Hijackers caused MMD to crash, says Muteteka

Hijackers caused MMD to crash, says Muteteka
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Mon 26 Sep. 2011, 14:50 CAT

THE people who hijacked MMD after 2008 have caused its crash, says party national youth chairman Moses Muteteka. And Muteteka has explained that former president Rupiah Banda lost because he surrounded himself with people who were not adding value to the party but simply after personal benefits.

In an interview yesterday, Muteteka said the vigilante-type of politics that fugitive MMD Lusaka Province chairman William Banda exhibited contributed to the party's dismal performance in Lusaka and other areas. He said key members of the presidential team were not serious and lacked commitment.

"Politics is a very serious business and therefore whoever is in politics must be extremely serious because it is about life and death to govern," said Muteteka, who is also MMD member of parliament for Chisamba.

"What has happened to MMD is a reflection of how weak we were. We have learnt a lesson and now we have to reorganise as MMD and stick to our ideology. It's not too late. We can still reorganise because some of us are still young in politics and we are very passionate that tomorrow we can provide leadership of this country."

Muteteka said the new MMD members who increased their influence after the death of president Levy Mwanawasa have caused the end of MMD's 20-year rule.

"You can't tell by the time you are co-opting some members what they will do when they are inside. Not all members performed to expectations. Actually, some members contributed to our fall," he said. "I am one person who came out to tell off people like William Banda about the way he was conducting himself. He has contributed to this.

Just like William Banda, there were others who were overexcited and have now seen what it means to be overexcited. They were frustrating hardworking members. You beat one person, you don't know how big their clan is. The whole clan will decide not to vote for MMD just because of one person you have beaten. It doesn't pay to be overexcited."

Muteteka explained that Banda's team was ill-composed and faulty to carry out effective campaign to secure victory for MMD.

He said the influential youth and women who constitute the majority of voters lacked representation on the presiden
tial campaign team.

"I myself as national youth chairman was told that ‘just stick to your constituency'. The youths wanted to hear from me what commitments we have for them. And I stayed in Chisamba and we have won. We needed people like Mrs Maureen Mwanawasa to be part of the campaign team.

"Mrs Mwanawasa has a rich profile and detailed CV curriculum vitae.
She has participated in supporting president Mwanawasa in 2006 elections and people know what she did," he said. "She has a lot of influence and she inspires other women. What was wrong with including her in the campaign team? There are people who wanted to hijack the whole system.

Most of these people Rupiah Banda's inner circle, personally when I was working for late president Mwanawasa, I participated by bringing them in MMD. But when they came in, they thought they can hijack the experts. These are silly mistakes that have cost us. They should have given respect to people who are positioned. The loss is regrettable because it has put a lot of people in jeopardy. Positions being held by some people must be explained in terms of job description. Some people just get into a position and they don't know

the demands of those offices. And this is the more reason they can't perform. That is what has cost us."

Muteteka said the 22 PF ‘rebel' MPs, apart from Rupiah Banda's inner circle, were also to blame for MMD's loss.

"President Banda is not as bad as he has been made to appear. For me, Banda was a very listening person and very humble but people took advantage of him and they have messed him up," Muteteka said.

"Those rebel MPs, I have nothing to say. But let them reflect on their past and actions because they attracted the president to pay attention to them when some of them had nothing to deliver."

Meanwhile, Muteteka pledged to work with President Michael Sata, adding that the newly-elected President should leave "his doors" open to advice.

He further called on all Zambians to rally behind President Sata, whose election he described as the will of the people.

Muteteka appealed to Zambians to support President Michael Sata and the ruling PF.

"As member of parliament, I will cooperate with the ruling party PF government and the President Sata because it's not about me but the people of Chisamba," said Muteteka.

"I want to appeal to all Zambians to rally behind the government of the day because if it perfoms well, it is for the benefit of this country. If it fails, we all regret. For now, we have a captain who needs a lot of support. We know his weaknesses, we know his strengths.

Where he has weaknesses, we are available…let us be available and help. The Church, the clergy, let us all rally behind what the people have decided. Today, this is the President. Let us advise him. Let him also open his doors for advice even from people like me. Let him leave his doors open. It is for the sake of this country."