Nevers is a fraud who has weakened MMD - Namugala

Nevers is a fraud who has weakened MMD - Namugala
By Allan Mulenga and Roy Habaalu
Fri 11 Jan. 2013, 14:00 CAT

NEVERS Mumba is a fraud who has weakened MMD, says Catherine Namugala. But MMD acting national secretary Kapembwa Simbao says Namugala's conduct is likely to bring the MMD into contempt, ridicule and disrepute.

However, Namugala insists that Simbao is not MMD national secretary. And MMD Die-Hard national coordinator Bowman Lusambo on Tuesday reported Namugala to the police for allegedly threatening violence.

Simbao had written Namugala, who is Mafinga MMD member of parliament, a disciplinary letter dated December 24, 2012, in which he charged her on two counts.

The first charge was that Namugala's statement in The Post of December 20, last year under the headline; 'Namugala Wants Nevers Out', was malicious and contemptuous.

"The fact that the statement comes from a very senior member of the party creates an impression our party has lost direction and is in shambles. Your message to the members through your press statement frustrates the spirit of reconstructing our party in the midst of our adversity and thereby hinders ultimate rapid growth which we are tirelessly striving to achieve," stated Simbao.

He stated that Namugala was insubordinate to senior party organs and officials in relation to regulation seven of 1993.

"You have failed to comply and adhere to an agreed party position not to issue press statements without obtaining express clearance and permission from the chief executive of the party, the national secretary," Simbao stated.

"You are fully aware that such media reports have the potential to dent the image of the party. In view of the aforesaid, coupled with the seriousness of the charges levelled against you. You are therefore, required to submit an exculpatory statement in defence or lack of it within 10 days from the date of this letter in conformity with regulation 9(2) of the disciplinary regulations - 1993."
In her response dated January 2, 2013, Namugala stated that she would not relent in calling for Mumba's removal.

"I will not relent to call for the removal of Nevers Mumba because he is not a duly-elected president of our party. Instead, he is a fraud who has weakened our party and, unless removed, the party will go into oblivion," read her letter in part, which was copied to Mumba, vice-president for political affairs Michael Kaingu and his administration counterpart Brian Chituwo, as well as chairperson for legal affairs Bradford Machila.
Namugala stated that the disciplinary charges levelled against her were frivolous and orchestrated by Mumba.

"As relates to your charges against me, please note that they are misplaced and orchestrated by Nevers Mumba because both Mumba and I have been quoted by the media as saying one thing or the other. I therefore demand that you also take disciplinary action against him and charge Nevers Mumba for bringing the name of the party into disrepute by issuing statements against Dr Chituwo and I as having been sponsored to destabilise the party," she stated.

And Namugala stated that Simbao was not MMD national secretary.
"Firstly, please note that you are not the national secretary of our party MMD and that the substantive national secretary is Major Richard Kachingwe. Therefore, you have no standing, nor authority, to charge me.

That notwithstanding, your purported disciplinary charges have given me an opportunity to put on record facts that are to be said about the state of our party, especially the leadership of Dr Nevers Mumba," stated the letter.
The MMD has been embroiled in wrangles over Mumba's leadership.

And in a turn of events in MMD, Lusambo, who arrived at Lusaka's Bennie Mwiinga police post after 11:00 hours, complained that he was living in fear after Namugala allegedly said during an interview with ZNBC that she would finish the Die-Hard.

He was accompanied by Scorpion Kadobi, an MMD member who, with Lusambo, is facing a charge of assaulting Maj Kachingwe.
"My life is in danger because Namugala has paid some youths to physically beat me and it's those same youths after they are paid that come and inform me of their plan. The people she's been using have confessed to me that they are working on a plan to attack me," Lusambo told officer-in-charge Steven Kabwe before lodging a formal complaint.

Lusambo said most of the youths being used were not MMD members but jobless ones that Namugala had taken advantage of.
"She (Namugala) has told them to manhandle me and fortunately for me, they are telling the plan at every stage before they execute their mission. I receive private phone calls from anonymous people, warning me to watch my steps," he said.

Asked why Namugala could be planning to harm him, Lusambo said he had no clue whatsoever.
Lusambo said he was not being a coward by reporting the matter to the police and that he was a law-abiding citizen.