Teta is a newcomer to MMD – Kapambwe

Teta is a newcomer to MMD – Kapambwe
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Sunday, November 23, 2008 9:53:40 AM

BENNY Tetamashimba is a newcomer to the MMD and should not overrate himself, Luapula Province MMD youth publicity secretary Deoh Kapambwe has charged.

Reacting to MMD spokesperson Tetamashimba's attacks on party national secretary and Chiengi member of parliament Katele Kalumba over President Rupiah Banda's loss in Kalumba's constituency, Kapambwe observed that Tetamashimba attacked anyone in the party with impunity without being reprimanded over his conduct.

"I am duty bound and obliged to respond to Honourable Tetamashimba's press statement explicitly attacking Honourable Dr Katele Kalumba. I do so with a heavy heart and with indignation as this style of 'Teta politics' seems to be going on unabated and believe he is propped up and working as a hired assassin," stated Kapambwe in a media statement issued yesterday. "For some time now [and records invariably show], Hon Tetamashimba has employed and relished a trigger happy attitude; caring little or not at all who he hurts. He most readily fights any and everybody that has some different view. Co-existence and competition of ideas as laid in the MMD values is alien to Hon Tetamashimba. Put clearly, he is allergic to these."

He observed that Tetamashimba eagerly attacked anyone in the party whether they were his seniors or juniors or those he found in the party.

"For the love of the party, MMD and for the sake of good order and even sanity, the MMD spokesperson should be helped and checked into his rightful place before his virulent yeast spreads and destroys the entire dough. He must recollect that he owes his victory at the convention as spokesperson to Luapula Province delegates and the campaign by Dr Katele Kalumba," Kapambwe stated.

He observed that Tetamashimba picked up intra-party good-for-nothing conflicts at will and alienated members.

"What right does Tetamashimba have to insult and alienate sections of the party? This is regrettable and must be stopped," Kapambwe stated. "The indiscipline, insolence and insubordination shown by Hon Tetamashimba seem in part to come from the encouragement from those who though constitutionally mandated to maintain order in the MMD, elect not even to call him to book in spite of such maters being duly refereed to them for action."

He advised Tetamashimba to respect Kalumba as the party national secretary because he was his senior.

"Even amid much trial, Dr Kalumba is one of the rare and endangered few to have steadfastly continued with and served the MMD with aplomb. Even when it was injurious to him and his family, he did not and has never forsaken the MMD. Dr Kalumba is a worthy midwife of the MMD! Hon Tetamashimba is a late newcomer to the party and should not overrate himself."

Kapambwe, who claimed to have been a campaign co-ordinator for President Banda in Chiengi district, stated that Kalumba did a lot to campaign for President Banda in the area.

"Most of Dr Kalumba's work was premised from sacrifice. When not in court, he was campaigning...to the extent that he even couldn't attend to his father who suffered a stroke. Dr Kalumba used his personal funds to campaign, he slept rough during the period and even lost a personal Land Cruiser to the cause. The driver and others in the Land Cruiser including myself needed medical attention," Kapambwe stated. "Hon Tetamshimba should be placed on alert that we shall not sit by and let him assault our much-accomplished representative. We shall boldly and fearlessly protect our representative."

Kapambwe said youths in Luapula and particularly people of Chiengi shall fiercely fight Tetamashimba for abusing their member of parliament.

Last week, Tetamashimba called for an audit of the October 30 presidential elections to ascertain why President Banda lost in constituencies where the ruling party has members of parliament.

President Banda lost to Patriotic Front candidate Michael Sata in Chiengi constituency.

In response to Tetamashimba's statement, Kalumba urged MMD members not to insult the people of Zambia who did not for President Banda. Kalumba said parliamentarians could not force people on who they should vote for because human beings were capable of making their own decisions.

But Tetamashimba responded by saying that Kalumba was trying to justify his failure to deliver Chiengi Constituency to President Banda.

Tetamashimba said it was unfortunate that Kalumba, whose responsibility was to deliver victory to the party, could proudly say that people could vote for whoever they wanted.

But Kalumba said only the 'true blue' could determine his fate in the party.