Loyalty to principles
By Editor
Tuesday June 10, 2008 [04:00]
Lusaka mayor Stephen Chilatu’s suspension is of no relevance to the reconciliation between Patriotic Front president Michael Sata and President Levy Mwanawasa. It’s difficult to understand why Dr Guy Scott is saying that lifting Chilatu’s suspension would strengthen the reconciliation between Sata and President Mwanawasa. Where is the link between these two issues?
As far as we know, Chilatu was suspended on alleged misconduct and abuse of office. The reconciliation between Sata and President Mwanawasa has nothing to do with corruption.
Probably if it were a reconciliation with those who are facing corruption charges, one would understand some connection between the two being talked about.
We need to be careful about the true meaning of reconciliation. We can easily be enticed to read reconciliation and fairness as meaning parity between justice and injustice. We know that injustice must be fought and justice must be sought.
It is not right, just and fair to let things slide for the sake of reconciliation and friendship when a person has clearly gone wrong and refrain from principled argument because he is an old acquaintance, a close friend, a loved one, an old colleague or old subordinate.
Or to touch on the matter slightly instead of going into it thoroughly, so as to keep in good terms. The result is that both the political party and the individual are harmed.
It is not right to see someone abusing public office and yet not feel indignant, or dissuade or stop him or reason with him, but allow him to continue.
It is difficult to understand why Dr Scott and Sata are more eager to protect Chilatu when he is facing serious corruption charges from fellow councillors.
We do appreciate the principle of democratic centralism, of the need for lower ranks to obey orders from higher party officials. But there is need to be careful in the way orders are bandied around. Leaders who rely on authority to solve problems are bound to come to grief.
Of course within the ranks of our political parties, democracy should be correlative with centralism and freedom with discipline. They are the two opposites of a single entity, contradictory as well as united, and we should not one-sidedly emphasise one to the denial of the other.
Within our political parties, we cannot do without freedom, nor can we do without discipline; we cannot do without democracy, nor can we do without centralism.
This unity of democracy and centralism, of freedom and discipline should constitute our political parties’ democratic centralism. Under this system, members, cadres and leaders should enjoy extensive democracy and freedom, but at the same time, they should keep within the bounds of party discipline.
We must be ready at all times to stand up for the truth, because the truth is in the interest of the people.
Our political leaders, at all levels, must always go into the whys and wherefores of anything, use their own heads and carefully think over whether or not it corresponds to reality and is really well founded; on no account should they follow blindly and encourage wrongdoings.
We should always use our brains and think everything over carefully. In order to get rid of the blindness which exists to a serious extent in our political parties, we must encourage our politicians, at all levels, to think and learn to analyse issues instead of just being commanded around.
We must learn to look at problems all-sidedly, seeing the reverse as well as the obverse side of things. In given conditions, a bad thing can lead to good results and a bad thing to good results.
In approaching a problem, we should try to see the whole as well as the parts. A frog in a well says, “The sky is no bigger than the mouth of the well.” That is untrue, for the sky is not just the size of the mouth of the well. If it said, “A part of the sky is the size of the mouth of the well”, that would be true, for it tallies with the facts.
It doesn’t make sense for Patriotic Front leaders who expelled Susan Nakazwe from being mayor of Lusaka simply because she had disobeyed their order not to go to Lusaka International Airport to welcome Chinese President Hu Jintao to now seek reprieve for Chilatu who has been suspended for corruption.
Even the most basic reconciliation is not conducted this way. It is the result of honesty and truth, and not deceit or manipulation. If anything, it is Nakazwe who deserves reconciliation because she refused to put partisan interests above national ones; commitment to the nation took precedence over loyalty to the party.
The Patriotic Front leadership seems to be doing very badly where issues of principles are concerned. They seem to have been conducting politics based purely on expediency, on a desire to win public support or elections. As a result of this, today they are finding themselves in many U-turns and contradictions.
It is difficult to actually know what this political party really believes in or is about other than just winning elections. Today they are taking positions that appear to be principled but are they really taken on the basis of principle or it is just another move in the direction of political expediency?
Anyway, this is what happens when loyalty to principles is weak. This is what happens where there is betrayal of principles. This is the ending where loyalty and firmness of principles is not respected.
But there is no choice between being principled and unelectable; and electable and unprincipled.
Being mayor of the City of Lusaka is not purely an internal Patriotic Front issue. It is an issue that affects the entire leadership of the city regardless of which political party is in the majority as far as councillors are concerned.
Chilatu’s violation is not necessarily against the Patriotic Front but against the residents of Lusaka. And his friends did the right thing to suspend him. Dr Scott and Sata, who seem to be enjoying Machiavellian tactics in an unbridled way, must realise that a time comes when principles are considered, when principles matter. They have created a lot of internal contradictions within the party by being too commandist. Everything in the party seems to be a product of decrees, instead of democratic processes. Even the Communist Party of the Soviet Union under Stalin was not led in this way.
There was some form of intra-party democracy. There is need for important party policies to be discussed by all organs of the party. And there is also need for the top party leadership to learn to accept and respect decisions of lower party organs. Decisions can’t just flow in one direction – in the top to down direction.
This type of leadership has created a lot of confusion within the Patriotic Front. They are not strengthening the party but are weakening it. Sometimes there is need for the top leadership of the party to mull over things and listen to the feelings of the lower organs of the party.
We think the councillors are right over Chilatu and their decision should be respected by Dr Scott and Sata. Although they are the top most leaders of the party, it is not their party and as such should not try to dictate everything. They should learn to listen to other leaders of the party and work to create a collective leadership.
Labels: PF, SATA, STEPHEN CHILATU
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PF councillors continue to defy Sata over Chilatu
By Lambwe Kachali
Tuesday June 10, 2008 [04:00]
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) councillors have defied party directives to strengthen the reconciliation between PF president Michael Sata and President Levy Mwanawasa by lifting the suspension of Lusaka mayor Stephen Chilatu. And PF vice-president Dr Guy Scott said the party would take disciplinary action against councillors who voted against the proposed forgiveness of Chilatu.
Meanwhile, Sata said his support for Chilatu should not be mistaken with the failure to reconcile with PF members of parliament sitting on the National Constitutional Conference (NCC), saying the offences were different.
During a full council meeting last week, Dr Scott raised a motion to forgive Chilatu and lift his suspension as a way of strengthening the reconciliation of President Mwanawasa and Sata. In presenting the motion, Dr Scott said it was PF's desire to promote unity among members and strengthen reconciliation of the two presidents.
He said PF wanted to lead by example by forgiving Chilatu, especially that the reconciliation by the two leaders had been received with mixed feelings from some quarters of society.
Dr Scott said the PF leadership had never been happy with Chilatu's suspension because it had negatively affected the operations of the council.
However, Dr Scott said when he raised the motion as directed by the party, some PF councillors vowed not to support it. He cited Kabulonga ward councillor Charles Msiska, Chawama councilor captain Davison Mulenga and Matero member of parliament Faustina Sinyangwe, among others, as some of those who were against the motion. He said when the issue heated up, the meeting called for a vote.
"Now, after we voted, my motion, which was the PF's motion was defeated. Only five PF councillors voted in favour, nine councillors voted against while seven others objected and walked out without voting," Dr Scott said.
He said the PF secretariat would write to all councilors to exculpate themselves over their continued behaviour of defying party directives.
"We are very concerned about this continued indiscipline among party members especially councillors and some members of parliament. The secretary general Mr. Edward Mumbi will write to them to exculpate themselves why they have continued to go against their own party," he said. "If our two top leaders can reconcile at State House, why can't we do the same at party and council levels? Our aim is to strengthen this reconciliation, but I am very disappointed at the councillors' defiant behaviour."
Dr Scott warned that PF would not condone any further indiscipline and those found wanting would be expelled.
"I will not be surprised when these councillors are expelled from PF. Nakazwe (Susan) and Musonda Mwaume were expelled because they went against party rules as well as for being indiscipline. I think these councillors have failed to learn from their friends' mistakes. So, the disciplinary committee will deal with them," said Dr Scott.
And asked why he was supporting Chilatu and while refusing to reconcile with his members of parliament participating in the NCC, Sata said the two issues were different. He said the PF top leadership sat and reviewed Chilatu's case but had never sat to review the case committed by those sitting on the NCC.
"One thing people should understand is that PF as a whole has declared not to participate in the NCC. So, reconciling with 'rebel' members of parliament is a non-starter. But for Mr. Chilatu, those councillors who suspended him are just confused.
They are jealous of Chilatu. How can they suspend him as a councillor and not a mayor when they know very well that for Chilatu to be a mayor, he should first be a councillor? We have identified all the ringleaders and just wait and see. Their fate is near," said Sata.
But Msiska said the councilors were in order to vote against the party's motion because it would have been ridiculous for them to change wrong things in the name of reconciliation.
He said as much as councillors appreciated the reconciliation between Sata and President Mwanawasa, the motion raised by Dr Scott did not hold water because Chilatu was a self-confessed offender.
"Our move to vote against the motion was collective and without malice. Chilatu was suspended on alleged misconduct and abuse of office. The man has put the office of the mayor into ridicule. It would have been ridiculous on our party as councilors to start changing what we unanimously agreed on at first," Msiska said.
He said councillors would not accept PF top leadership to be imposing wrong decisions on them.
"It is very ridiculous to be always discussing Chilatu whenever we meet as council. After all, his suspension is coming to an end in September. But it will be unfortunate if the party is planning to expel us on this ground. If it happens, it will mean lack of democracy in PF," said Msiska.
And captain Mulenga said Chilatu had sold the party and wondered why PF leadership was still supporting him. He said the councillors were neutral and wanted to deliver the much-needed development to the people of people.
He said it was sad that Dr Scott even threatened them after voting against the motion. He said he personally told Dr Scott that Chilatu was not fit to be mayor because he had gravely abused his office.
"As a veteran politician, I don't want mediocrity. We don't need to be pushed, bulldozed by the party leadership the way they have been doing for the past two years. Reinstating Chilatu will not be in order and we will not allow anybody to impose what they want on us," said captain Mulenga.
In March this year, PF suspended Chilatu for allegedly irregularly allocating himself a house in Ibex Hill and nominating Stanford Mwenda to replace him at the National Constitutional Conference without the council's authority.
The decision was reached at a full council meeting where councillors particularly those from PF questioned Chilatu's decision to allocate himself a house without following procedure.
However, Chilatu said he followed all the necessary procedures before he shifted into the house.
Last year in March, the PF expelled then Lusaka Mayor Susan Nakazwe and councillor Borniface Musondamwaume for disobeying party directives for them not to go to Lusaka International Airport to welcome Chinese President Hu Jintao.
Labels: PF, SATA, STEPHEN CHILATU
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PF councillors threaten to defect over Chilatu
By Lambwe Kachali and Patson Chilemba
Thursday April 10, 2008 [04:00]
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) councillors in Lusaka have threatened to ditch the party for opposition UPND if the party leadership dares to lift mayor Stephen Chilatu's suspension. But PF president Michael Sata said Chilatu's suspension was nonsensical.
Reacting to PF vice-president Dr Guy Scott's accusation that they defied Sata's instructions to lift Chilatu's suspension, a group of councillors who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation said they were tired of Sata's dictatorial tendencies.
The councillors said it was disgusting that Sata had continued to treat them like children, a situation they described as barbaric, retrogressive and a grave interference on the operations of the council.
The councillors said it was not true that Matero member of parliament Faustina Sinyangwe and Chawama member of parliament Reverend Sampa-Bredt influenced them to suspend Chilatu for six months.
"We as councillors acted on principle after looking at the offences Chilatu had committed. Although the recommendations from the adhoc committee proposed that Chilatu be reinstated in the position of mayor and that he be reprimanded, the council found it prudent to suspend him in accordance with Statutory Instrument (SI) 140 of 1995," the councillors said.
They said the Statutory Instrument allows them to suspend any councillor who misconducts himself.
The councillors said the Instrument further allows the council to suspend any erring councillor who behaved in such a way as to create in the mind of the ordinary citizens a lack of confidence in the performance of his duties
The councillors said based on that section and with regard to the offences Chilatu agreed he committed during an interview with the adhoc committee, it was important that Chilatu be suspended as a councillor.
The councillors said Chilatu's suspension had also affected his mayoral position, saying he could only be mayor if he was a councillor.
The councillors said they received instructions from Sata with great shock because it was an infringement on their rights.
They said Chilatu's suspension did not deserve to be lifted because he had gravely abused his office and that his actions brought the council's image and PF as a party into disrepute.
The councillors said they would not bow to Sata's dictatorial habits and that they deliberately defied his instructions so as to teach him a lesson that they were mature enough to make their own decisions.
The councillors expressed concern at PF's leadership, saying they would not hesitate to ditch the party and join the opposition if Sata continued to apply dictatorial tendencies.
The councillors vowed not to lift Chilatu's suspension because they had all the relevant evidence supporting his suspension.
"Nakazwe and Musonda Mwaume were expelled from the party for petty reasons, compared to Chilatu. So why is Mr. Sata trying to protect Chilatu? What is the motive behind all this?" they asked. "We doubt Mr. Sata's leadership. And also, why is Mr Chilatu dragging the council to court?"
And reacting to Chilatu's lawyers who have threatened to take legal action against the council if his suspension was not reversed in the next seven days, Hakuyu said he was not the one who suspended their client. He said only the council could reverse Chilatu's suspension.
But Sata said Chilatu should be treated fairly and given access to justice. He said it did not make sense to suspend Chilatu because he was mayor as a result of being a councillor.
Sata said the whole suspension episode was marred with suspicion because the one who raised the motion to suspend Chilatu was Msiska, the man he defeated for the position of mayor.
He said PF councillors were vulnerable because they were threatened by Sinyangwe and Rev Sampa-Bredt that local government minister Sylvia Masebo would dissolve the council should Chilatu be reinstated.
Sata said PF was ready to teach Masebo and the MMD a lesson. He challenged Masebo to dissolve the council, saying PF would not even seek legal redress but would gladly go into elections.
But Rev Sampa-Bredt described Sata's allegations as a joke.
Labels: PF, STEPHEN CHILATU
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Chilatu asks councillors to be lenient with him
By Lambwe Kachali
Thursday March 06, 2008 [03:00]
SUSPENDED Lusaka mayor Stephen Chilatu (right) yesterday asked councillors not to nail him to the cross but forgive him for whatever mistakes he committed against the council. Reacting to allegations that he irregularly allocated himself a house in Ibex Hill and nominated Sanford Mwenda to replace him at the NCC without the council’s authority, Chilatu said it would be wrong if the committee that has been formed to investigate him manipulated the process.
He explained that he shifted into the Ibex Hill house because he was offered by the council on condition that he would be paying rentals. Chilatu said it was not true that he allocated the house to himself as alleged by the councillors. He said the councillors were unhappy with him when Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata said he had forgiven him following his resignation from the NCC.
“The housing committee took that matter to LCC and the council did resolve that two houses be reserved for mayor and the deputy. When the matter went to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing for confirmation last year, after the town clerk wrote to the minister that the issue was equivalent to creating conditions of service, the minister did respond that the official council house could not be allocated to me because the nature of my work is part-time,” Chilatu explained. “But she further said that unless the mayor the council on condition that he would be paying rentals.
Chilatu said it was not true that he allocated the house to himself as alleged by the councillors. He said the councillors were unhappy with him when Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata said he had forgiven him following his resignation from the NCC.
“The housing committee took that matter to LCC and the council did resolve that two houses be reserved for mayor and the deputy.
When the matter went to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing for confirmation last year, after the town clerk wrote to the minister that the issue was equivalent to creating conditions of service, the minister did respond that the official council house could not be allocated to me because the nature of my work is part-time,” Chilatu explained.
“But she further said that unless the mayor would be paying rentals, that is how I acquired that house. The house was offered to me through a letter from the town clerk.”
Asked if he had started paying rentals for the same house, Chilatu said the amount to be paid per month had not yet been resolved.
“Yes, I am supposed to be paying rentals.
The issues of the rentals are yet to be determined because initially the house was at K5 million per month and later it was revised by the minister that the houses are overpriced and they should be K3 million, and the issue has not yet been cleared. So I haven’t started paying rentals but I shifted. There are ten houses which have remained unoccupied for the past ten years. Of course it is because they are still being worked on,” Chilatu said.
On his nomination of Mwenda to replace him at the NCC, Chilatu said some councillors did not want him to be mayor. He said some councillors would be more than happy if he was expelled because they were harbouring ambitions of succeeding him.
Chilatu said it was for that reason that they were ‘cooking’ all sorts of fake allegations to pin him down. He said he nominated Mwenda because he did not want to leave that office vacant. He said Mwenda’s nomination was subject to ratification by the council.
“So it will be a big plus to these councillors if I am kicked out of office so then they can go for the position. After I resigned from NCC, I did not want to leave the office in a vacuum and so, in my own understanding I thought I should forward another name to replace me. I did indicate that this issue will be ratified by the council at the sitting in March.
It was not as if I were the final person because I knew that the matter was subject to ratification by the council which will have the final say,” Chilatu said. “What the council should have done was either to ratify or pick another name. I thought I was doing the right thing but everything has been misconstrued by a few councillors who are fighting me for the position.”
Chilatu said despite everything he did, he was human, could make mistakes and offend others. He said there was need for LCC to forgive him for whatever they deemed unfit for him to do.
“Of course, it will be very unfortunate if they expel me because I left NCC in good faith and I did acknowledge to the president that I made a mistake. We all make mistakes and what is important is to acknowledge one’s mistakes, make amends and move on.
It will be a big mistake if councillors can’t forgive me and would want to nail me to the cross. That will be very unfortunate. I have put the matter of NCC behind me and I would want to see unity and harmony prevail. I want to appeal to my friends that let us unite and work in harmony,” Chilatu said.
On allegations that he damaged the council vehicle, Chilatu denied saying at no time had he bashed any council vehicle.
Labels: CORRUPTION, LUSAKA, MAYOR, NCC, STEPHEN CHILATU
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