Maravi

MMD's Maopu divulges using DEBS position for political ambition

MMD's Maopu divulges using DEBS position for political ambition
By Mwala Kalaluka in Luena
Thu 15 July 2010, 04:00 CAT

THE MMD candidate in the Luena by-election Mwangala Maopu has disclosed how he used his government position as District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) for Mongu to propel his desire to become a member of parliament.

And Mongu district commissioner Jethro Mumbuwa, a civil servant, on Monday stood at an MMD campaign meeting in Luena’s Miulwe area and denounced all the opposition political parties that are contesting the by-election.

Meanwhile, Western Province MMD chairman Simasiku Namakando described Charles Milupi, who is re-contesting the Luena seat on the Alliance for Development and Democracy (ADD) ticket, as a foolish shepherd.

During a campaign meeting at Sikalelo village of headman Sambo in Miulwe area of Mongu, Maopu told a sizeable crowd of MMD cadres that he had been working with them since 2006 to upgrade Miulwe Basic School and allocate more teachers there.

Maopu who spoke in both Silozi and Sikwangwa said he worked with the then education minister and now Luena by-election MMD campaign manager, Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa, to upgrade the schools in Luena.

“We have held several meetings when I used to introduce myself at the time I was DEBS so that we do great works,” Maopu said. “It is not the first time that I am working with you my parents. I have worked with you in my work as a teacher. I am here to work with you.”

Maopu said in March 2006, when he was still a civil servant as a DEBS, village headman Sambo, whom he described as a parent, told him that the people of Miulwe were aware of his good works and he had intentions of going to Parliament.

“He told me that ‘from the areas where you have been, we have heard a lot of good things from you and we want you to do that for us before you go to Parliament. We want you to upgrade Miulwe School, then after we shall tell you go to Parliament,’” Maopu said.

“Most of the teachers who are there Miulwe School came there when I was DEBS…at the time the Minister of Education was Prof Lungwangwa here.”

Maopu campaigned that as DEBS, he brought a government-supported feeding programme in schools in Luena and the food was sufficient to a point that children did not just eat at school but carried some of the food home.

“Today, our children are not starving,” Maopu said.

He disclosed that just a few days earlier, he facilitated the payment of school fees for some grade nine pupils of Miulwe Basic School that were unable to meet the requirement.

“Or is there anyone whose child has not been paid for?” Maopu asked the cadres who responded in the affirmative.
“This time I have come, your own child… we want development as you saw when I was DEBS.”

Earlier, MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga said the people of Luena should vote for Maopu if they wanted to gain access to the government’s development agenda.

“We have seen that you the people of Miulwe and the whole of Luena you need to be told the truth,” Mabenga said. “If you are with an MP who is in government, things will be easy. But for 15 years you have been in opposition. What has Chrispin Sibetta done for you apart from his endless arguments?”

Mabenga said Milupi had abandoned them in the bush because he failed to honour his five-year commitment to the people of Luena by resigning from Parliament.

Prof Lungwangwa said the people of Luena had no development because they had an antagonistic parliamentarian who formed a weak link between his constituents and the government.

And Mumbuwa, who is former commissioner of prisons, said Milupi’s party did not want democracy and development.

He likened Maopu, on the other hand, to a girl coming of age.

“The party that Milupi has formed stands for Anilati Development ni Democracy (I do not want development and democracy) and that is why he resigned. If he wanted democracy and development, he should not have been independent and he should not have resigned,” Mumbuwa said. “The Pact are Pretenders Anarchists Come Together. The Pretenders are the PF and the anarchists are UPND. They are beating up people. ULP is United Lazy People’s party. They are lazy that is why they were chased from the UPND. I do not even want to mention UNIP because it is at the cemetery.”

Meanwhile, Namakando said the people of Luena should reject Milupi because he is a foolish shepherd who had abandoned them in the bush after claiming that he was better placed to lead them.

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, DEBS, MWANGALA MAOPU

posted by MrK @ 4:32 AM