Magande isn’t indispensible – Teta
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 1:54:12 PM
MMD spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba yesterday charged that party deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande must not create an impression that Ng'andu Magande is untouchable and indispensible.
And Tetamashimba has told Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi and ULP president Sakwiba Sikota to shut up and not condemn the way President Rupiah Banda is running national affairs.
Commenting on Kaande’s statement that only an immoral person in the MMD would hound out party chairman for finance and economic development Ng’andu Magande, Tetamashimba said Magande was not a god.
“I don’t support that statement; people have different views in the party. His views about Magande could not be the views of other members of the party but I think what is important is for unity in the party,” Tetamashimba said. “What is important is for Magande not to be threatening those boys that they apologise, apologise! When we all know that when it comes to some of the issues, Magande can’t claim to be a god and I think that to say it’s immoral, that is not a good statement but I am sure the national executive committee will be able to deal with the issue of Magande.”
He said anybody could be removed from the party.
“There is nobody who cannot be hounded out of the party, if somebody does a wrong thing, he can be hounded out but I am not implying that Magande should be removed from the party. I am not saying that,” he said. “First and foremost, [the late president Levy] Mwanawasa lost the elections in Chilanga, the constituency of Magande, you know that. Even this time round [in the 2008 presidential election], we lost the elections there. Is that the man you can be saying it is immoral to hound out? We must just be working as a team and not to be fighting each to show that we are on this side or we are on the other side.”
He observed that in the past, Kaande had tried to hound some people out of the MMD and should therefore not pretend that everyone in the party should support his position on Magande.
“Kaande himself cannot claim that he has not been trying to hound people out of the party. Let us not be saying things that can be dividing the party and so on and I think that to say that, you annoy a certain group of people and the youths who have been our backbone in the party,” Tetamashimba said. “They should try at the secretariat to reconcile people and not say that Magande is untouchable because there is nobody who is indispensible in the party even myself if I did something that the party feels is not good, I can be removed from the party but I am not implying that Magande has done something that is wrong for which he should be removed from the party.”
He said Kaande’s position was not the position of the entire NEC.
“We have not met as the national executive committee but what Kaande is saying is as if he is speaking on behalf of the entire NEC members, I don’t succumb to that. That is his personal position and not the position of the party,” Tetamashimba said.
On Thursday, Kaande said as far as the MMD was concerned, Magande was a senior member of the party whom they would not allow any youth to harass.
And on Nawakwi’s statement last week that President Banda had not performed to her expectations, Tetamashimba advised her to just shut up.
“I personally went to see Nawakwi and Sakwiba Sikota myself even before their statements. I advised both of them that ‘you people since you were in the forefront campaigning for President Rupiah Banda, there is need for you people to sit down with President Rupiah Banda and tell him about your vision.’ Ask them if they have ever done that,” Tetamashimba said.
“None of them wants to give advice to Rupiah Banda. I personally told Edith and Sakwiba that find time so that you give President Banda your views about how the country should be run. Ask them if they have ever been to State House and if they have not been, they should shut up because they should have told him that, ‘look we campaigned for you and we feel that the country should go in this direction.’”
Nawakwi and Sikota campaigned for President Banda in the run up to the October 30, 2008 election.
However, last week, Nawakwi expressed disappointment with the performance of President Banda and his government.
She said the government had not lived up to the people's expectations.
Nawakwi said President Banda's honeymoon was over and people expected his government to work.
Labels: BENNY TETAMASHIMBA, JEFF KAANDE, JEFF KANDE, MAGANDE, MMD
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Arrest Kaande for corruption - Sondashi
Written by Patson Chilemba
Tuesday, March 03, 2009 12:33:33 PM
MMD senior member Dr Ludwig Sondashi on Tuesday charged that party deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande should be arrested for alleged corruption. And Inspector General of police Francis Kabonde said police had instituted investigations against Kaande.
Commenting on KaandeÕs request to then home affairs permanent secretary Susan Sikaneta to pay suppliers over K1 billion because they had pledged to support MMD, Dr Sondashi charged that what Kaande did was criminal, unlawful and unconstitutional.
ÒIn fact if you read between the lines, you will discover that what heÕs talking about reprimanding the suppliers is not true. It was a forged up understanding to defraud the government. He was organizing fraud so that government should pay more money. The criminal investigators should arrest him. This is what I am against about the MMD,Ó Dr Sondashi said. ÒWhen I talked about corruption, it was Jeff Kaande who was talking nonsense. It seems he has been doing this for a longtime. I agree that itÕs against the constitution because the constitution does not say that MMD should have an advantage, what about others?Ó
Dr Sondashi said it was sad and shameful that when the matter was heating up, Kaande found solace in organizing MMD cadres to march to State House where they were entertained by President Rupiah Banda. He said this was a clear manifestation of where President Banda stood in the fight against corruption.
Dr Sondashi said it was sad that president Banda kept on singing continuity when his activities were contrary to what he said.
ÒWhy did Mr. Rupiah Banda accept something that is being done by corrupt officials to organize that protest? These are things which worry me a lot. As far as I am concerned, Mr. Rupiah Banda is not coming out clearly to condemn corruption because he should have condemned Kaande,Ó said Dr Sondashi. ÒSo we are really worried about the behavior of our President. How can someone say heÕs following the footsteps of Levy Mwanawasa when he is doing the opposite?Ó
And Kabonde said police have instituted investigations into the alleged corruption involving Kaande and Sikaneta. He said Patriotic Front (PF) Kanyama member of parliament Gerry Chanda presented a formal complaint before police.
According to correspondence obtained by The Post, Kaande in November last year requested Sikaneta to pay over K1 billion to seven food suppliers that pledged financial support to the ruling party.
The documents revealed that the figures for Liki Enterprise on KaandeÕs list was inflated by over K380 million while two other suppliers were not owed anything by the Ministry of Home Affairs although Kaande stated that they were owed K50 million each.
In his letter dated 11th November 2008 to Sikaneta on the MMD letterhead, Kaande requested her to facilitate the payments according to what they had discussed earlier.
"List of companies pledging to support the party," read Kaande's letter in part. "Please consider assisting the companies below as discussed: - (1) Sunlight Estates - 300,000,000 (2) Dakwa General Dealers- 291,000,000 (3) Mavin Marketing - 130,000,000 (4) Miyele Enterprise - 95,000,000 (5) Liki Enterprise-400,000,000 (6) Bangosho Enterprise-50,000,000 (7) Mark Marketing-50,000,000. Total 1,025,000,000."
When contacted for comment on Monday, Sikaneta confirmed having received Kaande's letter but referred all queries to the current permanent secretary because she was no longer in charge at Ministry of Home Affairs.
Kaande later, in response to people that were condemning him for his action, warned that he would reprimand the seven suppliers for inflating amounts of money owed to them by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Kaande said he and the MMD had learnt a lesson not to believe cadres on face value.
Kaande said he did not inflate the figures but that MMD cadres themselves had given him figures that were higher than what was in the records at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Labels: JEFF KANDE, LUDWIG SONDASHI
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Kaande committed a prosecutable offence – Chongwe
Written by Chibaula Silwamba in Mtenguleni, Chipata
LUSAKA lawyer Dr Rodger Chongwe has charged that MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande committed a prosecutable offence and any Zambian can take legal action against him.
Commenting on Kaande's decision in November last year to write to then home affairs permanent secretary Susan Sikaneta to quickly process payments for food suppliers whom the government owed some money because they were pledging to financially support the ruling MMD, Dr Chongwe said Kaande had contravened the Zambian constitution and could be prosecuted over that offence.
"Any interested Zambian, who wishes to, can take legal action against Mr Kaande," said Dr Chongwe in an interview on Friday. "This is against Article One of our Constitution which states that Zambia shall be a unilateral state and multiparty. Now once you begin writing to government and that government is the government of your own political party and you say, 'consider these people as our party people,' you are actually killing the spirit of the Constitution."
He said Kaande's behaviour brings about partisanship in the civil service whereby the civil service would only be giving tenders to ruling party members hence disadvantaging other people who did not belong to the ruling party or those who were non-partisan.
"That is an offence because it is inconsistent with our supreme law, the Constitution of Zambia. What I should say is that Mr Kaande, if that is what he did and he has admitted...that is wrong. He has admitted, but he has to go further and apologise to the people of Zambia," Dr Chongwe said. "This is not a one-party state. We ceased to be a one-party state on 30th September in 1990 and through legislation on 4th December 1990; we are a multi party state. We founded the MMD as a movement to introduce multiparty democracy."
He said it was unfortunate that senior MMD officials were bringing back the spirit of the one-party state.
"The behaviour of Mr Kaande is contrary to the spirit of us, who started the party, which is the Movement for Multiparty Democracy and not the movement for going back to the one party. That is an offence against our Constitution," said Dr Chongwe.
According to correspondence obtained by The Post, Kaande in November last year requested Sikaneta to pay over K1 billion to seven food suppliers that pledged financial support to the ruling party.
The documents revealed that the figures for Liki Enterprise on Kaande's list was inflated by over K380 million while two other suppliers were not owed anything by the Ministry of Home Affairs although Kaande stated that they were owed K50 million each.
In his letter dated 11th November 2008 to Sikaneta on the MMD letterhead, Kaande requested her to facilitate the payments according to what they had discussed earlier.
"List of companies pledging to support the party," read Kaande's letter in part. "Please consider assisting the companies below as discussed: - (1) Sunlight Estates - 300,000,000 (2) Dakwa General Dealers- 291,000,000 (3) Mavin Marketing - 130,000,000 (4) Miyele Enterprise - 95,000,000 (5) Liki Enterprise-400,000,000 (6) Bangosho Enterprise-50,000,000 (7) Mark Marketing-50,000,000. Total 1,025,000,000."
When contacted for comment on Monday, Sikaneta confirmed having received Kaande's letter but referred all queries to the current permanent secretary because she was no longer in charge at Ministry of Home Affairs.
Kaande later, in response to people that were condemning him for his action, warned that he would reprimand the seven suppliers for inflating amounts of money owed to them by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Kaande said he and the MMD had learnt a lesson not to believe cadres on face value.
Kaande said he did not inflate the figures but that MMD cadres themselves had given him figures that were higher than what was in the records at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Labels: CORRUPTION, FOOD, JEFF KANDE, MMD, ROGER CHONGWE, SUSAN SIKANETA
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Kaande explains MMD’s corrupt deals with govt
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Thursday, February 26, 2009 8:36:48 AM
MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande yesterday warned that he will reprimand the food suppliers who have pledged financial support to the MMD for inflating amounts of money allegedly owed to them by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Reacting to people condemning him over his request to former home affairs permanent secretary Susan Sikaneta, in which he sought her quick processing of money the ministry owed food suppliers that were pledging to support the ruling MMD, Kaande said he and the MMD had learnt a lesson not to believe cadres on face value.
He said he did not inflate the figures but that MMD cadres themselves had given him figures that were higher than what was in the records at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
"It's like me coming to you, complaining to you that 'I am owed so much by these people, can you please assist us get this money paid to us?' You give me the figure yourself, and that is what I did. Those figures came from those suppliers themselves. You understand!" explained Kaande in an interview in Lusaka. "Now it is up to the ministry to check their records and say, 'no these figures are wrong.' I put them the way I was told by my people. Those payments were not made to MMD or Jeff Kaande, they were made to those people.
"Definitely the ministry will not just give money because they have been told you owe 600 and they pay 600. They have to check the records. It's normal."
Kaande admitted that it was dangerous that the MMD did not carefully handle the issue of the seven suppliers.
"If you, who is making the claim you are found cheating, it is definitely dangerous. Equally it is dangerous here [for us], we don't want people to come and tell us wrong information. This has taught us a lesson. We are not going to believe anybody their story; we will now demand that they produce evidence," he said. "Whatever I did, I did it in good faith and according to the information I was given by the claimants. It's definitely not me who inflated the figures."
Asked if the MMD will reprimand the culprits, Kaande responded in the affirmative.
"Of course I am already doing that because they have put my name in disrepute. You understand? I don't like to tell lies; I have never been a liar in my life," Kaande said.
When reminded that Bangosho Enterprise, Liki Enterprise and Mavin Marketing are not registered companies, according to records at PACRO, Kaande said the time the three companies approached the party, he did not know that they were not registered.
"Again there, I have learnt from your article that some of the companies are not registered. Now with us here, it's just at face value. The cadres come and say, 'we have this problem, my company is this one.' You don't go to say, 'okay let's go to PACRO and check.' You believe them. I mean, you are just listening and just trying to help them," Kaande said.
"Now, how can a government department allow a company that is not registered to supply because I, myself, have companies and we follow tender procedures and you have to be registered by the Zambia National Tender Board and also you have to be registered with the particular ministry where you are supplying and this is the procedure which has to be followed."
He observed that government ministries should ensure that they only engage companies as suppliers when they prove that they were duly registered.
"The first thing those people should ask for is your certificate of incorporation," Kaande said. "But if the Ministry of Home Affairs or the police or whichever, don't check for those documents before allowing a company to supply, then they can't blame it on other people. It's themselves to blame. That shows that there is a weakness somewhere in the ministry. Why are they not asking for the certificate of incorporation?"
He said his letter to Sikaneta was a sincere request on behalf of party members who were claiming for their money.
"This is normal practice where we mitigate for our members who are suppliers and it's up to the ministry concerned to say, 'yes we can pay, no we can't pay.' We cannot force them. I am a proper democrat. If you saw my letter there was no force in it, it was just mere asking and it's up to the controlling officer to say yes or no. If she says no, who am I to force her?" he asked.
He argued that the MMD was not the only political party that was advocating that its party members to quickly get their monies, which the government owed them.
"Which party does not go to government to ask? We all do it. It doesn't matter whether you are in the opposition or not. It's a normal practice," said Kaande. "We are not asking for something that is abnormal. If only the government own up and pay these suppliers as they supply there will be nothing like this."
According to correspondence obtained by The Post, Kaande in November last year requested Sikaneta to pay over K1 billion to seven food suppliers that pledged financial support to the ruling party.
In his letter dated 11th November 2008 to Sikaneta on the MMD letterhead, Kaande requested her to facilitate the payments according to what they had discussed earlier.
"List of companies pledging to support the party," read Kaande's letter in part. "Please consider assisting the companies below as discussed: - (1) Sunlight Estates - 300,000,000 (2) Dakwa General Dealers- 291,000,000 (3) Mavin Marketing - 130,000,000 (4) Miyele Enterprise - 95,000,000 (5) Liki Enterprise-400,000,000 (6) Bangosho Enterprise-50,000,000 (7) Mark Marketing-50,000,000. Total 1,025,000,000."
But Dakwa General Dealers proprietor, Chilekwa Munkonge, who is also MMD Kabwata constituency chairman, said he was not aware about Kaande's letter and that the figures were inflated.
"I don't know anything apart from what I have just read in the newspaper," said Munkonge.
Labels: JEFF KANDE, MMD
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TIZ asks ACC to probe Kaande
Written by Patson Chilemba and Chibaula Silwamba
Thursday, February 26, 2009 8:35:00 AM
TIZ president Reuben Lifuka yesterday disclosed that the organisation was aware of the happenings in the Ministry of Home Affairs and had earlier asked the ACC to probe the procurement of goods and claims for payment by 55 companies, including some listed by Jeff Kaande.
And the Patriotic Front (PF) has formally complained to acting Police Inspector General Francis Kabonde requesting police to institute investigations against MMD national secretary Kaande, sports permanent secretary Susan Sikaneta, home affairs principle accountant Evans Katuta and information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha.
Lifuka stated that the information received by Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) which was passed on to the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) in January showed that some of the companies that had been receiving payments for supply of goods especially foodstuffs were non-existent, while others belonged to senior government officials and politicians.
"ACC has yet to inform us of the outcome of their investigation and we can only hope that this investigation can be expedited. Secondly, we demand that initially a forensic audit be conducted in the Ministry of Home Affairs by independent Auditors working in conjunction with the Auditor General's Office. Thirdly, we challenge MMD to disclose their sources of funding and avail themselves to auditing of these resources," Lifuka stated.
"It is incumbent upon MMD to state its official position on this matter and show commitment to the values of transparency and accountability by allowing their finances to be audited. Additionally, all these companies should be suspended in the short term from dealing with the Ministry of Home Affairs until the completion of this forensic audit."
Lifuka stated that TIZ had previously warned that unregulated political financing would become a nadir of the whole fight against corruption.
He stated that unregulated political financing encouraged lack of accountability and transparency in most political parties in Zambia.
"It is sad that most members of political parties do not even know the crookedness that their leaders go through to obtain resources which they splash around to win their political support," Lifuka stated. "It is time that the Zambian people and voters became alert and realised that a corrupt and crooked political leader is a future corrupt and crooked government official."
Lifuka stated that revelations concerning the involvement of the ruling party in the management of public affairs were not surprising.
He stated that MMD has been benefiting covertly from public finances despite the lofty pronouncements made by its leadership that the party has not been dipping into public coffers.
Lifuka stated that TIZ had previously received complaints from public servants who were aware of the immense pressure being exerted on various controlling officers to indirectly or directly make financial contributions to the activities of MMD.
He stated that the question that needed to be asked was where Kaande got the authority to request Sikaneta to assist companies that had pledged to support MMD and how long the practice had been going on.
"What we also find annoying and frustrating at the same time, is the fact the permanent secretary at the time Ambassador Susan Sikaneta agreed to be part of this unfortunate handiwork of abuse of public resources by the MMD," Lifuka stated. "It also raises questions on the professional ethics of the accountants and internal auditors in the Ministry of Home Affairs who allowed such requests to be funded."
Lifuka stated that it beats logic to imagine that the MMD secretariat had now become debt collectors and this was not an acceptable way of doing things because it meant that companies were being coerced to make pledges of support even against their will.
He stated that this fitted perfectly the description of political corruption where the party used its privileged position to extract undue advantage from companies
"Surely, how do we hope to eradicate corruption and money laundering if the MMD is at the epicentre of this malaise?" Lifuka asked.
And in a letter dated February 24, 2009 and addressed to Kabonde, PF chairman for national security Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Chanda asked police to institute investigations to ensure that all the culprits were answerable under the law without exception.
"In The Post newspaper edition dated Tuesday 24th February 2009, under the headline 'MMD Asks Government to Pay K1 billion To Its Supporters' The Post reports that the amount of some of the payments made to government suppliers were allegedly inflated by one Jeff Kaande to the benefit of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD)," Col Chanda stated. "The Post has exhibited in the said article relevant internal correspondence over this matter which is of public interest."
Col Chanda stated that those to be investigated should include the directors of the companies concerned, Kaande, former home affairs and now sports permanent secretary Susan Sikaneta, Katuta and Lt Gen Shikapwasha.
He charged that Lt Gen Shikapwasha must be aware of the illegal dealings of thievery against the people of Zambia
"In view of the above, this letter constitutes a formal complaint to your office. I have enclosed the relevant Post Newspaper article for your easy reference," stated Col Chanda.
Meanwhile, MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga yesterday answered angrily when he was asked to comment on Kaande's alleged corruption.
Mabenga said questioning him over the matter amounted to insinuating that he was not thinking.
"Now Patson Chilemba, number one, we have eyes to read with; number two, we have ears to hear with; and number three, we have brains to think with. We know what we are doing," Mabenga said angrily. "I know what I'm doing. I am older than you and number two, I'm more educated than you. You have never run a party at the highest level but I have."
According to correspondence obtained by The Post, Kaande in November last year requested Sikaneta to pay over K1 billion to seven food suppliers that pledged financial support to the ruling party.
The documents revealed that the figures for Liki Enterprise on Kaande's list was inflated by over K380 million while two other suppliers were not owed anything by the Ministry of Home Affairs although Kaande stated that they were owed K50 million each.
In his letter dated 11th November 2008 to Sikaneta on the MMD letterhead, Kaande requested her to facilitate the payments according to what they had discussed earlier.
"List of companies pledging to support the party," read Kaande's letter in part. "Please consider assisting the companies below as discussed: - (1) Sunlight Estates - 300,000,000 (2) Dakwa General Dealers- 291,000,000 (3) Mavin Marketing - 130,000,000 (4) Miyele Enterprise - 95,000,000 (5) Liki Enterprise-400,000,000 (6) Bangosho Enterprise-50,000,000 (7) Mark Marketing-50,000,000. Total 1,025,000,000."
When contacted for comment on Monday, Sikaneta confirmed having received Kaande's letter but referred all queries to the current permanent secretary because she was no longer in charge at Ministry of Home Affairs.
Labels: ACC, JEFF KANDE, TIZ
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Sondashi is throwing mud at Rupiah, charges Kaande
Written by Lambwe Kachali and Patson Chilemba
Thursday, January 29, 2009 9:37:45 AM
MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande yesterday charged that Dr Ludwig Sondashi is throwing mud at President Rupiah Banda because he is living in a world of fantasy. And Kaande disclosed that the MMD convention will be held next year.
Reacting to Dr Sondashi who charged that President Banda should not be allowed to hijack the party because he is more Unipist than MMD, Kaande said Dr Sondashi was actually more Unipist.
Kaande reminded Dr Sondashi that he came from UNIP, where he served as minister and member of the central committee for many years.
“So, it does not do him any good by throwing mud at his friend. Membership of the party has no age; it is what you contribute to the party that values. Why did [late president Levy] Mwanawasa pick President Rupiah Banda to be his vice-president? It’s because he saw leadership qualities that he has,” Kaande said. “Leadership comes from God. You can want to be what you want but if God has not chosen you, you will never lead. So, God led Mwanawasa to Rupiah Banda.”
He said it was unacceptable for Dr Sondashi at his old age to continue peddling lies that President Banda allegedly corrupted MMD national executive committee (NEC) members to adopt him as presidential candidate during last year’s election.
Kaande said it was also a naked lie that people who decided that President Banda should become acting party president received kick-backs and job offers.
“...That is the cheapest lie Mr Sondashi can ever peddle. He is an old man; let him keep respect by telling the truth. We have no confidence in Sondashi, but we have more confidence in President Banda,” he said. “[The] K30 million that Sondashi says some NEC members received is a lot of money. If that was true, most of them [NEC members] would be driving by now, but we see our NEC members even ladies coming here on foot.”
He said he would not take disciplinary action against Dr Sondashi for bringing the party into ridicule because he had no political future.
“Why should we set fire to an already burning wood? Is it necessary? We don’t want to kill Mr Sondashi, he is an old man, if we start suspending him now, he will just start having high blood pressure. So, let him continue to live in his own world of fantasy. I have got no ink to write a disciplinary letter to Mr Sondashi,” he said.
And Kaande confirmed that the MMD convention would be held in 2010, but declined to give further details.
He said the date would be announced when all logistics had been put in place.
“So if Mr Sondashi still thinks he can lead MMD, let him start doing his work now so that he can beat his fellow contestants at the convention,” said Kaande.
Meanwhile, MMD trustee William Banda said Dr Sondashi’s statement was full of misinformation.
Banda said MMD would not allow people like Dr Sondashi to become party president through the back door or by issuing unwarranted statements directed at discrediting others.
On Tuesday, Dr Sondashi advised MMD members not to allow President Banda to hijack the party, saying he was more Unipist than MMD.
Dr Sondashi’s comment came in the wake of some NEC members’ decision to nominate President Banda as interim party president until the convention.
The position of MMD presidency had remained vacant since the death of the late president Mwanawasa last year, while that of the vice-president has been vacant since 2005.
Labels: JEFF KANDE, LUDWIG SONDASHI, RUPIAH BANDA
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MMD rejects Nevers' adoption application
By Maluba Jere and Speedwell Mupuchi
Saturday August 30, 2008 [04:00]
MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kande yesterday said the party secretariat does not know former vice-president pastor Nevers Mumba as a party member. But pastor Mumba said he was not an irresponsible leader who could apply to stand on a ticket of a party he did not belong to. In an interview, Kande said since his expulsion from the party in 2006, pastor Mumba had not been re-admitted.
"As a secretariat, we don't know Nevers Mumba as a member of MMD," Kande said. "But we will sit down to go through all the applications before we finally present them to the National Executive Committee (NEC).
When we present to NEC, that's when we will give them a record of who has been doing what in the party and who hasn't. Since he was expelled from the party, he has never been re-admitted and we have never seen his application letter for re-admission."
Kande also explained that any person who had not been an active member of the party for two years did not qualify to contest the presidency.
However, Kande said the party would not stop anyone from applying for the position of presidential candidate, but that rules would apply when scrutinising the applications.
"An application is an application. You can't stop anyone from applying," Kande said. "So if you consider yourself MMD then you can apply, but the party records will tell whether you are genuine or not."
But pastor Mumba said he would not have written the application had he not known his membership status in the MMD.
Pastor Mumba on Thursday applied to be adopted as MMD candidate for the presidential by-election.
Asked when he rejoined the MMD, pastor Mumba said: "If I was not a member, I would not have applied. I am not out of mind to apply to a party to which I do not belong."
He said anyone wishing to verify his membership in the MMD should ask MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba.
Asked about the Reform Party which was formed after he was expelled from MMD, pastor Mumba said he had not dealt with the party for the past two years.
"The fact that we have not dealt with our process in the media does not mean I am still president of the Reform Party. On 12th January 2006, the Reform Party resolved to go back to the MMD on condition that I personally assured them that I have reconciled with the President with whom I had differed before," pastor Mumba explained.
"Reform Party was basically a protest party formed by members of the MMD who were frustrated and upset that I was not allowed to contest in the convention of 2005. On 12th February 2007, my reconciliation with the President took place at State House. The resolution was made in 2006 and from that day we did not promote the Reform Party."
Pastor Mumba said after his reconciliation with late President Mwanawasa, there was no further reason for the Reform Party to remain outside.
"The rest of the things that followed were administrative challenges that can be explained by the (MMD) national secretary who was given responsibility to handle our issue," said pastor Mumba.
And Kalumba, when contacted for comment, said the question of eligibility had not arisen at the moment.
Kalumba said an expelled member had the right to apply for membership, which was not restricted. He said he would not reject any application at this stage and that the applications being made were not official nomination but mere intentions.
"The point of deciding who is eligible has not arisen. The issue of Mr Mumba being raised at this point is premature and unfair. We have to wait until a committee scrutinises. We should not at this point assume that anybody who has applied is certified until I see their membership cards and their renewals," Kalumba said.
Among the people who have applied to be adopted as MMD presidential candidate in the forthcoming presidential by-election include former Constitutional Review Commission chairman Willa Mung'omba, Zambia-China Business Association chairman Sebastian Kopulande, finance minister Ng'andu Magande, former Republican vice-president Enoch Kavindele and former works and supply minister Ludwig Sondashi.
Meanwhile, Kande said President Mwanawasa had no preferred candidate to take over from him and that the secretariat also had no preferred candidate.
"The President had no preference of anybody. Even us as a secretariat, we always asked him and he always said that that candidate would be known only at the convention.
So no one can claim to be preferred," Kande said. "So even us at the secretariat have no preference of anyone but follow the rules and regulations to elect that person through secret ballot then rally behind him to ensure we win the presidency."
Labels: JEFF KANDE, MMD, NEVERS MUMBA, PRESIDENCY
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