Maravi

Magande urges Mulongoti’s arrest for justifying violence

Magande urges Mulongoti’s arrest for justifying violence
By Patson Chilemba
Wed 13 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT

FORMER finance minister Ng’andu Magande yesterday called for the arrest of works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti and the MMD youths for threatening and justifying violence.

And Magande charged that President Rupiah Banda must be behind the manoeuvres to doctor delegates to attend the convention.

Commenting on Mulongoti’s support for the calls by MMD youths to beat and block former defence minister George Mpombo from attending the convention on grounds that a nuisance should not be allowed at the convention, Magande said he was surprised that Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde had remained quiet despite blatant threats by the MMD cadres, and justification by Mulongoti to beat other citizens.

“Actually on that same day, Mr Mike Mulongoti was on television, in a panel of other parties that the MMD does not support violence, only to read the next day that he was justifying violence. In fact, I am surprised that the Inspector General has not called those people who are advocating lawlessness,” Magande said.

“He Mulongoti must be arrested, that is an auxiliary to planning murder. To cut another person’s legs, where are you going to take those legs after you have cut them? The statement by Mulongoti, he should be arrested. They can’t be saying ‘we are so powerful with 4x4s to terrorise the country’.”

Magande said he supported whatever Mpombo was doing from the bottom of his heart, and asked him to continue speaking for the good of the party and the nation.

“If he is talking about the President, it is because he knows him well, he has worked with him. We will not go to the convention to talk about boxing, if you want that go to Ester Phiri,” he said.

On Saturday, Mulongoti supported calls by MMD youths to beat and block Mpombo from attending the convention.

Mulongoti said a nuisance should not be allowed to attend the convention but only those who were in right standing with the party.

MMD youths in Lusaka on Friday warned that they would block Mpombo from attending the convention.

The youths also threatened to deal with former Sinazongwe member of parliament Syacheye Madyenkuku, FDD president Edith Nawakwi, Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Wynter Kabimba among others.

And Magande revealed that MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande had gone against party national secretary Katele Kalumba’s directive by instructing party committees to dissolve themselves and conduct elections quietly.

Magande’s comment amplifies the recent revelation by Kalumba that there were manoeuvres by some leaders for some party committees in the provinces to dissolve themselves and conduct elections quietly.

“Even the list of delegates is being doctored, and they are issuing electoral procedures which have never been seen in the party before, that committees should dissolve themselves and conduct elections in 21 days,” Magande said.

“So we are told that the former cannot contest for the positions they held before the dissolution. The deputy national secretary, Kaande, he is telling people that they cannot contest positions they have held before. I am talking about the mismanagement of the party.

“We heard from the national secretary that we are not going to allow committees to be dissolved. So where did Kaande get instructions if he did not get it from his boss? So I am receiving calls that ‘did NEC meet to do this thing which is being imposed on us?’”

Magande charged that some MMD leaders were cowards who did not want to face the truth, saying they used Kalumba’s absence to perpetuate illegalities.

He said at first there was an attempt by President Banda and his friends to forego the convention, and after that attempt was defeated, they had opened up another channel to doctor the list of delegates.

Magande said President Banda must be the one behind attempts to doctor the list of delegates as well as Mulongoti’s justification of violence.

“The late Benny Tetamashimba started this debate to forego the convention, but now Tetamashimba is not there, others have continued. And he President Banda must be, being the candidate. It might be the candidate who is behind this because he is the candidate. We hear he is preferred,” Magande said.

“I am sure they consult him since they don’t consult the NEC. And if they issue outrageous statements, why doesn’t he come out to say ‘this is not what the party stands for?’”

Magande said there was urgent need to call for a NEC meeting to clarify most glaring irregularities that were being observed in the running of the party.

He said MMD was going through some of the poorest administrations as evidenced by how the party had handled the issue of the convention.

Magande said funding for the convention was used as the main excuse for attempts to postpone the convention, but asked the party where it had sourced the K6 billion for the undertaking.

He said he hoped that President Banda and his colleagues had not dipped fingers into public coffers.

“First, they said we are not going to the convention then now they have agreed that we are going to the convention. But hopefully, they have not put fingers in public funds. So we must know who has put that money into the party. NEC has not met to decide on that money, so where has it been sourced? Where did they get the K6 billion?” asked Magande.

Labels: MAGANDE, MIKE MULONGOTI

posted by MrK @ 6:51 AM