Maravi

MMD cadres quarrel over money at Rupiah’s farm

MMD cadres quarrel over money at Rupiah’s farm
Written by Christopher Miti in Chipata
Thursday, July 23, 2009 4:26:34 PM

CONFUSION reigned among some MMD cadres last Monday at President Rupiah Banda's Chasimpha Bwezani Farm over money. According to party cadres, who declined to be named, the cadres complained that they had been neglected by some officials in the provincial executive committee (PEC).

The cadres explained that President Banda had released money while in Mfuwe and part of it was to be shared among the youth but it was not given to the vice-chairperson who was supposed to disburse it.

The cadres explained that the whole matter led to confusion at the farm and President Banda was very unhappy with what had transpired among the cadres.

"This issue happened when President Banda had just come from Mfuwe and most of us cadres had escorted him at the farm. The issue is that the provincial youth chairperson Sam Thole is away in China. Now the person who is supposed to act is his vice but according to the look of things it's like some people at PEC are favouring somebody else," one of the cadres said. "You know the President gave us some money in Mfuwe. Now the money that was allocated to the youths was given to somebody else who is not the vice-chairperson to handle it and this brought a lot of talk."

However, the cadres said the matter was somehow discussed but it was not finalised and the people concerned were conspicuously missing on Tuesday afternoon when President Banda was being seen off.

The cadres appealed to PEC to put its house in order because what transpired was extremely embarrassing.

"You know the President came to see the people here but surely how can the party leadership here fail to control such things from happening? I’m telling you it was bad, I thought you were there. Even now if you talk to the chairman, he cannot explain everything to you because he knows how you guys write but what I’m telling you is what happened," the cadre said.

Former Chipata mayor Sinoya Mwale, who is the district vice-chairperson, said such matters were a result of lack of leadership at the provincial level.

"I think NEC [national executive committee] should help address this issue because there is seemingly lack of leadership at the provincial level," Mwale said.

But Eastern Province MMD chairperson Kennedy Zulu said there was nothing that happened although some people exchanged some words.

"You know when you are a leader it's not possible to have people thinking in the same way. You know it's normal to have people with different opinions and if you are talking about the youths that is very common among them. You know exchange of words happen everywhere. I think you saw what happened to those PF members that were trying to hold a briefing," Zulu said.

Asked to confirm reports that the party would take disciplinary measures against some of the youths, Zulu said: "there would be nothing like that. Just observe and see if there will be something like that."

President Banda was in Mfuwe over the weekend with King Mswati III of Swaziland and he later went to Chipata before returning to Lusaka on Tuesday.

Labels: CADRES, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:26 PM