Maravi

MMD leaders have become crybabies - Matambo
By Kombe Chimpinde in Lusaka and Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Fri 12 July 2013, 14:00 CAT

MMD chairperson for elections Kenneth Chipunga says the MMD National Executive Committee is yet to decide on supporting the UPND in the Kafulafuta and Solwezi East by-election.

But the UPND on the Copperbelt says the MMD is too weak and its leaders have become 'crying babies' because their members are defecting to join Hakainde Hichilema's camp.

In an interview, Chipungu said MMD members that were currently backing the UPND in the named areas were doing so in their individual capacities.

"We have not sat down. No decision has been made so far. We are however not supporting anybody. That is entirely up to the individuals in those areas," Chipungu said. "What is supposed to happen is the leadership of the two parties must meet and work out a system but that has not happened."
The MMD, through its leaders have expressed disappointment with the UPND's move to court some MMD members and convince them to cross to their party, on the pretext that 'it was the most attractive opposition party'.

But UPND Copperbelt coordinator Elisha Matambo said the party would continue to attract more MMD members because the former ruling party had nothing to offer.

Matambo said the UPND was growing like bush fire and it was happy that many members in the MMD were defecting to join them.

"We will be happy even to see Nevers Mumba, the MMD leader defect and join us in the UPND. Every day we are receiving people that want to join us from all political parties. We are in Kafulafuta campaigning and the ground is fertile for us. We will defeat them, the PF and the MMD combined, that is if they want to work together. We don't need to get permission from Michael Kaingu who is the vice-president in the MMD when their people want to join us. For what? They have nothing to offer and the people are seeing life in the UPND," Matambo said.

Matambo said the party would continue to welcome everybody from the MMD, except Bowman Lusambo who had decided to work with the PF to destroy the opposition.

"MMD leaders should not have a short memory. Remember they poached our secretary general, the late Ben Tetamashimba, including the former minister of labour Austin Liato but we never cried like babies, we moved on and the MMD must also go out and recruit members, nobody will stop them," Matambo said.

But MMD youths say the UPND would be embarrassed further in Kafulafuta and Solwezi-East because they had already joined the PF in the campaigns to ensure the ruling party wins the two elections.

And PF Copperbelt youth secretary Chanda Kabwe said the UPND should not drag the name of the ruling party in its frustrations as it was evident on the ground in Kafulafuta that it had no numbers.

Kabwe said the PF would welcome everyone that wants to work with it in good faith to support the party to uplift the living standards of the people including MMD youths that had pledged to support the ruling party in Kafulafuta and Solwezi-East.

"It's a political joke for the UPND to say they will win in Kafulafuta where they have no structures or people. The people of Kafulafuta want to work with the PF for development and nothing else," said Kabwe.

Labels: MMD

posted by MrK @ 3:33 PM