We shall not allow hooliganism – Mpombo

We shall not allow hooliganism – Mpombo
By Patson Chilemba
Mon 11 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT

FORMER defence minister George Mpombo yesterday charged that Mike Mulongoti is supporting violence because he is jittery that his candidate, President Rupiah Banda will be walloped at the convention.

Reacting to works and supply minister Mulongoti's support of the calls by MMD youths to beat and block Mpombo from attending the convention on grounds that a nuisance should not be allowed at the convention, Mpombo said the statement by Mulongoti was a confirmation that MMD had fallen into wrong hands, hence the need to change the party leadership.

“It is jitteriness that his candidate is going to be walloped. We shall not allow Mulongoti's hooliganism. They want to introduce alien principles of running the party. What has made rise to this is jitteriness because they know the mood in the party is that people want a new set of leadership, and they Mulongoti feel that the acting president Banda may not be endorsed as president,” Mpombo said.

“I will be the first one to go to the convention, and no amount of intimidation and jungle politics by Mulongoti will stop me from going to the convention. We are not going to allow old UNIP politics to come into the party.”

Mpombo said outbursts by Mulongoti were a clear manifestation of desperation and panic hovering around President Banda and his clique.

“It amounts to desperation because their original scheme to forego the convention has fallen through, so they want to go to another angle of undemocratic tendencies through threats,” Mpombo said. “It is a serious blot on the image of the party that Mulongoti could champion beating in the party.”

Mpombo said going by Mulongoti's statement, the convention was likely to be a complete circus because President Banda and his clique would hire thugs to intimidate and beat people with contrary views to theirs.

“There will be a pre-ordained leadership lineup. There will not be any democracy. It will be a complete political circus,” Mpombo said. “The buck ends at the President's desk. If he is not saying anything, then he is aware of these machinations. He must distance himself from this threats of violence against his critics.”

Mpombo said President Banda was new in the party and should follow the constitution, saying the party should not change its democratic discourse just to please the President.
“What Mike Mulongoti is doing is putting concentrated sulphuric acid on the democratic structure of the party, and it will become an empty shell,” he said.

Mpombo said there was something wrong with Mulongoti's mind.
“Mike Mulongoti has got sand for brains, and I think he is behaving like this because of diminishing brain cells,” said Mpombo.

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

He 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.

“This is 2010, Mpombo should not even attend the convention because we will cut off his legs and all those who are insulting President Banda will not be spared,” said MMD youth league president Daniel Tembo. “We are financially sound, we have hired 4x4 vehicles to get to where they are. We will beat them one by one like lizards coming from a hole.”

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.