Maravi

Kavindele advises Mulongoti over MMD convention

Kavindele advises Mulongoti over MMD convention
By Patson Chilemba
Fri 15 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT

ENOCH Kavindele yesterday said it is shocking for works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti to advocate violence against other citizens.

And Kavindele yesterday warned that doctoring the list of delegates to the MMD national convention by some party leaders would only perpetuate division and the formation of factions in the MMD.

Commenting on Mulongoti's justification of violence on calls by some MMD youths in Lusaka to block and beat former defence minister George Mpombo from attending the party national convention on grounds that a nuisance should not be allowed at the convention, Kavindele, who is former Republican vice-president, said it was not Mulongoti but the MMD constitution which stipulates who should attend the convention.

"I am very, very shocked that a senior minister, a senior party man could advocate violence. Doesn't he know that the violence that could erupt at the convention could affect the party? This is how in 1967, UNIP was almost destroyed because of such tendencies.

There was violence at Mulungushi, and many people faced violence, and that's how a good chunk of our people broke away from UNIP to set up some other parties because of violence at the convention. So it is shocking that a senior minister can advocate proper violence," he said.
Kavindele agreed with others calling for Mulongoti’s arrest for inciting violence.

"Yes, certainly this is a very serious issue, and the police should move in. If that was the attitude of the MMD during our time, Mulongoti would not be minister today. Mulongoti and several others were in the FDD when we were campaigning for Levy Mwanawasa, and they used to go round carrying cabbages on their heads at their rallies, and they said the cabbages represented the candidate that the MMD had chosen."

Kavindele said Mulongoti should be thankful, saying because of the MMD's magnanimity, Mulongoti and others were welcomed back into the party and appointed to senior party and government positions.

"Despite what he had done to Levy, Levy showed magnanimity and forgot the way that those chaps treated the MMD...so I am advising that the MMD should adopt the spirit of 2010 which is to rally and support our President, so that through him, the likes of Mr Mulongoti and others may continue to be ministers," Kavindele said.

"Mulongoti cannot be minister if MMD loses, but the way they are carrying on these fellows, they are going to divide the party…yes and cause factions which will cause the party some irreparable damage just like the MDC in Zimbabwe. They MDC won the elections, so we are told, but because even after winning, the party was divided, today they are minority people in the government where they should have been in power."

Kavindele asked Mulongoti to avoid the confrontational stance he had embarked on and reconcile with others, including George Mpombo.
Mulongoti recently justified calls by some MMD youth league leaders to block and cut off Mpombo's legs should he go to the convention.

The youths also threatened violence against Syacheye Madyenkuku, FDD president Edith Nawakwi and Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Wynter Kabimba.
And on N’gandu Magande's assertions that MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande had gone against the directive by party national secretary Katele Kalumba to instruct some party committees to dissolve themselves and conduct elections quietly, Kavindele said in 2000, one of the senior MMD officials was expelled from the party for attempting to create parallel structures.

He said what these ‘chaps’ were doing now was a very serious digression from the laid down party structures.

Labels: ENOCH KAVINDELE, GEORGE MPOMBO, MIKE MULONGOTI, NEC

posted by MrK @ 4:55 PM