Maravi

Mabenga irrelevant to MMD, says Katele

Mabenga irrelevant to MMD, says Katele
By Allan Mulenga
Tue 10 Apr. 2012, 13:29 CAT

MICHAEL Mabenga has become completely irrelevant to MMD, says Dr Katele Kalumba. In an interview, Dr Kalumba, who is former MMD national secretary, said Mabenga should not shy away from the challenges faced by the party.

"Chairman Mabenga, please be man enough and lead the party. You can't even provide guidance to my brother Major Richard Kachingwe, you can't! You are failing, you are becoming completely irrelevant, have principles. We founded MMD on principle," he said.

Dr Kalumba accused Mabenga, the acting MMD president, of subverting democracy within the party.

"Maybe he doesn't know what his job is. I know that the former president did not leave him with the party accounts at all. That I know for a fact, he has confessed somewhere and perhaps he is suffering from some kind of emasculation. The way to cry is not subverting democracy within the MMD. Let him come out and complain publicly what his injury is. I am an ordinary member, I do not go in front of cameras to renew my membership. I have a branch where I renew my membership, so let him stop that level of debate. He is shying away from dealing with the challenges of the party," he said.

Dr Kalumba urged Mabenga to face realities when dealing with issues that affect the party.

"Chairman Mabenga has always been intriguing… when the real issues to tackle he has buried his head in a Sharpenerian hole, the equivalent of an ostrich burying its head in the sand. He has never as a chairman stood up for anybody or for anything other than beating the drums of power which he does not actually wield," he said.

Asked on Mabenga's challenge that he should explain his status in MMD, Dr Kalumba said he was not only founding member of the party, but also a dedicated member.

"We have the obligation to protect the party that I, with many others, risked our lives even to the possibility of being arrested by the Kaunda regime at Garden hotel. I am the founding member of this party. I have risked my body, soul and spirit to seeing it to the level where it won elections not lose. I sacrificed even my party allowance when I was the national secretary, the K5 million that was supposed to come to me. I ploughed it back into administering the party. The allowances that were attached from Parliament as a member of parliament I ploughed it back into the party. I put my name on the front line. I have suffered ridicule in the name of the party," he said.

Dr Kalumba urged Mabenga to be ready to stand for all party members being treated unjustly.

"Mr Mabenga doesn't know the value of that walk to Garden hotel. If he does, let him stand up for something. Let him speak up for something. Let him denounce that which is wrong whether it comes from his village or it comes from Shalusinga or Chienge," he said.

"If it is wrong, it wrong. Let him stand up for somebody who is being treated unjustly, that is the measure of a man not how much power you can exercise to destroy but how much power you can exercise to protect the weak, to value that which is enshrined in your constitution particularly the right of a member to speak. As a chairman he is the one who is supposed to do that - to defend the membership. The secretariat has the obligation to exercise the powers of discipline, the chairman is supposed to be an advocate of the members."

Dr Kalumba vowed to continue speaking on issues affecting the party.

"I am exercising the right of a member under the MMD constitution to speak, to question, to advocate for those issues that affect us as members. I am not a member of the national executive committee of any branch, any ward , any constituency, district, province or the national executive committee, I am just a member of the party with the right to speak as a member," said Dr Kalumba.

Mabenga urged Dr Katele Kalumba to explain his status in MMD. He doubted whether Dr Kalumba was still a member of the MMD following his criticism of the former ruling party.

Labels: KATELE KALUMBA, MICHAEL MABENGA, MMD, POLITICS

posted by MrK @ 3:12 PM