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Statement on dirty politics was misunderstood - Namugala

Statement on dirty politics was misunderstood - Namugala
By Edwin Mbulo and Patson Chilemba
Fri 16 July 2010, 13:50 CAT

TOURISM minister Catherine Namugala says her statement that politics were dirty, especially for women has been misunderstood by the people raising questions about her conduct.

But MMD national executive committee (NEC) member Judith Kapijimpanga said she had not misunderstood Namugala’s statement, and demanded that Namugala should remove the illicit vice of scheming against other women.

In an interview, Namugala who was in Livingstone to attend the Kavango-Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) Ministerial meeting, Namugala said what she said was to try and help make politics easy for the women.

“It is unfortunate that this is being misunderstood. What was meant to be a genuine statement has been misinterpreted but I hope the women will take what I said seriously,” she said.

However, Namugala could not respond to the specific complaints that people like Jonas Shakafuswa, Ng’andu Magande and Judith Kapijimpanga had raised against her.

She said Shakafuswa, Magande and Kapijimpanga were members of the ruling MMD and she would not talk about their comments in the press.

“My statement was meant for the women of Zambia, it was looking at why Zambian women are being discouraged from joining politics, and you know the people and the reasons why they said what they said. Both Shaka and Judy are members of our party, I don’t discuss such issues in the press,” said Namugala.

But Kapijimpanga wondered how Namugala claimed to have been misunderstood.

“The question is how? I think even my answer there was very explicit. I said I support Namugala’s statement totally, and in the wake of that statement I am glad she has realised. But how is that statement going to help us, especially that she’s the one who is engaged in that vice of making politics dirty?” she asked.

Kapijimpanga said principally and morally, women should rise to the challenge and take up leadership positions because they were very good leaders.

She said the conduct of women leaders like Namugala gave a minus to the demands by women to assume leadership positions.

Kapijimpanga said she was shocked to hear Namugala propagating the rights of women when she was the one who maligned them.

“I would not do what she does to other women. I would totally support her because I know she works hard,” Kapijimpanga said. “But then the vice, the illicit vice of wanting to malign others is the vice that she should venture to stop.”

Kapijimpanga wondered why Namugala complained of dirty politics when she had realised that the game was dirty.

“I have not misunderstood her because I said I support her statement and I am glad she has said it. Maybe she has realised that what she has been doing is bad. Icikwanka bachimona kumampalanya, once beaten, twice shy. I will be very careful next time. I would not totally trust a person after one has hurt me,” she said.

Kapijimpanga advised Namugala that she would better speak to women through her actions and not words.

She said she was not saying what she was saying out of bitterness, but out of love.

“Although she is talking about things which are right, she is incapable of helping the women because she has not done anything in that regard,” said Kapijimpanga.

Last Sunday, Namugala said Zambian politics were very dirty especially for women.

But others reacted by revealing the dirty politics Namugala practiced.

Shakafuswa narrated how Namugala incited for his firing as deputy science and technology minister, accusing him of having close links with former first lady Maureen Mwanawasa who was said to be interested in the presidency.

Kapijimpanga said Namugala refused to campaign for her in Kanchibiya, saying she would rather campaign for a dog.

Magande revealed how Namugala helped propagate the lies on Zambian Airways against him.

Labels: CATHERINE NAMUGALA, JUDITH KAPIJIMPANGA

posted by MrK @ 3:06 PM