Maravi

GBM, leave PF
By Allan Mulenga and Roy Habaalu
Thu 26 Dec. 2013, 12:30 CAT

PF chairperson for labour and social security Davies Mwila has advised Geoffrey Mwamba to leave the party in peace rather than cause confusion. And Robert Chikwelete says Mwamba is indisciplined and has no place in PF.

Commenting on Mwamba's resignation as defence minister after President Michael Sata admonished him following his visit to Paramount Chief Chitimukulu Henry Sosala, whom government has not recognised, Mwila, who a couple of months ago was Mwamba's deputy but resigned, advised him to leave the party if he wished to do so. Mwila, who is also Chipili PF member or parliament, said the party was above individuals like Mwamba.

"When I resigned as defence deputy minister, I resigned quietly. Even up to now, people don't know why I resigned. As I am speaking, I am in good books with the party and the President because I have to give respect to the President. Even if I am aggrieved, I am not happy, I am not supposed to talk ill against the President," he said.

"If he was not happy about what the President said, he should have just resigned and keep quiet because one day, he will come back, unless he is telling us that he is leaving the party. The institution is above individuals. So, the party is above GBM. So, if he thinks that he has money, let him leave."

Mwila said Mwamba needed to show loyalty to President Sata because he was holding a very important position in the government.

"What he said about the President in public, I don't think that the relationship between him and the President will continue; because there is no loyalty to the President and the party," he said.

"He was once Minister of Defence; if he wants to leave, let him leave quietly, but if he starts making those statements, it shows that there is no loyalty. He was holding a very important position in a very important ministry and he is just supposed to show loyalty.

"He is not supposed to go to the press and talk about the differences he had with the President. He can't do that unless he is leaving the party. If he is leaving the party, he can speak the way he spoke because respect must be given to the head of state, who is our party president."

Mwila recalled a time in 2010, when Mwamba resigned as PF chairperson for elections and Kasama member of parliament following differences with his wife.

Mwila also recalled that Mwamba acted with emotions when he was advised against using State security at his official residence.

"...Honourable Request Muntanga, an MP for Kalomo, raised the issue of security in Parliament. He asked a question on which officials in government were supposed to have State security. His honour the Vice-President answered that: 'His Excellency the President and His Honour the Vice-President'. By that time, honourable Mwamba had security at his house, who were the soldiers. The President decided that security be removed at his home," he recounted.

"You will recall that GBM abandoned GRZ vehicle, he stopped using GRZ vehicle. As his deputy, together with Colonel Lungu, the deputy minister in charge of Zambia National Service, who was my witness by that time, we went to his office and told him that, 'This is wrong' he can't abandon GRZ vehicle. It is like he has abandoned the position of minister. After sometime, he went back and started using the GRZ vehicle."

And Chikwelete, a former PF Chawama Constituency chairman, said it was sad that Mwamba, as a senior party official, showed no respect for the appointing authority.
He said it was unacceptable that a Cabinet minister could discredit the President in the manner Mwamba did.

Chikwelete said Mwamba's replacement was an indication that everyone was replaceable in PF.

He said President Michael Sata had shown that no one could hold him to ransom regardless of their contribution to the party or the position they hold.

"That's insubordination. How do you disagree with the President at a press briefing in your village? The President was trying to find out something from him and he goes to embarrass him! He's got no respect for the head of state, the man who built PF and brought us together. It shows that he's a man with no discipline and should not be allowed in the party," Chikwelete said.

Chikwelete said Mwamba was one of those that joined the party with a hidden agenda.

"These are the people with double standards it shows that even the divisions that rocked the party they were the ones behind its good they are beginning to be exposed for sponsoring confusion," Chikwelete said.

"These are the ones that were mentioned to be fuelling violence and today they are falling out of the party. This tells you such elements are not trust-worthy. In this case we need to get rid of him from the party and replace him with those that care for the party," said Chikwelete.

Chikwelete was in the Mwamba camp during the height of calls for PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba to step down. He later owned up and apologised to Kabimba, saying he would no long accept to be used to get at him.

Meanwhile, PF Northern Provincial committee has urged the party's Central Committee to suspend Mwamba from the party for insubordination.

Northern Province acting PF provincial chairperson, Peter Mwansa, wondered how Mwamba would work with the party hierarchy when he had failed to respect President Sata.
Mwansa said the provincial leadership had resolved to petition the party's Central Committee over Mwamba's conduct towards President Sata.

"We doubt the loyalty of Ba Mwamba or GBM as a member of the party. In the first place, he was a member of the party, and member of parliament for Kasama Central, now he has resigned from his ministerial post and that means that his loyalty will not be 100 per cent to the party," he said.

Mwansa said it was prudent that Mwamba leaves the party because he could not be trusted.

"We would want him to leave the party as well because he will not be loyal to the party. We are asking him to resign from the party because his loyalty will no longer be the same when he was serving as the Minister of Defence," said Mwansa.

During his resignation on Monday in Kasama, Mwamba told his supporters at his house that if the PF also wanted him out of the party, he would consult them on the next move.

Labels: CHIEFS, DAVIES MWILA, GBM, PF, ROBERT CHIKWELETE

posted by MrK @ 1:06 PM