Banda must halt purge on Levy’s tribesmen, says Madyenkuku

Banda must halt purge on Levy’s tribesmen, says Madyenkuku
By George Chellah
Wed 13 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT

FORMER sports minister Syacheye Madyenkuku yesterday said President Rupiah Banda must halt the general purge on the late Mwanawasa's tribesmen and perceived loyalists because it is a threat to national unity.

Commenting on revelations by former State House special assistant for policy implementation and monitoring Jack Kalala that President Banda was directed by Eastern Province chiefs to purge the late Mwanawasa's tribesmen from government, Madyenkuku described the development as a very sad one.

“It would also imply that there are other people who call the tune to the President's action. If these people who are calling the tune happen to be his tribesmen and he follows them I think that is very sad. But Jack Kalala's statement was made with so much confidence because he even went as far saying if he wants the President should challenge him because those statements were made in the presence of Gabriel Namulambe,” Madyenkuku said.

“If that is true, the situation could not be any worse because the presidency is the fortress for all of us. And if some people from the outset, even before Namulambe made that statement… if there was a premeditated state of affairs and then action later comes which tends to confirm this then it couldn't be worse than that. It's a sad state of affairs. Let's go back to acting on cases based on merit, you can't have a generalised group categorisation and label them in a certain manner because what tends to have happened is that there is a general purge.

“You look at the diplomatic service, the people have been withdrawn, those of us who were appointed in the NEC by Mwanawasa were withdrawn. Now the chiefs say 'remove this category of people' and action is pointing in that direction. I think the best is to take cases on individual merit. The general purge on Mwanawasa's tribesmen and perceived loyalists should be halted because it's a threat to national unity.”

Madyenkuku, who served in the MMD national executive committee (NEC) as an elected member from 1995 to 2001 before the late Mwanawasa brought him back in 2007 to 2008, also said the reaction to Namulambe's statement was overly too much.

“They should know that he was merely reacting to a statement made by a certain official. In fact, the official who made that statement is the one who ignited the debate. Namulambe's statement was very modest, in my view. I don't think they would have warranted these actions and reactions that have taken place after the dismissal,” Madyenkuku said. “But if you recall very well you will perhaps remember that I said that the MMD had been engulfed with a level of intolerance that was very strange. I have been vindicated. What has happened to Namulambe is characteristic of what has become of the MMD today.”

On Sunday, Kalala disclosed that traditional leaders from Eastern Province instructed President Rupiah Banda to purge the late Mwanawasa's tribesmen from his administration.

Kalala, who challenged President Banda to deny his revelations, said Namulambe's initial statement over the late Mwanawasa's legacy is deeper than meets the eye.