Maravi

MMD rift widens
By Kombe Chimpinde
Tue 30 July 2013, 14:01 CAT

MMD vice-president Michael Kaingu says MMD is bigger than Nevers Mumba. And Kaingu says that Mumba is the one sending youths to insult Dr Brian Chituwo, Kapembwa Simbao and Kabinga Pande.

Kaingu said ever since he, Chituwo, Simbao and Pande went to meet Mumba to discuss the state of affairs in the party, they decided to show leadership by keeping quiet, while people like Bowman Lusambo had continued issuing insults against them in the press.

"I have not issued any statement, and from the people's side, there is not a single person who has made a statement. There is only one side that is making statements," Kaingu said.

"Let me tell you something, MMD is not about one person. It is bigger than all of us. We have a lot of people. MMD is all of us including president Nevers Mumba, and MMD is going to clean itself and those who will not be found fit in the MMD formula, they should leave on their own or MMD will throw them out. That is all because at the end of the day we (MMD) want to form government and that is what the people want."

Kaingu said in reference to Lusambo's media address at the party secretariat yesterday that it was shameful for a suspended party member to be allowed to make statements at the party secretariat.

He dismissed assertions that a group of 'MMD die hard' youths aggrieved by his statement were slated to go and manhandle some officials at the secretariat in Lusaka.

"Let me tell you that even if I organise 15 or 20 youth to protect me or the four of us, if MMD does not like me, there is nothing I am doing," he said.

Kaingu warned that inciting violence would not solve the problems the party is facing.

"When you bake a piece of cake and it does not come out nicely, even if you put decorations, icing and whatever, you are wasting your time. The cake is not good. MMD is still a good party. Everywhere you go, they will tell you MMD is very strong but you must look at your leadership and me as vice-president political, I have received so many calls from North-Western Province and everywhere," Kaingu said.

"One of us (chairperson for mines Maxwell Mwale) has just resigned, find out why Hon Mwale left. Find out why Canisius Banda left. Find out why people are leaving because they are giving reasons why they are leaving and I am sure they are not saying that 'Kaingu is a bad man'. MMD is big, bigger than all of us."

And Kaingu said it was unfortunate that as vice-president, he was no longer aware of party activities.

"The only thing I see is a young man, in the name of Bowman Lusambo, insulting the leaders. It's shameful and it is not that we cannot find people to insult also. I don't think leadership makes us to react in that manner," Kaingu said.

"I am MMD and even my blood smells MMD. Let those who want to destroy the party destroy it. That is my comment. My party card is 159,500, that is my card. A 1991 card, that is my card and I am MMD through and through and I will not be part of the people who want to destroy it. They have a reason to do that."

Kaingu said he and his three colleagues at the helm of MMD were made of different material and that a time would come when they would decide the way forward in a mature and orderly manner.

"If the four of us react, as a group or as individuals then we won't be solving anything. Remember the four of us were cabinet ministers, it means there is a lot of leadership in us," said Kaingu.

Lusambo recently described Kaingu, Pande, Dr Chituwo and Simbao as political serial killers for asking Mumba to step down as party president following poor performance and its dwindling fortunes.

And when contacted for a comment, Mumba's aide Nakacinda, who opted to speak on his behalf, said he would not be dragged into petty issues.

"These are supposed to be senior leaders of the party, so if they are senior leaders of the party, they are supposed to discuss those issues with the president. They have access to the president. There is nobody who can say the president is shielded from them," he said.

"Vice-president political Kaingu is immediate to the president. Have you ever heard the president say anything or comment on anything on this matter? You can't take Bowman, just like himself, for example what happened to his daughter Iris as his affair; his daughter is an individual and made an individual decision to do whatever happened and he (Kaingu) can't be held responsible. Equally, Bowman is an individual who had been operating as party symphathiser of MMD way before Mr Mumba became president."

He said Bowman was not a mouthpiece of Mumba and that he was a person the party was trying to manage.

He said Mumba was focused on organising the party and not petty issues.

"If the party chooses that is the way to go, it's their choice. If there is any issue that arises within or outside the party, there is no problem that is insurmountable for the party, even in this situation there is no need for the leaders to panic, all they need is to use the same courage to take the step they are reported to have taken to also have the courage, in a mature and orderly manner, and focus on what they want to resolve because they are saying all that in the interest of the party," said Nakacinda.

Labels: MICHAEL KAINGU, MMD, NEVERS MUMBA

posted by MrK @ 4:19 PM