MMD Headed For Extinction, Says Katele

Founder member of MMD Katele Kalumba has warned that the MMD risks going into extinction because some party members who sought election as leaders were not honest.
And another MMD founder member Mbita Chitala said MMD leaders calling for an extraordinary convention should be supported by members.
Dr Kalumba said Zambians should express their outrage and ask MMD president Nevers Mumba to return to his real calling as a pastor if he is responsible for squabbles in the party.
Dr Kalumba said in an interview yesterday that poor leadership is a source of division in some organisations and society.
“It is very sad to see what is going on. It will be tragic to see a party that used to be bright as MMD collapse so easily, perhaps, even face the probability of extinction which UNIP has survived to some extent at least,” Dr Kalumba said.
He said he predicted the collapse of the MMD leadership, which has led to wrangles in the party.
“It appears there is a case to be made by those who feel that leadership has collapsed. If people could recall, I predicted this a long time ago just when the convention to elect new leaders was about to go on.
“I evaluated the potential candidates that were standing and I had comments. If people have long memories they will remember that I expressed concerns about the current leadership of MMD. I said they have truth deficits, there was a moral problem of telling the truth,” Dr Kalumba said.
He said what is happening in MMD is lack of understanding of what individual leaders stand for, especially senior leaders.
“What do they stand for and what grounds do they stand. Do they believe in MMD fundamental principles that are defined in the preamble of the party constitution?” Dr Kalumba asked.
He said the concept of MMD must not die and should be championed by those who believe in multi-party democracy.
Dr Kalumba and Dr Chitala’s sentiments come in the wake of calls by Southern African Centre for the Construction Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) executive director Boniface Cheembe that MMD founder members should help to save the former ruling party from collapse.
Dr Kalumba said recent events in MMD are not pleasing and he is compelled to say something on what is happening.
“For a long time I kept quiet on political issues, I comment on economic issues and others like weather. I am now moved that something is going on that may jeopardise the very tenets or our libertarian civil society,” he said.
And Dr Kalumba said if Dr Mumba is creating divisions in MMD then people should express their outrage and ask him to return to his calling as a pastor.
“I say those who believe in freedom cannot allow MMD with so many MPs to collapse. If Dr Mumba is creating that scenario, then let Zambians express their outrage.
“I say this with no partisan interest or ill will… That sums up where I stand. Freedom must not die on account of leadership incapacity. All Zambians must be wary of this and not just founder members,” Dr Kalumba said.
And Dr Chitala said MMD leaders who are calling for an extraordinary convention are right and should be supported.
“The senior leaders in the MMD who are asking for convention at district, provincial to have a new image of MMD are correct and those who are opposing are not in consonant with what has been happening politically,” Dr Chitala said.
He said MMD risks becoming irrelevant to Zambians if an extraordinary convention is not convened to enable leaders to seek a fresh mandate at all levels.
“Without going to the extraordinary convention, they risk being swallowed by other parties or even being irrelevant to the current democratic dispensation,” Dr Chitala said.
He said former President Mwanawasa left MMD members with a legacy but the party was taken over by UNIP cadres and started replacing genuine party functionaries like Mike Mulongoti and others with their own people.
Dr Chitala said this continued under former President Rupiah Banda’s reign.
He also said those who took over the party continued to expel genuine MMD members like Major Richard Kachingwe and Mafinga member of Parliament Catherine Namugala.
He said MMD is the biggest opposition political party at the moment and all members have rights and obligations to the party.
“But it has challenges…the leadership was taken over by UNIP chaps who made it very unpopular, they brought in corruption and bad governance.
“They need new leadership at all the levels from constituency, provincial and so on and come up with new programmes which citizens can see will add value to what others did in 20 years,” Dr Chitala said.

Posted by Kunda on March 31, 2014. Filed under POLITICS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry