By Stuart Lisulo
Thu 03 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
MIKE Mulongoti says those fighting to remove Wynter Kabimba have bigger things at stake which are to do with the future leadership of the PF and not the secretary general's perceived 'arrogance'.
Some senior members of PF want Kabimba removed as secretary general of the party, citing arrogance and his alleged failure to mobilise the party.
But Kabimba recently said there was a tribal clique in the PF behind the members pushing for his resignation.
However, finance minister Alexander Chikwanda, who was among the 11 who went for Kabimba in their last joint meeting of the central committee and Cabinet, issued a statement, calling for an end to careless talk bordering on tribalism.
But Mulongoti said the direction which the PF leadership was taking in dealing with the fate of Kabimba was a recipe for disintegration.
"The direction they are taking is not helpful to them as a ruling party. We have seen this happen before in UNIP and MMD. In the end, unless they are very strong, it is a recipe for disintegration. No matter how much they want to pretend, it is not easy to do away with a national secretary of a political party and hope the matter can just die like that,'' he said.
Mulongoti, who is People's Party president, observed that the fight against Kabimba could not be a question of his perceived 'arrogance' but more to do with the future leadership of the PF.
"I have had a look at the PF manifesto and constitution. I don't think there is a provision to provide for arrogance as an issue, as an offence, because arrogance has got to do with the attitude of an individual. Even when Mr Kabimba was being elected as secretary general, most knew what his character was but how come all of a sudden, it has become an issue? I think it goes beyond that. It is not a question of his arrogance; it is a question of bigger things at stake and more so to do with the future leadership of the party,'' he said.
Mulongoti said the manner in which PF was dealing with Kabimba was not a solution to the internal problems of the PF.
"The very issues of corruption and tribalism point to specific individuals because corruption, nepotism and tribalism do not exist in a vacuum. Whether they (PF) like it or not, the public have been aroused to the fact that these issues are not dead; they are there,'' he said.
Meanwhile, Mulongoti observed that as political developments had been unfolding, it was clear that control had been given to political party cadres as opposed to those who had the intellectual capacity to do so.
"The people who lack intellectual rigour, the people who have got 'poverty of thought' seem to be in control of politics in our land,'' he said.
Mulongoti also encouraged the elite of the PF not to keep quiet when mob psychology was moving in.
He observed that President Michael Sata should make a decision on the matter in the interest of the nation.
"No matter how much the President keeps silent, the issue will still get to his table. He must make a decision because by not deciding, it's also a decision. So everybody is watching with interest, not only the people in PF but also even the general public in Zambia. They are interested to know how this saga is going to be resolved. The President must make a decision. It is not a matter that he can continue pretending it doesn't exist. It exists, it's there, so he must make a decision,'' said Mulongoti.
Labels: MIKE MULONGOTI, PF, WYNTER KABIMBA
posted by MrK @ 2:35 PM
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