Maravi

MMD’s silence over threats on Duffy is an indictment on the party - Mpombo

MMD’s silence over threats on Duffy is an indictment on the party - Mpombo
By Salim Dawood
Tue 21 Sep. 2010, 04:00 CAT

GEORGE Mpombo has described as satanic, Copperbelt MMD information secretary Chiko Chibale’s threats to lead an MMD crack squad to Western Province to manhandle Mongu diocese, Bishop Paul Duffy. And Mpombo has said the silence by the MMD leadership over the threats is an indictment on the party and its leadership.

Meanwhile Copperbelt police commanding officer Dr Martin Malama has said police will arrest Chibale as soon as an official complaint is lodged against him. Commenting on Chibale’s threats to travel to Mongu to manhandle Bishop Duffy, Mpombo told the Post Online that Chibale’s behaviour had no place in modern civilized politics.

“It’s a retrogressive statement, it belongs to stone age politics and people must be able to discuss issues intelligently rather than resolving to those uncivilized ways of dealing with issues. It paints a very bad picture because we (MMD) are the ones that are in government and therefore we should portray a very healthy picture about democracy,” he said.

Mpombo who has contested his expulsion from the MMD as a member and Kafulafuta member of parliament said the MMD should lead by example when it comes to democracy and good governance.

“That statement amounts to the behaviour of a roaring park of wild dogs. The democratic advantage which we have made in the country risks to be reversed, ours should be a shining city on a hill in terms of democratic performances,” he said.

“So that one should be condemned in the strongest terms, it should be condemned by all peace loving people because we cannot have a situation like this to continue, where men of God are being threatened with beatings and evictions, you know that sort of thing is satanic and should not be allowed. That’s satanic behaviour and should not be allowed in Zambia.”

He said the MMD party leadership should have come out in the open and distanced itself from Chibale’s threats but its failure to do so was an indictment on the party and a sign that the threats had the blessings of the party leadership.

“The failure by the MMD to respond, the loud silence is a serious indictment on the MMD leadership and the party because the party should have distanced itself from that kind of negative statement, but by their silence it seems, this is being condoned from the highest office,” Mpombo charged.

Mpombo said that it was not the first time that MMD members had made threats on people and nothing had been done.

He recalled that MMD youth national chairperson, Chris Chalwe had threatened to gang rape Forum for Democratic Development (FDD) Edith Nawakwi but nothing had been done to date.

“So we have reached a very critical and dangerous stage in terms of good governance by the MMD. The ramifications are very very clear, it obviously can lead to the breakdown in the jurisdiction of law and order in the country,” he said.

“It also destroys the gains we have made as a democratic nation where people’s rights to express themselves is now under serious threat. People must be able to express themselves without being threatened in the manner Bishop Duffy has been threatened.”

But Dr Malama said police had not received an official complaint on Chibale’s threats on Bishop Duffy.

Dr Malama said any person or resident was free to go and lodge an official complaint and the police would act regardless of which party or tribe the person being complained about came from.

“We have not received an official complaint but if we have it has not yet come to my attention. However whenever threats of such nature are made on a person or persons and its reported we will be able to investigate it and once its proved to be true we will be able to pursue it,” he said.

Dr Malama said police did not encourage people to make threats on each other and warned that such people would be pursued as everyone was equal before the law.

“It doesn’t matter which political party or tribe, people under the law are equal,” he said.

Dr Malama said Zambia was a democratic state and a beacon of peace that was envied by its neighbours and was even the chair for the organ of defense and security in Southern Africa Development Community SADC owing to the existing peace.

“Zambian people all across our country cherish peace and we will not take lightly to anyone who is leveling threats or trying to tarnish that good image of the nation,” warned Dr Malama.

Labels: CADRES, GEORGE MPOMBO, PAUL DUFFY, POLITICAL VIOLENCE

posted by MrK @ 6:05 PM