Maravi

‘Kunda behind UNZASU officials’ call for PF members’ blood’

‘Kunda behind UNZASU officials’ call for PF members’ blood’
By Ernest Chanda
Sat 09 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT

VICE-PRESIDENT George Kunda is reported to have been behind sinister calls from former University of Zambia Students Union officials Antonio Mwanza and Stanford Kabwata to calling for the blood of Patriotic Front members of parliament not sitting at the National Constitutional Conference (NCC).

But the duo has denied ever meeting Vice-President Kunda, saying they were not too cheap to be hired by anyone.

Mwanza and Kabwata have in the last two months been issuing statements denouncing two Lusaka-based PF parliamentarians, Mumbi Phiri and Colonel Gerry Chanda for Munali and Kanyama respectively.

According to well-placed sources in the MMD, Vice-President Kunda has been meeting with Mwanza and Kabwata on various occasions to discredit the parliamentarians as a way of weakening the biggest opposition political party in the country.

"If you remember, these two young men were critical against government in their days as UNZA students. Now, it seems things have not been well in their lives, so they have been courting some government officials," the source said. "He Mwanza has been moving around trying to look for things he can do.

And fortunately for these guys they have struck a cord with the Vice-President and they are now being used to work against the PF. The two have had several meetings with the Vice-President and the last meeting was on Thursday. No wonder we are now seeing this latest threat on the MPs. The Vice-President is skillfully behind this and these boys are just in front talking while the Veep calls the shots. It's quite a well calculated move anyway."

Another source said officials in the MMD had been unsettled by the strength of the PF and UPND pact.

"I'm sure you can as well understand that in the ruling party we did not expect the pact to stand up to this stage. Remember how we despised this pact when it was just announced and took it for a joke. But looking at the time that has passed we are scared that we may lose the 2011 election," the source said.

"So most of our senior officials have been working hard to find ways of dismantling this pact; and the NCC issue is one of them. In fact the strategy to bring in the Chief Justice so that he can summon these MPs was just conceived recently. We want him Chief Justice to criminalise this issue since the NCC is now law so that these people can either be prosecuted or resign."

The duo have since issued another statement dated January 7, 2010 where they are warning of criminal prosecution to any parliamentarian who refuses to sit on the NCC.

"This public notice serves as an ultimatum to all those erring elected area members of parliament who are not attending the NCC sittings to report themselves before the Chief Justice by Monday 11th January 2010 and take oaths of office as members of the NCC or resign from their parliamentary seats on moral grounds... or risk facing criminal prosecution, in view of their disobedience of statutory obligation, by their continued violation of the NCC Act no. 19 of 2007 read together with section 126 of the Penal Code Cap 87 of the laws of Zambia..." the statement read in part.

And the duo indicated that they would hold a press briefing tomorrow at a venue to be communicated in Lusaka. Mwanza and Kabwata both denied being sponsored to bring down the affected parliamentarians. Mwanza said he was doing that based on a legal provision in the Republican Constitution.

"I think since 2005 when I left the University of Zambia my political line has always been straight. I have never availed myself to be hired or used by anyone. I'm doing this based on the provisions of Article 113 of the Zambian Constitution. I think we all understand that issues of leadership deal with service and accountability.

Our Constitution says I will elect a member of parliament who will represent me in the House and wherever national deliberations are being conducted,” Mwanza said. "So if my MP fails to represent me in this manner I have a constitutional right to petition them. I have never met Vice-President Kunda in person. I only see him on TV and in newspapers including The Post. So my brother understand that I'm doing this on principle."

And Kabwata vowed to go ahead with the petition regardless of what people thought about him.

"The issue I have raised is an issue that does not require money. I'm not accusing these MPs of stealing a chicken from Shoprite, no. These are issues, which even you at The Post can confirm. Our MPs have broken the law by not attending the NCC. So, am simply making them accountable to the masses whom they are supposed to represent.

According to the NCC Act Number 19 of 2007, there is no provision for criminal penalties on any member who abstains the sittings.

Labels: ANTONIO MWANZA, CADRES, GEORGE KUNDA, NCC, PF, STANFORD KABWATA, UNZASU

posted by MrK @ 2:44 PM