Maravi

Madyenkuku, Mushala quit MMD and join PF

Madyenkuku, Mushala quit MMD and join PF
By George Chellah
Wed 23 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT

MMD founder member and former Sinazongwe member of parliament Syacheye Madyenkuku together with former North Western Province MMD chairman Bert Mushala have joined the opposition Patriotic Front (PF). The duo's applications for membership were among those that were approved by the PF central committee meeting last Saturday.

Madyenkuku, who served in the MMD national executive committee as an elected member from 1995 to 2001 before the late Levy Mwanawasa brought him back in 2007 to 2008, said Zambia was desperate for an alternative. He said this was due to the shortcomings and inability to listen to the wishes of the people by the MMD government and also given its extent of elasticity.

“In other words, its inflexibility…there is no other cause available to any serious-thinking Zambian other than that of working together with a group of other Zambians, which has already started a programme offering this alternative to the Zambian people,” he said.

Madyenkuku, who is also former sports minister, said he had a lot of other considerations.

“But ultimately, I thought that I am faced with a situation of either just being unavailable to the people of Zambia or my making myself available to them,” he said. “And with the climate in the MMD now where alternative views have no room, I found it extremely humbling to be given an opportunity to work with the Patriotic Front and therefore I am using the Patriotic Front as a vehicle to serve the people of Zambia.”

Madyenkunku urged Zambians to unite.

“Unite to ensure that in 2011, the people of Zambia will not accuse us, who are said to be their leaders, of not having offered a viable alternative. And by conglomerating like this, I think that the people of Zambia will have themselves to blame if they don't seize the opportunity to do so,” Madyenkuku said. “Really that is my immediate reaction and it will be a pleasure for me to work with a party that is grounded already, that is relevant to the people of Zambia, a party that so far the Zambian people are endorsing by every opportunity. So really it is for me an opportunity to serve the Zambian people.”

Madyenkunku said in a multiparty system, one could not operate as an island.
And Mushala, who is also former North Western Province minister and Mufumbwe member of parliament, confirmed that he was now a PF member.

“What encouraged me to make the decision is that I think you have followed my political career. When I left the MMD, I decided to get to the pact and work with PF,” Mushala said.

He dismissed home affairs minister Lameck Mangani's claim that he was part of Luena Independent member of parliament Charles Milupi's new party - Alliance for Development and Democracy (ADD).

“It is unfortunate that our Minister of Home Affairs entrusted with the security of the country can indulge himself in peddling lies that, I, Bert Mushala is linked to the formation of a new party when he could have found out from his colleagues in MMD, government or indeed contacted me to confirm my party affiliation, which is not a secret anyway,” Mushala said.

He said he was with the PF/UPND pact and exclusively as a PF member.
“He Mangani should do better to learn and understand which person he is talking about. I am a politician of his own and respected. I need an apology from him,” Mushala said. “As for the Times of Zambia, it is clear why Zambians don't read the newspaper because it sometimes publishes lies, baseless and unconfirmed stories. They know where to find me. Why didn't they contact me…? I am a PF member.”

Labels: BERT MUSHALA, MMD, PF-UPND, SYACHEYE MADYENKUKU

posted by MrK @ 4:40 AM