Maravi

Chiengi rejects Kalombo

Chiengi rejects Kalombo
By George Chellah
Wed 23 June 2010, 04:02 CAT

FLASH BACK : Defence minister Dr Kalombo Mwansa with President Rupiah Banda
THE MMD in Chiengi Constituency in Luapula Province has rejected defence minister Dr Kalombo Mwansa as a replacement for convicted MMD national secretary Dr Katele Kalumba as area member of parliament.

Well-placed sources within the MMD yesterday disclosed that the party in Chiengi had vowed to stand by Dr Kalumba despite his conviction.

“The truth of the matter is that Dr Mwansa has been rejected in Chiengi Constituency. The people of Chiengi have stated in no uncertain terms that they simply don’t want Dr Mwansa anywhere near that place as member of parliament on the MMD ticket,” the sources said.

“The people are quite resolved on that matter and they have maintained that they will stand by Katele and they want him as their area member of parliament again as opposed to Dr Mwansa who they are claiming does not hail from there. They are actually saying that ‘Uyo Kalombo tatulemufwaya pantu tewakuno, mu Lamba so wanshi muleleta kuno?’ [We don’t want Kalombo because he doesn’t hail from here. He is Lamba, so why bring him here?

“The people are saying that ‘you jailed Katele so that you can bring Kalombo?’ They are also saying that if Dr Mwansa is adopted as the MMD candidate in Chiengi, that will be the end of the party in that area.”

The sources revealed that the people in Chiengi Constituency describe Dr Mwansa as a loner, who could not make a good leader.

“They are complaining that Dr Mwansa is not approachable as a leader. They are saying that even when they have a problem and they come to Lusaka, he evades them by switching off his phone as a way of avoiding talking to them or addressing their concerns. So they were asking that ‘how can we have such a man as our member of parliament? Because Katele is the opposite of him,” the sources said.

“When you go to Chiengi, you will get the real picture of what I am talking about because that’s the reality on the ground in so far as the MMD members are concerned. And the common example they are citing is the comparison between what they claim to be Dr Mwansa’s family house and Katele’s in Chiengi.

“They are saying that Katele is by far better than Dr Mwansa because even the kind of house he has built in Chiengi shows that he wants to live among the people and attend to their daily problems as opposed to the ‘funny structure’ which they keep showing the party leadership that visits the area, which they claim that it belongs to Dr Mwansa. You can ask the party leadership in Luapula, they will tell you the truth if they are honest.”

The sources said Dr Mwansa’s political problems were known in Luapula Province.

“We don’t even know where these stories that Dr Mwansa is being thrusted on Chiengi by President Banda are coming from. We say this because everyone in MMD, including President Banda, is aware that Dr Mwansa is very weak politically in Luapula Province. The President knows that Dr Mwansa can’t win an election,” the sources said.

“What those people that are peddling these lies about the President don’t know is that, these attempts to field Dr Mwansa in Chiengi were started by the late president Mwanawasa. It was president Mwanawasa who wanted to try Dr Mwansa in Chiengi because of Dr Kalumba’s court cases. So this is not President Banda’s idea that Dr Mwansa goes to Chiengi, no! Those who have cared to find out the truth, know.

“And the President has not sent anyone to go and campaign or lobby for anybody’s adoption in Luapula Province, that is not true. What the party, through the secretariat is doing right now is to update the party register and not to campaign for any candidate. This is what the secretariat is currently deeply involved in. Right now as we speak, officials from the party secretariat are in the field collecting data.”

Recently, Dr Kalumba pushed in his leave from running MMD administrative duties until the court disposes of his corruption case in which he has appealed against his conviction by the magistrate’s court.

Labels: KALOMBO MWANSA, MMD

posted by MrK @ 5:45 PM