Posterity will judge opposition leaders harshly, says Monde
By Gift Chanda in Itezhi-tezhi
Mon 11 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
ITEZHI-TEZHIi UPND member of parliament Greyford Monde says posterity will harshly judge opposition leaders resisting to work with the PF government for the betterment of people's lives.
Monde, who is also agriculture deputy minister, said leaders resisting to work with the the current government would have themselves to blame in future when the tables turn against them during elections.
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema recently asked UPND members of parliament to denounce President Michael Sata in the House over what he termed a poor governance system.
Hichilema said it was the duty of Parliament to moderate 'extremist leaders' like President Sata.
But reacting to Hichilema's statement, Sinazongwe UPND member of parliament Richwell Siamunene said the opposition leader wanted to use Parliament to champion his selfish interests and advised him against using the House to gain political mileage.
"Hakainde Hichilema should look at the broader picture and the bigger picture is Zambia. The people of Zambia must be central in whatever he is doing; whatever decision you make. Parliament is a very important important body in this country which approves the budget and the budgetary allocations help the people of Zambia," Siamunene had said.
"Frustrating the government means that he is frustrating the development of the country. He is achieving nothing. There is need for HH to realise that the country is much more important than him."
And Monde said the people's expectations go beyond political parties.
"All of us are voted in our positions by the people and the expectations of the people go beyond political parties," he said.
"Therefore, we need to place the people's interest first."
Monde, who accepted an appointment as agriculture deputy minister by President Sata amid opposition from his party, said leaders including councillors in the opposition who do not want to work with the PF government in order to foster development would have themselves to blame because people would judge them according to what they have delivered.
Monde took time over the weekend to inspect some of the projects in his constituency funded by the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and said there was no point in opposition leaders continuing to criticise and frustrate progressive projects by the government.
"There are people who always want to oppose. Why should they always oppose? These works that we are trying to do are positive. Talk about schools, health posts, that is what we need to do..." he said.
Monde, however, noted that he was impressed by the Itezhi-tezhi council chairperson, Fanuel Sitongwa, who is also UPND district secretary, for accepting to accompany his entourage on the tour of the CDF-funded projects.
Meanwhile, Monde said there was urgent need to address both the learning and teaching environment in schools in his constituency.
Citing Iyanda Primary School which only has a one by two classroom block for grade one to seven pupils, Monde said the situation was desperate.
He said another one by two classroom block was need at the school where some teachers houses have been built using CDFs.
"We also need to plaster and ventilate these houses. Our teachers need to work and live in a very conducive environment," said Monde.
Monde also visited Mahungu and Luubwe primary schools where classroom blocks and teachers' houses are being built using CDFs.
Labels: GREYFORD MONDE, PF, POVERTY, UPND
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UPND plans to block Monde at Parliament
By Kombe Chimpinde
Tue 26 Feb. 2013, 14:00 CAT
OPPOSITION UPND is planning to prevent its expelled Itezi-Tezhi member of parliament Greyford Monde, from entering Parliament today. UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa yesterday said his party was not expecting Monde to be anywhere near the Parliament buildings today.
According to some UPND members of parliament, some members had been delegated by the party to make sure Monde does not enter the House.
And Mweetwa said the party had written to the Speaker of National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini concerning Monde's expulsion and that they were expecting him to declare Monde's seat vacant yesterday.
And Monde said he received his expulsion yesterday around 10:00 hours and that he would wait for official communication from the Speaker on the matter.
Monde was suspended and eventually expelled by the party days after President Michael Sata appointed him deputy agriculture minister.
Mweetwa, who described Monde as shameless and myopic, warned that Monde would receive political baptism for electing impunity against the party.
"That will make him grow as a young politician. I think self recommendation, evaluation and elevation should be discouraged," Mweetwa said.
"We are wondering what he means when he says he would rather lose a seat than be an ineffective member of parliament. First of all, to draw a parallel of what he has said, we as UPND would rather lose a seat of parliament than have an undisciplined member of parliament who does not know why he was voted to go to Parliament."
Mweetwa said he expected all members in UPND to know that it was time for the party to be in the opposition and not to serve in government.
"We expect that our members of parliament are well informed to know that this is PF's time to be the ruling party and this is UPND's time to be in the opposition to provide credible checks and balances. So each of us should respect this mandate and responsibility placed upon. If you are in opposition, you have to hold the ruling party to account on its promise in the manifesto and rule of law. This is our job," he said.
"Those who were in PF, who thought they were bigger and cleverer than the party, and decided to take a position different from the party… all those people today are wishing they did not do that. Some of them could have been ministers. I think every day they wake up, they reminisce over their wrong decisions and regret."
Mweetwa said Monde lacked knowledge of his role as a member of parliament in a democratic dispensation.
"The idea behind democracy is we should not sing one song. To have a figmentation in one's mind that you can only serve at the level of minister or deputy minister is myopic and shameful," he said.
Mweetwa also accused Monde of compromising some district and council officials to defect to the PF with him.
"Like those who are supporting him in Itezhi-Tezhi. We don't know, maybe he has bought them bags of fertiliser or seed or even a cow. That is expected," said Mweetwa.
Labels: CORNELIUS MWEETWA, DEMONSTRATION, GREYFORD MONDE, UPND
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Chief urges UPND not to lie about Monde's suspension
By Brina Siwale in Livingstone and Moses Kuwema in Lusaka
Wed 20 Feb. 2013, 14:00 CAT
THE UPND leadership has started backtracking on the expulsion of its Itezhi-tezhi member of parliament Greyford Monde from the party based on his appointment as agriculture deputy minister.
And chief Sinazongwe of the Tonga-speaking people of Sinazongwe district has advised the UPND not to lie to the nation that they had suspended Monde because of other charges other than his acceptance to serve in government.
UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa yesterday claimed the party would have no problem with its members of parliament working with government as long as they remained loyal to the party.
Mweetwa, who was among those that called for Monde's expulsion, said that the PF was welcome to appoint UPND members of parliament as long as they consulted the party before the appointment.
"We are not saying that our MPs should not be appointed by the PF. If PF or indeed any government wants to appoint a UPND MP as minister, they should first formally approach the party so that when such a person is appointed, they will have the blessings of the party," said Mweetwa.
However, last week, Mweetwa together with party president Hakainde Hichilema, said Monde would be expelled from the UPND.
Hichilema told Breeze FM that Monde knew the consequences of accepting a ministerial position in the PF government.
Hichilema said that the UPND had a strict policy that stated that no member of parliament would accept to work with the PF government as minister or deputy minister.
And Mweetwa last week said the party would soon set the course for disciplinary action against Monde.
"Speaking in my own capacity as Mweetwa and not UPND, I can say Monde will be expelled because a precedence has been set before where the people that have joined government against the UPND's policies and guidelines have been expelled. Examples are there for people like late Ben Tetamashimba and others," he said.
Mweetwa advised Monde to resign from the UPND and join the PF, saying that would be the moral decision to make.
He said Monde had shown that he was a very weak soldier who had failed to manage waging a war from the opposition battlefront.
"Opposition politics is for strong individuals because temptations are so grave. It is also embarrassing for people in political nursery to begin their careers with fragile stance. Monde has shown that young people are not going to parliament to serve the people but to serve their own interests. This is political treachery and an act of cowardice," Mweetwa said then.
And party deputy secretary general Kuchunga Simusamba last week also said it was sad that Monde would spend his 'political robes with the greedy and Judas Iscariot for a few pieces of silver'.
Simusamba said Monde had betrayed the cause of the party and that of his constituents.
"He (Monde) has always been treacherous and he's one of those members of parliament who failed to file for his councillors in his constituency. We have been watching his dealings with the PF and today is a great day for us because his sins have been exposed and this is where he says goodbye," said Simusamba.
"He has expelled himself and we accept his decision. We will replace him with a more trustworthy member of parliament. It's obvious that we are winning that seat so let him enjoy those pieces of silver hoping he doesn't end up hanging himself like Judas Iscariot," said Simusamba last week.
However last week, the UPND avoided suspending Monde over accepting the ministerial position but instead slapped him with different charges.
In a letter dated February 15, 2013 and signed by party secretary general Winstone Chibwe, UPND stated that it had been brought to its attention that Monde had on numerous occasions failed to avail himself for party programmes and had failed to work effectively with the constituency and the general membership of the party.
Chibwe stated that specifically the party had charged him with destabilising the party, bringing the party name into disrepute and public odium by issuing unauthorised statements, failure to obey or carryout party instructions and activities and failure to maintain a cordial working relationship with local party officials in Itezhi-tezhi.
"The aforesaid is a testimony that your membership is questionable and that your motive is malicious and with intent to destabilise and injure the good image and reputation of UPND, as a well-organised party," he stated. "By virtue of the powers vested in me, under Article 8 (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e), you are hereby charged with the offence of gross misconduct and therefore suspended with immediate effect from the party as your actions are in breach of Article 8 of our party's constitution. You are given three days from date hereof, to exculpate yourself."
However Mweetwa has suddenly made a u-turn on his expulsion statement and said in an interview that the party had no problem with its members of parliament being appointed as ministers in government.
"We find it extremely disappointing that many people are failing to draw a distinction between working with government and working with the PF. Working with PF is where you begin to indulge yourself in political activities that undermine our party," Mweetwa said.
He cited himself as an example of how an MP in the opposition should work with government.
"All of us work with government. I am the MP for Choma, I work with government but no one has complained about me because I only work with government and I am loyal to my party. I don't work with PF, what we don't allow is working with PF," he said.
"That way their loyalty will still remain to the party that sent them to Parliament. So this issue of cutting deals behind is what UPND is saying no to. We are not saying UPND MPs should not be appointed or work with government; it is as simple as that."
President Sata appointed Monde as deputy minister.
Meanwhile, chief Sinazongwe says the UPND should understand that Monde was in government to serve Zambians and not his interest.
Commenting on the suspension of Monde from the UPND, chief Sinazongwe also advised the UPND not to lie to the nation that they had suspended Monde because of other charges other than his acceptance to serve in the PF government.
"It is not true. They should not lie to Zambians because we know that Monde has been suspended because he was appointed into government. …The fact is that Monde has been appointed into government and has been charged because of that. They just want to mix things," chief Sinazongwe said.
And chief Sinazongwe said the President had a right to appoint any member of parliament into government regardless of the political party they belonged to as long as they were serving the nation.
"As long as someone is obedient to his party, he can be loyal to his party but serving the nation. He is not serving that opposition party. He is serving the country, the people of Zambia. That's what we must understand. Anyone who is appointed to any position, whether he is in opposition; MMD, UPND, he is supposed to be let free not to be suspended but to look at what activities he is going to do for the nation. Is he going to serve the people of Zambia or the party? This is what we must understand; the government does not belong to the ruling party only. It belongs to everybody, every Zambian, whether opposition or not," he said.
Chief Sinazongwe said he saw no reason why opposition political parties should always have difficulties appreciating the appointment of their members of parliament into government.
"I think it must be enshrined in the Constitution, to protect the opposition members who are appointed in the government. The opposition must learn to support the government in power," he said.
Labels: CHIEF SINAZONGWE, CHIEFS, CORNELIUS MWEETWA, GREYFORD MONDE, UPND
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COMMENT - The UPND and MMD are trying to play victim to the international gallery. They know they can't take their case to the Zambian people - because no one likes thieves and sell-outs.
Rupiah seeking asylum in South Africa, says Sata
By Roy Habaalu
Fri 15 Feb. 2013, 14:50 CAT
By Roy Habaalu, Moses Kuwema and Kombe Chimpinde
PRESIDENT Michael Sata says Rupiah Banda went to South Africa to seek criminal asylum. On Tuesday, UPND president Hakainde Hichilema, MMD president Nevers Mumba, their lawyer Sakwiba Sikota and some NGOs held a press conference in South Africa to attract international sympathy for former president Banda, who is facing corruption-related allegations and accused the government of, among other things, harassing and intimidating, as well as attacking members of the opposition.
The opposition leaders accused President Sata of trying to enforce a one-party state on Zambians. But President Sata said even if Banda went to hide outside the country, he would be extradited home to face charges and have his immunity removed.
Speaking when he swore in UPND member of parliament Greyford Monde as deputy minister of agriculture, President Sata said South African President Jacob Zuma would not give Banda asylum. He said the only person who was clean among those that went to South Africa was Sikota.
"When people are hiding, you don't know what they are doing because a person is seeking asylum but he doesn't know that we can go to South Africa and extradite him and come and remove his immunity here (Zambia). So the only person who was clean out of those who went there was Saki. Nevers Mumba, HH (Hakainde Hichilema) they were all looking for criminal asylum and the President of South Africa is not going to give Rupiah Banda, HH and Mumba asylum. They should come and sing the song here in Zambia," President Sata said.
President Sata told Monde that serving people in his constituency should take precedence over loyalty to an individual. He congratulated him for joining the government in serving the people and developing the country.
"Welcome, I know Itezhi-tezhi very well but belonging to a small organisation like UPND which is one-man centred, there is nothing you can do in Itezhi-tezhi. You can't work on a road from Itezhi-tezhi to Kalomo, on a road from Itezhi-tezhi to Mazabuka, and Itezhi-tezhi to Monze now you have come to a larger family. The people must come first, people first you second because if you think someone says don't join the government at least me I will provide you with an office, vehicle, driver, fuel which the party you were belonging to didn't give you," President Sata said.
Meanwhile, President said the government would file an injunction against UPND if it expelled Monde from the party.
"Mr Mulenga help this man (Monde) when they expel him. We will go to court," President Sata told health deputy minister Christopher Mulenga.
And UPND yesterday U-turned on the expulsion on Monde.
UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said his party has no immediate intentions of expelling Monde following his appointment as deputy minister.
In an interview, Mweetwa said the UPND had not yet decided to expel Monde. He said it was premature for President Sata to urge Monde to go to court. Mweetwa, however, said the UPND's National Management Committee would soon sit to look at the discipline of its members who go against the party position. He said it was only after this meeting that the party position on Monde would be arrived at.
"The party is going to convene an NMC meeting within a space of days not even weeks because this is the matter of utmost importance because
it is bordering on undermining our greatest asset in the party, which is party discipline and unity," he said.
Mweetwa observed that Monde's appointment into government was an act to plant a seed of disunity in a very united and disciplined party.
"There are no special qualities that one can claim Monde is endowed with. He is being used as a broom to sweep dirt for the PF to try and promote disunity in the party as a member of the UPND who is pulling in the opposite direction other than what the party is doing," he said.
"He can go ahead but he should know that his days are numbered. There were people who had personal political stamina, strength and a relative thick skin like Major Robbie Chizyuka, but people did not follow him. Monde is still in political kindergarten," said Mweetwa.
Meanwhile, MMD President Nevers Mumba says lifting Banda's immunity was a useless exercise.
Mumba said at a briefing shortly after his arrival from South Africa, where he and other opposition and civil society leaders held a press conference to denounce what he described as government's continued violation of human rights, that his members of parliament would not be subjected to a chorus of what was not making sense.
"Our members of parliament are not going to join a chorus that doesn't make sense. We think it's a useless exercise," Mumba said. "The issue of the immunity of Banda does not arise for us. We know what we have gone through as a country. President Levy Mwanawasa went to Parliament and read out a list of charges against the former president (Fredrick) Chiluba and that he had offended the Zambians and he had stolen so much money. By the time the case came to court, none of those allegations that were levelled against him in Parliament were ever brought to him in court. It also ended that only the taxpayers' money was wasted."
Mumba said Banda's actions were justified, as they were representing Zambians.
"(Lifting of the immunity)It is an exercise in futility because let me tell you something; the reasons presidents are given immunity is because they are going to make decisions that are critical and sometimes illegal decisions in order to serve a country," he said.
"They are going to make a decision maybe to go to war or they are going to make a decision to support a group somewhere in order to preserve the interests of the country," he said.
Mumba said that if Banda's immunity was lifted, he would be susceptible to prosecution even from the international community on decisions that he made while in office.
And Mumba dismissed President Sata's allegation that he, Banda and Hakainde Hichilema had gone to South Africa to seek criminal asylum as a lie.
"I understand that the President has today insinuated that HH, myself had gone to seek asylum in South Africa. For him to wish that we would go to seek asylum shows that he dreams of this country being a one party state and I would love to tell the President that he has lied to the Zambians once again. Lies cannot sustain governance. There is no need for us to seek asylum," he said.
Mumba claimed he had been cleared of alleged misuse of public resources by the office of the Auditor General.
Labels: ASYLUM, GREYFORD MONDE, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MICHAEL SATA, MMD, NEVERS MUMBA, OPPOSITION, RUPIAH BANDA, SOUTH AFRICA, UPND
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