Maravi

Be careful with Rupiah, Mpombo cautions Aka

Be careful with Rupiah, Mpombo cautions Aka
By George Chellah
Thu 03 Dec. 2009, 04:00 CAT

FORMER defence minister George Mpombo yesterday cautioned President Rupiah Banda's political advisor Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika (Aka) to be extremely careful with the President because he is a sly and cunning individual.

Commenting on the recent rift within the MMD top leadership over the caucus attended by Aka and State House chief policy analyst Dr Francis Chigunta, where His Majesty the Litunga was attacked, Mpombo urged President Banda to show leadership.

“What we are seeing is that the party has got itself into an irreversible process of political terminal disease because of poor leadership qualities exhibited so far by Rupiah Banda,” Mpombo said. “The party has been reduced to a bundle of contradictions and confusion because of poor leadership.”

Mpombo described President Banda as a very cunning and sly politician.

“That kind of characteristic has contributed massively to the serious political upheaval that have hit the party. The party is just existing through instinct and the party structures across the country have collapsed,” he said.

Mpombo said a vivid manifestation of the confusion generated by President Banda's poor leadership was the manner in which the Western Province MMD wrangles were handled.

“Katele Kalumba was instructed by President Banda to suspend the Simasiku Namakando-led provincial executive committee and President Banda is on record as having supported that move,” Mpombo said.

“But when President Banda called the dissolved executive to State House, Katele Kalumba or MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande or even hopeless MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga were not invited to the meeting. There was Lameck Mangani who holds no senior political position in the party and Mike Mulongoti who is just responsible for false propaganda.

“That's where the crisis begins. President Banda is just acting party president, Mabenga is the national chairman he should have been in that meeting at State House because they were looking at an issue concerning the national operations of the party.”

Mpombo said Kalumba as chief executive officer of the party or his deputy Kaande should have been in the meeting as well.

“People have been marginalised. This exemplifies poor leadership and we can't go on like this with this confusion a year before an election,” he said.
Mpombo said President Banda was also responsible for the confusion surrounding the MMD meeting where His Majesty the Litunga was attacked.

“President Banda should have come out and strongly supported Katele's position when the party distanced itself from the caucus because he asked Katele to do that. He should have taken a principled stand,” Mpombo said, adding that President Banda sanctioned the meeting at Andrews Motel although he has not come out in the open on the matter.

“He sanctioned the meeting because we know that he even contributed financially towards the hosting of that caucus. We also know that President Banda sanctioned Katele to distance the party from the meeting,” Mpombo said.

He said the leadership that President Banda was providing did not meet people's minimum expectations.

“He must understand that there are so many senior members in the NEC but why is he just hovering around Mulongoti? The President is being fed on a diet of poor advice,” Mpombo said. “The President is responsible for the confusion that has rocked the party. He is also responsible for the confusion on the national convention.”

Mpombo said the current confusion was a serious indictment on President Banda's leadership.
He cautioned Aka to be careful with President Banda.

“He is a very sly and cunning individual to an extent of sacrificing people at the altar of political expedience for his own survival. Aka must watch out otherwise his political career and public standing may end up in political flames,” Mpombo said. “We can only hope that when Rupiah met the Litunga, Aka was not sacrificed at the same altar of political expedience for the President's political survival.”
Mpombo also urged Aka to go back to his principles.

“If he says he was a founder member of MMD, why is he stuck to the man who is not upholding democratic principles? That brings Aka's principles into question as well because even on the issue of the convention, Aka has not spoken out. How do you support a system that is deeply imbedded in tribal politics, intolerance, unwillingness to listen and the so-called stubbornness?” Mpombo asked.

Mpombo said the recent problem with the Western Province should serve as a lesson to the organisers of the MMD caucus.

“Let them quarrel among themselves and never bring in the name of the Litunga. The Litunga is respected and is above petty politics because he is the custodian of the time tested Lozi traditions,” said Mpombo.

Labels: AKASHAMBATWA MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA, GEORGE MPOMBO, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 4:02 AM