Rupiah has kissed Lamba vote goodbye – Mpombo

Rupiah has kissed Lamba vote goodbye – Mpombo
By George Chellah and Zumani Katasefa
Tue 05 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT

FORMER defence minister George Mpombo yesterday said President Rupiah Banda has kissed the Lamba vote goodbye following his dismissal of Gabriel Namulambe as science, technology and vocational training minister.

And chieftainess Lesa of the Lamba people yesterday said God will vindicate Namulambe for the action that President Banda has taken against him. Commenting on the dismissal of Namulambe, who is also Mpongwe MMD member of parliament, Mpombo condemned President Banda's decision.

“The decision is pregnant with serious political consequences in that the firing of Gabriel deprives the Lambas of a credible voice in Cabinet because Mr Mike Mulongoti works and supply minister is a nominated member and does not speak for the people. No wonder even when the chiefs met the President they didn't want Mulongoti to attend the meeting,” Mpombo said.

Mpombo, who is Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament, said President Banda's decision was insensitive.

“We were thinking the meeting that the President had with the chiefs had resolved a lot of issues including the spirit of reconciliation. But now that action has actually undermined the purpose of that meeting with the chiefs,” Mpombo said.

He said by firing Namulambe, President Banda has slapped the traditional leaders on the Copperbelt in the face.

“Our chiefs have been snubbed and it's a slap in the face of our chiefs,” Mpombo said.

He said political organisation would be extremely difficult for the MMD in Lambaland.

“It's extremely difficult now with this kind of action because people do understand that Gabriel has been victimised just for the purpose of speaking out or trying to defend the legacy of the late president Mwanawasa and also to bring other issues concerning the lambas,” Mpombo said.

“And one should understand that when Gabriel was speaking, he didn't have a tribal agenda. He was just trying to point out, to draw the attention of government that the barrage of criticisms being fired at the late president Mwanawasa by senior government officials within Mr Banda's government was sending a disturbing message.”
Mpombo said the lamba vote was now highly compromised and it would be impossible to sustain the political fortunes that had been developed over the years.

“This particular action has wiped out that advantage,” Mpombo said. “He President Banda has snubbed the chiefs because the understanding of the chiefs…the understanding of all of us was that, that meeting they had was about bridge-building and that standing issues that had political connotations were resolved or nipped in the bud by that particular meeting.”

Mpombo said the spirit of reconciliation, which was forged during President Banda's meeting with the chiefs had been jettisoned by the President's harsh decision.

And chieftainess Lesa of the Lamba people in Mpongwe district expressed displeasure with President Banda's action to dismiss Namulambe.

In a telephone interview from her Palace yesterday, chieftainess Lesa said God would vindicate Namulambe for the action that President Banda had taken against him.

“Tatu temenwepo, pantu ba Namulambe ebaliku tulandilako, chabipasana, (We are not happy, Mr Namulambe was speaking on our behalf. It is very sad),”chieftainess Lesa said.

Chieftainess Lesa said Mpongwe constituents would speak out in 2011 following President Banda's action against their member of parliament.

“Tene bonemfu uwa kweba abantu ati ba votele bachite, imfu teshi ibikepo mu politics. Chabipa sana abakashiba ba Namulambe ilyo bafwile. (It is not me as a chief to tell who they should vote for, chiefs do not involve themselves in politics. It is very sad),” she said.

Chieftainess Lesa said people were seeing what was happening on the ground and therefore were capable of making their own decision over who they should vote for.

Chieftainess Lesa said after the dismissal of Namulambe from government she expected developmental projects, which many of them were initiated by Namulambe to slow down.

Chieftainess Lesa said there was need for President Banda to exercise some lenience on Namulambe instead of just firing him like that.

“Umwana Kasembe, kakukoma wakobekapo meaning (a child is like an axe, it hurts you but you still pick it),” said chieftainess Lesa.

And chief Ndubeni said people of Mpongwe were not happy with the action taken against Namulambe.
”Ba Rupiah. Ebo twalatamfya fye. (It is Rupiah who we are going to fire),” said chief Ndubeni who later became emotional and hung up the phone.

And chief Machiya said he would only give a comment on the matter after learning about the reasons that has caused Namulambe's dismissal from Cabinet. He said he would first want to meet Namulambe so he could hear from him over the matter.
On Sunday President Banda revoked Namulambe's appointment with immediate effect.

“According to the statement released by State House special assistant for press and public relations Dickson Jere, the President, in exercise of power vested in him in pursuant to the provisions of article 44(5) of the Constitution of Zambia revoked the appointment of Namulambe as Cabinet minister.