Police summon MMD candidate over vote buying
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Sun 18 Sep. 2011, 13:53 CAT
Mufulira police last week summoned MMD Mufulira Constituency candidate Evans Chibanda over allegations that he got over 300 voters cards in Kawama East on Monday afternoon.
Chibanda's summoning followed a complaint by the PF candidate John Kufuna.
Police sources in Mufulira disclosed that Chibanda was summoned to report to the central police over allegations of vote buying.
"There are serious campaigns here and the situation is becoming tense everyday. In the midst of intensified campaigns, we are receiving all sorts of electoral malpractice reports; the latest being the one involving Evans Chibanda. The record at the police is that he was buying voters cards in Kawama on Monday and he has been summoned to appear before the police for questioning," the source said.
However, Chibanda refuted the allegations saying he was merely verifying in the voters register whether the people he was giving MMD party regalia were voters or not.
He said he never collected any voter's cards from the people of Kawama.
Chibanda said as a candidate, he had the right to check and verify on whether the people he was giving MMD party regalia during campaigns were voters.
"These materials we are giving people are very expensive and as candidates, we bought the voters register. So we were merely checking on whether the people we were giving the materials are genuine voters.
I never got any single card because I also need votes. Now if I buy voter's cards where can I take them? These allegations are malicious and untrue," Chibanda said.
Kufuna in an interview said he was tipped by one of the residents of Kawama that Chibanda and his campaign committee team were collecting voter's cards from the people in the area.
"We decided to report the matter to the police and we went into Kawama with two police officers and they heard from the people who witnessed the malpractices of Evans Chibanda. They collected about three hundred voter's cards and witnesses are there to testify and they gave evidence before the police," Kufuna said.
He said people must be wary of the desperate attempts by the MMD to manipulate this year's elections.
Meanwhile, Mufulira electoral officer Charles Mwandila advised political parties to report any allegations of electoral malpractice to his office to allow the electoral conflict resolution committee to address the issues adequately.
Labels: EVANS CHIBANDA, MMD, VOTER REGISTRATION, VOTERIGGING
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MMD C/belt councillors call for change of top leadership
By Darious Kapembwa and Mwila Chansa
Sat 30 Oct. 2010, 04:00 CAT
SOME MMD councillors on the Copperbelt have said
the performance of the party in recent parliamentary and ward by-elections is a wake-up call to change the top leadership, starting with President Rupiah Banda. And the councillors have expressed fear that the MMD does not stand a chance in the forthcoming general elections next year, given its current form.
Speaking in separate interviews, MMD Mutaba ward councillor David Kalutwa said he agreed with some party leaders for contending that MMD Lusaka Province chairman William Banda was the cause of the loss that the party suffered in Chilanga.
“You see people like William Banda are UNIP mentalists and it’s people like him and President Rupiah Banda from UNIP who should be gotten rid of, in order to polish up the party, because how can one, day in and out keep intimidating people? MMD is not known for that, but it’s happening now and the result is that we have lost almost all elections,” Kalutwa said.
He said the recent results showed that the people of Zambia were fed up with the MMD even in rural areas.
“If you look at Chilanga, it was our seat, there is no way we can allow UPND to win it, and when you talk of Mpulungu it is a clear fact that the PF is in control of that area. When you calculate how PF has managed to reduce the gap from almost 6,000 previously to 400, it tells you that we are in serious problems come next year and I can assure you that we the people are on the ground and we are listening from the grassroots. William and Rupiah must go back to UNIP,” he charged.
Other councillors from Copperbelt who spoke on condition of anonymity said the levels of resentment had grown because people were fed up with the MMD.
The councilors, in apparent reference to President Banda, said it was clear that a certain commander-in-chief had brought in his own lieutenants from UNIP who understood very little about the MMD.
“My brother you know that it was not like this previously because we had MMD leaders, but this time no matter how people want to pretend to keep their jobs, the fact is that next year doesn’t look promising for us if we maintain these people,” the councilors said.
But MMD Copperbelt youth chairman Evans Chibanda said blaming William Banda for the loss in Chilanga was misplaced.
He said Chilanga had always been turbulent for the MMD because even in 2006 they just won it by a ‘whisker’.
He claimed that the MMD was not worried about the losses they encountered in ward by-elections in Ndola, Luanshya and Chinsali because they were PF strongholds.
Chibanda said much as the results of the by-elections across the country stood as a wake-up call for the MMD, they also showed that democracy was thriving because people were able to choose leaders of their choice.
Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, COPPERBELT PROVINCE, EVANS CHIBANDA, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA, WILLIAM BANDA
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Does Rupiah want to be a warlord?
By The Post
Mon 27 Sep. 2010, 04:00 CAT
When people start to admit that they are doing wrong things without fearing or expecting any reprisal, then we are slipping into anarchy.
The admission by Evans Chibanda, the MMD Copperbelt youth chairman that they have a militia or crack squad, as he calls it, is reckless exhibition of Rupiah Banda’s desperation to cling on to power at any cost.
This is because Chibanda is a second middle-ranking but very well-placed MMD official to publicly confirm that their party has a militia which they can unleash on anyone that they view as being disrespectful to Rupiah Banda. Their justification for forming this militia is that they should be in a position to enforce respect for Rupiah by means of violence if they see it fit to do so.
A few days ago, it was Chiko Chibale, Chibanda’s publicity secretary who audaciously announced that the MMD militia of which he is the Copperbelt commander would go to Western Province and deal decisively with Paul Duffy, the Roman Catholic Church Mongu diocese Bishop. The courage that Chibanda and Chibale are showing in making these treasonable pronouncements shows that they are not working alone.
These chaps obviously have protection and blessings from the highest powers within MMD, including Rupiah himself. It is abnormal for a party in government to keep quiet or fail to fully distance itself from such a grave pronouncement. Chibanda and Chibale are telling the nation that the MMD is getting ready to unleash violence as one of its tools in the campaign process and yet Rupiah finds it reasonable to keep quiet in the light of such serious revelations.
Rupiah and his friends are very quick to threaten their opponents with the visitation of the full might of the law when it suits them. This tendency of using the law wrongly and selectively is a danger to our peace and stability as a nation.
If the governing party, which despite controlling all the defence and security forces and agencies does not enjoy wide popularity, continues to threaten its people by creating things such as militias, they should not be surprised when their opponents decide to take their own measures to protect themselves.
We say this because there is no one who has the monopoly of violence. The violence of the MMD can only do one thing, and that is to breed counter violence. If that happens, where will it leave our country? Are we going to accept to have another Somalia governed by militias and warlords simply because Rupiah believes that he deserves to have another term of office by any means?
The silence of Rupiah and his senior cabinet and MMD colleagues in the wake of the announcement of the existence of MMD militias is a danger to Rupiah himself. It is said that those who live by the sword die by the sword; they will die the way they have lived – by violence.
This is why even when we train children we teach them to abhor violence. But this is not Rupiah’s approach. Rupiah behaves like one of those parents who if they found their son fighting with a friend, they would hold the other’s hands and let their son pound him whilst pretending to be stopping the fight.
This is what Rupiah has been doing. In public he pretends to have a stance against violence, and yet it is a well known fact that the MMD’s merchants of fury such as William Banda operate under the guidance and protection of Rupiah himself. It is Rupiah who resources them and ensures that they are able to go to their operational areas as and when they want to. Chibanda has told us that all the political parties have militias.
But as we said, he is forced to recognise that violence only breeds violence. This shameless brut has the audacity to say UPND is more violent than the MMD. What he is not denying is that the MMD is violent. His only defence is that he would like us to know that there are others who are more violent than him.
What kind of nonsense is this? Who, between the MMD and the UPND has the duty to maintain public order and security? The last time we checked, MMD was bragging that they are the government, they are ‘boma’. Accusing the UPND of being more violent does not take away the criminal announcement that the MMD has created a national militia that has regional commanders such as Chibale.
Rupiah swore to uphold the Constitution of our country. As imperfect as this document might be, it is still the supreme law of our land which must be respected by all, including Rupiah himself.
The folly of the over-concentration of power in one person is that such people reach a point where they rarely meet people who treat them as mere human beings. The power that the President has almost unavoidably leads him to surround himself with minions.
And minions, being what they are, cannot be anyone’s good adviser. They are simply what is sometimes called “his master’s voice”. They only say what they think the boss wants them to say. This leaves people like Rupiah who naturally lack humility and do not possess the highest levels of patriotic dedication, to believe that they are above the law, they are the law unto themselves.
This is why it is now common for the executive to decide who is going to be prosecuted for a crime and who is not, who is going to be convicted and who is going to be acquitted. These decisions that they make have nothing to do with the law but all to do with their whims and ability to flex their muscles as they please. In this way, Rupiah and others who govern like him are not very different from the warlords in Somalia.
The law of Somalia is very simple; it is defined by the notion that might is right and he who has the biggest barrel controls the terrain. The issue in Somalia, where militias rule, is how many militiamen one has under his command. When people have a difference, their concern is not about who is right or wrong; it's about who has more militiamen.
Someone might say we are being unfair by comparing Rupiah to a Somali warlord. But look at the way Rupiah behaves.
It is clear that if he had his way, he would have all his enemies in some dungeon regardless of whether they have done wrong or not. But all those who are in good books with him can do no wrong. What we are seeing are the symptoms of the lawlessness that has afflicted our continent and reduced some countries into failed states where no law is observed. Their problems did not happen overnight. Somalia did not become a failed state overnight; it took time. But look where they are today!
When you have a country where there is a law for friends, family and supporters of the President and another law for everybody else, you are sowing seeds of destruction. And as the Bible tells us, we should not be deceived, God is not mocked; we reap what we sow. If we plant peace, we harvest tranquillity; if we plant violence, we reap disaster.
This is what Rupiah should understand. These militias that they are beginning to glorify and brag about are a dangerous phenomenon whose capacity for destruction has left at least one former head of state languishing in a prison cell at the International Criminal Court.
It is irresponsible for the MMD and Rupiah in particular to remain quiet when its members are announcing the formation of organisations whose only discernible purpose is to breed violence and mayhem in our country.
We do not want them to say we never warned them. We are warning them now and we will continue to warn them for as long as they continue to be as irresponsible as they have shown themselves to be. If that is the only thing we are able to do for our country, so be it. We will never stand by whilst Rupiah and his minions conspire to turn our country into a failed state run by warlords.
As for Chibanda and Chibale, these two young men may not necessarily be violent by nature or character. This violence that they are preaching is foisted on them because they are rewarded by Rupiah and the MMD for being or seen to be violent against those who question the decisions and actions of their bosses. They are brutish because it pays to be brutish. They are today threatening and insulting Bishop Duffy because it is beneficial for them to do so.
The rewards for their being violent against Rupiah’s real or perceived political opponents are huge. But this is not the way to govern a nation. This is a sure way of destroying a nation and Rupiah, if not stopped, will drive this nation to destruction.
Labels: EVANS CHIBANDA, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, RUPIAH BANDA
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Chibanda threatens to unleash C/belt MMD youths on Fr Bwalya
By Mwila Chansa, Abigail Chaponda and Patson Chilemba
Wed 12 May 2010, 04:01 CAT
COPPERBELT Province MMD youth chairman Evans Chibanda has threatened to unleash his “battalion” of youths to sort out Change Life Zambia (CLZ) executive director Fr Frank Bwalya. But MMD chairperson for elections Mike Mulongoti condemned the threats of violence against Fr Bwalya.
Supporting Ndola district vice-youth and publicity secretary Alex Mubanga’s threats on Fr Bwalya, Chibanda yesterday warned that MMD youths would deal with Fr Bwalya the next time he launches his organisation or holds a red card campaign meeting.
Chibanda said he would give Copperbelt police commanding officer Antoneil Mutentwa a “piece of his mind” over the continued issuance of permits to Fr Bwalya to insult President Rupiah Banda.
“As youths on the Copperbelt, I think we have been very passive towards Frank Bwalya. I had a chat with him on a radio programme and I told him the constitutional requirements for change of a government which is to go through a political party but he does not seem to adhere,” he said.
“We’ve had so many insults coming from Frank Bwalya on our president and I think I will be failing in my duties as youth chairman if I don’t take action.”
Chibanda wondered why police had continued issuing permits to Fr Bwalya when his meetings had allegedly been provocative.
“I will have a chat with the commanding officer for the Copperbelt and I will give him a piece of my mind. It is up to police to understand because they are the ones who have continued issuing him with permits when they know very well that his meetings are provocative. He just keeps on insulting,” Chibanda said.
He claimed that the MMD would not have had a problem with Fr Bwalya’s meetings if he were spreading ‘normal’ messages like opposition political party leaders did.
Asked if he were not promoting lawlessness by threatening his youths to sort out Fr Bwalya, Chibanda responded: “What does a child do if its parent is being insulted?”
And Mubanga yesterday disclosed that he reported Fr Bwalya to Ndola Central Police for referring to President Banda as muwelele useless. Mubanga told The Post that he reported Fr Bwalya to the police around 16:00 hours on Monday.
“I have reported that Fr Bwalya to the police because he has insulted the institution. We are not happy with his utterances, he cannot be saying that President Banda is muwelele. That word means useless and President Banda is not useless. We are going to take Fr Bwalya to court and he should be dealt with, he has no manners,” Mubanga said.
“In fact, MMD Luanshya district officials will also report him to the police and that will teach him that a child does not play with fire.”
Copperbelt commanding officer Antoniel Mutentwa could not immediately comment as his phone went unanswered.
But when asked to comment specifically on the threats of violence by Mubanga on Fr Bwalya, Mulongoti condemned the violence.
“I condemn violence from whatever source, whether it’s MMD or anybody because what we want are clean politics. We have been watching the British elections…we saw the elections. That is what we are looking for,” said Mulongoti.
“In the coming year we would like to see those aspiring for the presidency to debate so that we can follow. I think that is my wish and I am anxious about that, so all those who are trying to introduce violence are killing that spirit. We want a spirit where the public can be able to judge for themselves who is better for them.”
Mubanga on Monday threatened to have Fr Bwalya beaten for allegedly insulting President Banda. On Saturday during the launch of CLZ in Luanshya’s Mpatamato Township, Fr Bwalya said President Banda was worthless and should be given a red card. Fr Bwalya said President Banda had brought more suffering among Zambians.
He said President Banda was spending public money on less important things such as funding the district commissioners’ offices when many people were suffering.
He said it was shameful for President Banda to be supporting people like former President Frederick Chiluba and education minister Dora Siliya who he said had committed offences against Zambians.
“She Siliya was called smart when she had committed a crime, Dora is dirty, FTJ stole the money, but he was the one he President Banda called damn good,” Fr Bwalya said.
“Rupiah Banda muwelele useless that is why people like William Banda are saying useless things. William Banda should be careful.”
On Monday, Mubanga warned that Fr Bwalya would receive worse punishment than what happened in Mufumbwe if he continued ‘insulting’ President Banda.
But Fr Bwalya urged all peace-loving Zambians to condemn the culture of anarchy and intimidation being perpetrated by the MMD.
Fr Bwalya said he never insulted President Banda but merely said the truth about him.
Labels: CADRES, DEATH THREATS, EVANS CHIBANDA, FRANK BWALYA, MIKE MULONGOTI, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE
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C/belt MMD youths demand postponment of convention
Written by Mutuna Chanda in Kitwe
COPPERBELT MMD youths and the party's intelligence security unit in the province have demanded that the party's national convention due next year be postponed to between 2012 and 2014.
Copperbelt MMD youth chairman Evans Chibanda said there was no need to hold a convention in 2010 when President Banda had been endorsed by the party's national executive committee (NEC) as its sole candidate.
He said it would be too costly for the party to hold its national convention in 2010 and later mobilise funds to campaign for the general election in 2011.
"We are pleading with NEC to think of deferring the convention to between 2012 and 2014 with a vision of 2016...who doesn't know there is an economic meltdown? It will be too expensive for MMD to spend over K5 billion to hold a convention and then fund the 2011 campaigns," Chibanda said. "We know that our constitution says that every five years
NEC members will be subjected to an election but the convention which culminates into the presidency has been watered down by the decision of the NEC. The President is our sole candidate; he is virtually unopposed."
He said the MMD could get away with not holding a convention to elect NEC members.
"We are not saying we do away with it," he said. "What we are saying is defer it. There are parties in this country which have gone to general elections without going to an election. We are not emulating these parties but the climax of a convention is the presidency."
He said it would be misdirection of resources for the MMD to hold a convention while the party's constituencies did not have vehicles to mobilise.
"The vehicles that are in constituencies are all rotten," said Chibanda.
Chibanda said his sentiments were the general view of the MMD provincial executive committee.
And the Copperbelt MMD intelligence security unit in a statement signed by Fitzpatrick Sauka stated that President Banda was a great candidate who needed to be protected jealously by the party.
"Resources meant for the convention should be channelled to various sectors of our party...to help consolidate our new found unity ahead of the 2011 presidential elections," stated Sauka. "The people of Zambia elected Rupiah Bwezani Banda as President not HH [Hakainde Hichilema] or [Michael] Sata."
Labels: COPPER, ELECTIONS, EVANS CHIBANDA, MMD, YOUTHS
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