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MMD cadres beat up PF Lusaka youth chairman

MMD cadres beat up PF Lusaka youth chairman
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe, George Chellah and Patson Chilemba
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 3:49:04 PM

MMD cadres yesterday beat up Patriotic Front (PF) acting provincial youth chairman Ashell Kampengele at Lusaka's Pamodzi Hotel where he had gone to attend a press conference addressed by former PF secretary general Edward Mumbi. And Sata said Mumbi was President Rupiah Banda's hired gun.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde said he will meet Post managing editor Amos Malupenga to find the way forward over the continued harassment of the newspaper's journalists by MMD cadres.

Kampengele explained that he had gone to attend Mumbi's briefing when he heard MMD cadres pointing at him saying he was a PF official.

He explained that he then heard one of the cadres say that he would be beaten the way Post reporters were being beaten and before he could even do anything, the mob pounced on him.

Kampengele was then dragged outside where the cadres hit him with sticks as others kicked him.

"I wanted to hear what he [Mumbi] was going to say but I later saw the mood of the people. Then I heard them [cadres] saying that ‘he is a PF official. We will be treating them they way we treat The Post reporters’. Then a mob of people came and pounced on me and starting beating me," Kampengele said. "They got some sticks and beat me. Later on, four police officers came and rescued me. But I have identified them. I identified one called Chipasha. There was another guy next to me, he was lifted by the MMD cadres and I don't know where he was taken but I understand he is in police custody."

And Kabonde said he would meet Malupenga over the continued harassment of Post journalists by MMD cadres.

Kabonde said the entire police service had a defined position of maintaining law and order in the country.

"I’m thinking that I should one of these fine days talk to Mr Malupenga. So that we can sit and discuss some of these issues I think that's what I can say we should sit and discuss. The Post and all others newspapers are partner," Kabonde said. "So I think let me take that matter at that level, at a higher level. Take it from me young man you are partners in the fight against crime, that's how we regard you. I will discuss with Mr Malupenga and find a way forward on these issues."

During the briefing, Mumbi said he had marked the end of his silence after his resignation from the PF following allegations against him after last year's presidential election by Sata that he had been given a Mercedes Benz car and K500 million cash by Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson justice Florence Mumba to derail the democratic electoral process.

Mumbi, who was flanked by a horde of MMD cadres, said these childish and malicious allegations and lack of financial accountability and undemocratic culture exhibited in PF made him come to the inescapable conclusion that his conscience would not allow him to continue his membership in the party.

Mumbi, whose address was punctuated by running comments from MMD cadres, said Sata had veered from the tenets of democracy and accountability which were pillars of any democratically functioning political party.

"I didn't want to say anything when the allegations were being made. I went to see Mr Sata at his house to ask him how dare a man who says he can rule Zambia can come up with cheap ‘cadreish’ behaviour. He said this issue was not designed by him. He was in the company of witnesses and failed to say anything, he looked completely lost in terms of intellect," he said.

Mumbi advised Sata to apologise to justice Mumba for the malicious attack on a decent woman now that the presidential petition was out of the way.

Mumbi also asked Sata to apologise to the general membership of his party for his shortcomings that led to the PF's loss.

He claimed that the PF leadership did not send money that was donated to the party by donors to the rural and some urban constituencies.

Mumbi said the party never faired well because donor funds meant for campaigns were allegedly delivered directly to Sata's home.

Mumbi said in a well-run party, he would have been responsible for electoral logistics but that was custodian of all donations and that the failure to provide resources to the constituencies fell squarely on Sata.

He said in most parts of the country PF election monitors and agents had not been paid their allowances and this was a very serious omission of decency on the part of Sata.

When asked about his political future after the conference, Mumbi said he still had a vision for politics or he could return to formal employment.

However, Mumbi did not disclose which party he would join and gave an option between the MMD and the United Party for National Development (UPND).

Mumbi said there were some people in the MMD who were scared to speak because they knew that Sata would destroy them.

But Sata said President Banda and his friends in the MMD had chosen to use Mumbi to malign him because they felt the impact of his political weight.

He wondered why Mumbi had been quiet all along only to speak when the PF leader was conducting tours in some parts of the country.

"He is justifying being on the payroll of MMD. What do you expect from him? He was accompanied by MMD. The whole of the speech was not written by him. It is too smooth to be written by Edward Mumbi," Sata said. "The reason he is trying to cover up is because we are hammering MMD. He is a hired gun for Rupiah Banda so that he can assist him absorb some pressure."

On Mumbi's assertions that he [Sata] used to keep the party's campaign money in his home, Sata said it was in fact Mumbi who used to keep the party's campaign money.

He said Mumbi had failed to account before the central committee how he administered party funds during the campaigns.

"Let Mumbi produce a figure of the money he sent to my house. It is him who failed deliberately to send money to the rural areas. He was secretary general, I wasn't there when he was administering the money. I was in the bush campaigning," Sata said.

On Mumbi's statement that Sata should apologise to justice Mumba, Sata said he never made any allegations against the ECZ chief.

He said Mumbi should instead apologise if he felt that he had offended justice Mumba.

"The party did not send him to Durban. He sent himself and that is where he compromised himself. Can he explain how he managed to acquire a black Mercedes Benz during the election time?" Sata asked.

And PF vice president Guy Scott said if Mumbi thought there was a generally lack of accountability, he should have taken the matter to the police or the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) instead of allowing himself to be used as a political weapon of the MMD.

"He is just being used, because it is clear from the fact that the press conference was attended by MMD thugs. We know them, they are the same people who go to the airport to dance for President Rupiah Banda and the same people who beat up Post journalists," he said "They are not PF members or rebel PF members, they are MMD pure and simple and the whole cost of the press conference including renting the place, advertising and transporting MMD cadres, it must cost over K10 million so Mumbi is prostituting himself."

Scott said he had always regarded Mumbi as a friend but he thought it was unacceptable for him to run to the MMD who were PF's opponents.

"If he wants to get out of politics, he should just get out. Many allegations are made against politicians, some are true, some are not, you have to take the heat," he said.

He said it was difficult to run an election campaign in 150 constituencies.

Scott said it was true that people gave money to the Sata, himself and Mumbi and that the money was all accounted for.

He said Mumbi was part and parcel of that management team of that election.

"So I don't know what he is talking about. The only official donor the party had was the ZCID [Zambia Centre for Inter Party Dialogue] but the money was not for the elections. As far as we are concerned, we reported back on that money and he was also responsible for reporting to ZCID. So really, I am concerned my respect for him had dropped. I think he is behaving in a very childish and personal way. I mean he should know Sata by now. He worked with him and he experienced the shock of losing the elections, if we had won, all this nonsense wouldn't be here," said Scott, "He is now taking money from MMD to destroy his friends."

In Kasama, Sata asked his supporters not to grow weary in voting but instead register to vote in numbers in order to make it difficult for President Banda to rig the elections in 2011

Featuring on Radio Mano yesterday morning, Sata said he was back on the campaign trail because the Supreme Court had thrown out the presidential petition, which could have put to rest suspicions over President Banda's election.

He said although he still believed that the elections were rigged, PF was the only party, which made significant gains during the election.

"Mwilanenuka [don't grow weary]," Sata said. "In 2006, Levy Mwanawasa stole more than 300,000 votes and in 2008, Rupiah Banda stole more than 35,000, we are the only party that increased massively in votes."

Sata said people in North Western Province were being given national registration cards while there was very little happening in areas where the PF leader enjoyed support such as Luapula, Copperbelt and Northern provinces.

"That's why when you vote in numbers, it will become difficult for them to rig,” he said.

Asked if he was going to reconcile with President Banda just as he [Sata] reconciled with late president Mwanawasa, Sata said President Banda was not honest and transparent.

He said he could only work with President Banda if he stopped making shortcuts in life.

Sata said president Mwanawasa realised that he could not work alone because people were indifferent towards him.

"He should show sincerity and honesty. Just because [Lameck] Chibombamilimo mentioned Maureen Mwanawasa, should that be the basis for firing him and [Jonas] Shakafuswa?" asked Sata.

Labels: ASHELL KAMPENGELE, CADRES, MMD

posted by MrK @ 2:51 PM