Maravi

Jails are now for MMD - Namugala

Jails are now for MMD - Namugala
By Post Staff
Sat 26 May 2012, 13:00 CAT

CATHERINE Namugala says jails in the country are now full of MMD members. Meanwhile, Enoch Kavindele says the MMD has lost out on his ability to re-organise the party by voting for Pastor Nevers Mumba as its president.

The provincial conventions held yesterday elected Pastor Mumba as the party's new leader after he polled 870 votes, representing 67.3 per cent, in a re-run, beating Felix Mutati who followed with 422.

In the first round, Pastor Mumba came out first with 557 votes against his closest rival, Mutati, who polled 366, but failed to garner the required 51 per cent vote.

This necessitated the amendment of the 51 per cent clause which was replaced with a requirement that the winning candidate gets 50 per cent plus one vote.

Mutati, who conceded defeat, said the poll outcome was a victory for the party as democracy, one of the tenets on which it was founded, had prevailed.

"I am willing to serve the party in any position members deem fit," said Mutati when he addressed cadres outside Charles Fisher Hall in Kitwe yesterday.

And Kavindele, the former Republican vice-president, said he was ably knowledgeable of the party, being a long-serving MMD member.

"Well, they will lose my ability to reorganise the party and my knowledge of the party. I would like to believe that our members who have voted…do know what they were promised. So we look to the reorganisation of the party," said Kavindele.

"Well, the people have decided. We campaigned. We told them what we will do for the party. They have chosen…That is what democracy is all about."

Addressing MMD members before the start of the presidential convention at Luangwa House in Chipata yesterday, Namugala, the MMD national chairperson for women, said it was unfortunate that the PF government "want to silence the opposition".

"We have seen what has started happening. In Lusaka we see them, even in Mafinga, we see them. If they (PF government) see you speaking, they arrest you and lock you up. The jails are now for MMD and not any other people. When you say 'this is wrong' they lock you up. This is not the country we fought for in 1991, no," Namugala said.

She said Zambians wanted democracy so that they do not live like slaves.

"We didn't vote to become slaves in 1991, we voted for democracy so that people can vote for the person they want. If one wants to be MMD, that person will be MMD, not what the PF is doing now. They are removing MMD members in cooperatives and clubs, they only want PF members," Namugala said.

She urged MMD members to be strong for the sake of the country.

"Let's be strong, if they are to throw us in (police) cells then they should put all of us in police cells. Don't fear and be strong. We want MMD to be strong because the country can be destroyed without a strong opposition," Namugala said.

She urged the delegates to vote for someone who was capable of making MMD bounce back to power in 2016.

"You lost president Rupiah Banda; you registered in masses but instead of going to vote, you went to look for bush mouse. You refused to go and vote for your relative by remaining at home. Very few people voted for Rupiah Banda and he lost. So today, we want you to vote well so that MMD can bounce back," Namugala said.

She urged provincial MMD chairperson Ezekiel Mtonga to keep the party members well.

Namugala said the grassroot MMD membership was intact and that only those who want to buy vehicles and houses were leaving the party.

Only three MMD members of parliament - Whiteson Banda for Milanzi, Levy Ngoma for Sinda and Reuben Mtolo Phiri for Chipata Central whose election was nullified by the High Court recently but has since appealed against the judgment - out of 15 in the province were in attendance at the convention.

And the MMD has created two positions for the vice-presidency.

The position of party vice-president in the MMD, last held by Kavindele, was frozen in 2005 by the national executive committee during Levy Mwanawasa's reign.

Labels: CATHERINE NAMUGALA, ENOCH KAVINDELE, FELIX MUTATI, MMD, NEVERS MUMBA

posted by MrK @ 7:12 PM