Maravi

Kaande has demons in his head – Mpombo

Kaande has demons in his head – Mpombo
Written by Patson Chilemba
Thursday, September 10, 2009 4:03:52 AM

KAFULAFUTA MMD member of parliament George Mpombo yesterday charged that party deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande is intoxicated with massive confusion and has demons in his head. And former finance minister Ng'andu Magande has said those who are championing the postponement of the MMD national convention want the party to lose the elections because they would end up adopting a candidate who is not popular.

Reacting to Kaande who warned Mpombo and Magande of possible expulsion if they continued 'insulting' the party, Mpombo said he would not change his position that provincial resolutions to postpone the MMD convention were being stage-managed by senior national executive committee (NEC) officials for their own selfish interests such as protecting their jobs or seeking appointments from President Banda.

He said he was very capable of defending himself.

"Just a friendly piece of advice to Kaande, that I have a bit of steel in my spine and quite ready to take on Jeff Kaande with bare knuckles; hands without gloves. Secondly he is not a kind who can intimidate me. What I'm saying is Jeff is intoxicated with massive confusion. I think there are few demons at the back of his head," Mpombo said. "So let him proceed. I am very capable of defending myself. And then the other thing is that our position has not changed. There must be a convention."

Mpombo said the conduct of leadership in the MMD was very shameful and appalling.

He said Africans were being perceived as undemocratic people because of power.

Mpombo said the days for choosing leaders by public acclamation were long gone.

"In Europe, it went with the collapse of the communists system. In Zambia, it went with the collapse of one party system," Mpombo said.

He said there were some unholy manoeuvres to have President Banda confirmed as party president, but the normal practice was for the national convention to endorse one in that position.

"We saw how president [Levy] Mwanawasa took over from [Frederick] Chiluba in 2002, he was acting president until we went to the convention in 2005 to have him confirmed as president," Mpombo said. "[He] did not want to manipulate situations. But here we have a situation where Mr Banda's name has not even been confirmed at the congress [convention], people are agitating for him to be presidential candidate. You know Nelson Mandela when he was in prison, Oliver Thambo was referred to as acting ANC president."

Mpombo said what was happening was basic immorality.

"But if you don't want to listen, I can assure them that a new faction will emerge in the party which will promote issues of good governance and democracy," he said.

On MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga's assertions that he [Mpombo] was a coward who had chosen to attack the President and MMD outside NEC, Mpombo said he was not a robot like Mabenga.

He said he had never compromised principles in his lifetime.

"You know even in the NEC meeting, you go in with people with pre-arranged, pre-ordained agendas. So I am not a coward. I think a coward is Mr Mabenga. I have actually spoken to him, I met him at NCC [National Constitutional Conference] last week, and I told him what they are trying to do was unconstitutional behaviour," said Mpombo. "You know I have never been a coward. You know the thing that I fear is fear itself, because fear is a dangerous emotion that can destroy people."

Mpombo described Mabenga's assertions as cheap political concoctions.

On President Banda's statement that MMD members were free to debate calls on whether the party convention should be deferred until after the 2011 general elections, Mpombo said the holding of the convention was non-debatable because it was constitutional to elect leaders every five years.

He said President Banda should not even refer to other political parties like Patriotic Front (PF) because MMD was a party with its own identity.

"We should not have hidden agendas," said Mpombo. “And this MMD [acting Copperbelt Province chairman] Chilambwe has no moral right to talk about anything. He is acting. He has no mandate."

And Magande, who is also Chilanga MMD member of parliament, said it was not proper to run the MMD the way it was being currently run.

He said he had travelled across the country and party members had said they were not in support of postponing the convention.

Magande said if the convention were to be cancelled, he wondered how he would campaign for the party since things like manifestos were discussed at conventions.

He said the MMD should go for the convention so that members could analyse the party's performance based on the manifesto that was formulated in 2005.

Magande said he should be given the opportunity to tell the people his vision.

"Those who don't want to go to the convention want MMD to lose elections because they will end up putting a candidate who is not popular," Magande said. "So they are just pushing MMD out of office."

On works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti's statement that Magande should show the grassroots members of MMD what he had done for the party, Magande said Mulongoti should ask people like Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika why MMD was formed.

He said MMD was not formed to look after the grassroots party members but the people of Zambia.

Magande said Mulongoti was now acting party spokesperson and should avoid opening his mouth anyhow.

Magande said Kaande and President Banda were contradicting each other in that the former had threatened to take disciplinary action against those who were speaking in favour of the convention while the latter said members should be free to debate whether there should be a convention or not.

On Monday, Kaande, who addressed the MMD cadres in Mansa that marched to celebrate former president Frederick Chiluba's acquittal, warned Magande and Mpombo of possible expulsion if they continued 'insulting' the party.

Kaande said the party had ignored the utterances of the two members of parliament because they did not want by-elections.

Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO, JEFF KAANDE

posted by MrK @ 3:07 AM