Callers blame Chitala for loss of MMD original concept

Callers blame Chitala for loss of MMD original concept
Written by Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sunday, April 19, 2009 4:28:54 AM

MMD member Dr Mbita Chitala was on Friday denounced by callers to a live radio programme, accusing him of having allowed the loss of the original MMD concept.
And Dr Chitala said he did not make enough money when he served in government. This was during the Let the People Talk programme on Radio Phoenix.

One caller from Lusaka, who identified himself as Konoso, charged that Dr Chitala had allowed President Rupiah Banda, whom he described as a UNIP stalwart, to have "hijacked" the original concept of the ruling party.

Konoso also described as nonsense the recent announcement by the government that Zambia would contribute to the recent US $10 million rescue package for Zimbabwe.

"This nonsense of taking money to Harare, Salisbury was built by Zambian copper but now we want to take more money and then we wasted money during the liberation struggle when Barotseland is under flood water," Konoso said.

"We can't take money to Barotseland but we want to take money to Zimbabwe. Surely, are we sensible people? From deep down your heart Dr Chitala the things you are talking about can't work, we started MMD together and MMD is being run by a person who was in UNIP, is it fair? Are you happy there? You are languishing there you have got no job but the people in UNIP have taken over the country."

Another caller, Ephraim Tembo of Lusaka accused Dr Chitala of being in a wrong boat and that the ideas he was propagating could not be accepted by the MMD.

Tembo also described as national suicide the latest intimation that the closed Luanshya Copper Mines (LCM) could be sold to Chinese Non-Ferrous Corporation (NFC).

"You are killing this nation. This is suicide. Look at these Chinese; they are paying the miners K200,000 per month in Chambishi and now you want to give them a mine in Luanshya, LCM," Tembo said.

"How can I rate this government? The performance is zero per cent. And I actually feel pity for people like Dr Chitala and others. Even me as a layman who has never been to school, I can do better than what this current government is doing, this [National Constitutional Conference] NCC and [recently held] indaba are spending the money just there to appease their leaders; they are making a constitution to appease people who are in power so that they hold on to power. What a shame!"

Another caller, a Mr Imbuwa, accused Dr Chitala of having failed to give MMD a vision on how to govern the country.

"I am a sad Zambian and when I hear you talking; I thought you would do even better than what you are doing now. Because for me, I thought you were the people who were supposed to give a vision to this country. Is our vision still there, you? And you are saying ‘yes’?" asked Imbuwa.

"I am really lost because MMD has no vision now. And you were in government yourself. And even the other time [during last year's presidential elections], you were even saying as 'MMD we want to continue with a vision.' Which vision? And today [President] Banda is there and you are still looking for a job. You were the people who were supposed to give these young men a good example that today you are going to set up a serious company because you have been given chance and money from this government and you were supposed to create jobs.

"And now people like you when you are out of employment, you have it very difficult, today you are still talking and looking for a job, and if [President] Banda called you, you will be the first person to go there. My submission is that people like you must start telling [President] Banda, you must stand firmly because you are the people who actually brought this MMD and say our vision is this. We want a Zambia where Zambians are free and jobs are created."

Imbuwa also strongly condemned the recently held indaba, saying what the country needed at the moment was to implement the resolutions of previous indabas.

"If we didn't use the solutions in that first indaba, we could have gone back to the first indaba, so the question of having these indabas, these conferences and workshops is not on in Zambia because these solutions are already there," he said.

Imbuwa also challenged Chitala to openly criticise the current government for the ills being committed.

"You are talking as if the people in government are not your friends. Take them on and tell them this is not what you want because you and Akashambatwa [Mbikusita Lewanika] created," Imbuwa said.

"That is what we want to hear from you. You are going nowhere, MMD on the vision is out. MMD on the Constitution you are not doing anything. Dr Chitala you have to do much more and talking now should be less from people like you. Take on your friends and tell them this is what we want - our vision in 1991."

In response, Dr Chitala said he recognised people's strong views on his standing because he was a true democrat.

"I want to very clearly state that I am not a spokesman of the MMD. I am simply a simple Zambian patriot who would want to give my best to my country. In the MMD I am a member, but I don't hold any office either at section or [national executive committee] NEC. I am just a citizen and what I say is truly what I believe in and people should feel free to differ with me. That is the democracy we brought in," Dr Chitala said.

"Yes, it is true I was in government from 1991. In 1995, I was expelled and we formed an opposition party [ZDC] with my late friend Dean Mung'omba and we didn't do well and I got back to MMD where I have continued to participate at quite lower levels of government for where I didn't make much. My friend Dipak Patel used to tell them I was the longest-serving deputy minister and it is true that I was in all those marginal positions but in those I did the best I could as I was given."

Dr Chitala said he was removed from government for being principled and expressing his strong views on the need for strong state participation in the governance of the country.

"I was in government and didn't do what my ideas I believed in entailed. It was because those colleagues who were more and they prevailed and you cannot start behaving like an anarchist and getting out," said Dr Chitala "Probably that is why I was being disciplined because of some of my strong views."