party officials of Northern Province campaign for the president. Let her pull out so that her loss does not impact on the presidency,” said Sikasote.

But when contacted for a comment, Davies said he might not be a party official but he was an MMD member since time immemorial. He said Sikasote was from the opposition FDD and brought confusion to MMD.

“I am more MMD than Sikasote at any given time. Let him just defend his tribalism and stop accusing me of not being MMD. Their support for Rupiah Banda is fake because they were supporting Willa Mung’omba. They should just tell the nation the truth,” said Davies.

Davies said Namugala was bad-hearted and very destructive.

But if she and Sikasote have something against Judy, let them come out in the open instead of using politics to fight my wife. This is not the first time they are fighting her. They did the same during the 2005 MMD convention. They decampaigned Judy. Griever just got to support Judy when it was clear that she was headed for victory.”

On Friday, Davies accused Namugala and Sikasote of practicing tribalism and being behind his wife’s loss in the Kanchibiya by election.

He said his wife had been totally abandoned by her own party.

Labels: GRIEVER SIKASOTE, JUDITH KAPIJIMPANGA, MMD

posted by MrK @ 6:39 AM