A lot has been said about the leadership wrangles in the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD).
The media has actually not been helpful because most of the journalists have taken sides. One fact is that Dr. Michael Kaingu, Dr. Brian Chituwo, Lucky Mulusa, Dora Siliya and Tobias Kafumukache have not been bought by the Patriotic Front. The gentlemen and lady just want a strong MMD.
People who want a weaker MMD have taken advantage to label them sell outs. I have had time to talk to all of them. Actually they are struggling to raise money to champion the calls for the extra ordinary convention. When they cited Nevers Mumba for contempt and other NEC members, they had problems raising funds to deliver summons.
For those who know Lucky Mulusa, they know that he can not be bought by the Patriotic Front.The argument by the five is that MMD under Nevers Mumba is not attracting both moral and financial support. By the time the MMD NEC was stripping the five of the titles, hundreds of MMD Members were resigning in Muchinga Province, Chinsali District to be specific, to join the UPND.
This is where Nevers Mumba hails from. While the provincial chairpersons for Muchinga and Northern Province were busy advocating for the expulsion of the five in Lusaka, there members were resigning. This is the argument these people have.
Nevers Mumba is also accused of favouring NEC Members he has personally appointed to others. He is also accused of only liking the born-again Christians.
These may sound as wild allegations, but Nevers has to answer to them if the MMD has to remain a force to reckon with. Why should Nevers only listen to Peter Machungwa and Elizabeth Chitika? Why just listen to Faustina Sinyangwe?
The five are saying these are the people who were among the 22 rebel MPs under the PF. Nevers is also accused of creating a parallel structure from the party secretariat and imposing some people on the secretariat particularly Raphael Nakachinda his private Secretary and Malama Sokoni his cousin.
These are some of the issues Nevers Mumba should not ignore but sort out. “Dora Siliya can resign with five thousand supporters in Petauke Central but Muhabi Lungu or Nevers Mumba can not address 100 people in Lusaka Central,” one person told me.
The fact is that a lot of home work has to be done. accusing others of being bought when you can not look at other people’s concerns is not the solution.
MMD may be on its death bed. The solution may be with Kabinga Pande the Party National Chairperson to call for an extra ordinary convention.
Editor’s note: Mr. Facts is a new editorial columnist who will be publishing here once a week. The opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and do not represent the views or opinions of Zambia Reports. Interested in writing for us as well? Please contact us at editor AT zambiareports.com.
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