Maravi

Chiengi MMD suspends adoption process

Chiengi MMD suspends adoption process
By Patson Chilemba
Wed 15 June 2011, 06:20 CAT

MMD structures in Chiengi have now resolved to suspend interviews for those who have applied to be adopted as councillors until Katele Kalumba is freed from his corruption cases.

And the MMD in Chiengi said President Rupiah Banda promised senior chief Puta of the Bwile people that he would free area member of parliament Kalumba from his corruption cases.

Chiengi MMD district chairperson Thomas Kazembe said all the MMD committees in Chiengi district met on Monday and resolved to reaffirm their position that no interviews would be entertained for those who wished to be members of parliament and councillors in Chiengi.

“The committee sitting today comprising district, constituency, ward chairmen and ward applicants have affirmed the outstanding resolution that no other parliamentary candidate apart from Katele Kalumba in Chiengi shall be allowed,” stated Kazembe. “And they have also resolved to suspend the interviews for councillors until further notice.”

And Chiengi MMD Constituency chairman Emmanuel Muweleni also echoed Kazembe’s statement that Kalumba should be freed for the other candidates to be considered.

He said President Banda openly promised chief Puta that he would free Kalumba.
“He promised openly on many occasions to senior chief Puta that ‘please chief give me sometime, after the MMD convention, this person’s cases will finish’.

At the end of May senior chief Puta went to State House and was told that ‘he Kalumba shall be freed after the general elections’.

Now we have seen that these cases will not end,” Muweleni said. “We are upset that President Banda freed Chiluba and Xavier Chungu but not Katele…the only crime that Katele has committed is his popularity in the party.”

Muweleni said the people were thankful to President Banda for facilitating the evacuation of Kalumba to India for medical treatment, but that he did so with an ulterior motive.

“Lelo ba Bwezani Banda ba President ba Republic of Zambia bacitile ici icakutila baletambila Katele mu cifungo (He did so in order to see Katele in prison). As constituency chairman, many people, the chiefs, the headmen and branch officials are angry.

We are also upset that they have added salt on the wound by chasing our DC Chewe Samuel and they are saying ‘we shall bring Chasaya’,” Muweleni said. “We haven’t stayed with him. Why didn’t they allow Chewe to stay so that he could finish the problems we have? We shall die with a ‘no’ on Katele. We shall only consider MPs with a condition that they free Katele.”

Muweleni advised Frederick Chiluba against going to Chiengi to campaign for the MMD.

“Pali ba Chiluba, kwena ba Chiluba ngabakesa ku Chiengi ukwisa mukucita campaign, awe bakaikatishe, bakaikatishe sana. It is Chiluba who was with Katele and appointed Katele as finance minister. Why is it that he is free and Katele remains convicted? Xavier Chungu is free.

He even left the country, akwata ishuko shani iyakukakuluka mumilandu (where has he gotten the luck to be freed from the charges against him)?” asked Muweleni.

He said education minister Dora Siliya was reappointed into Cabinet immediately after the court case against her on the Zamtel-RP Capital scam.

Muweleni said he had not received applications for people wishing to stand as members of parliament, saying even on the councillors they had just received applications although there would no interviews.

“Natwiminika fyonse kuti tumone efyo ba President balabomba pali Katele (We have held on to everything to see how the President will handle the Katele issue),” said Muweleni.

Labels: KATELE KALUMBA, MMD

posted by MrK @ 4:36 AM