Friday, March 29, 2024

MMD NEC has final say on co-opted ministers

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MMD National Scretary Chembe Nyangu (R)

MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu has said the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) will have the final say on the fate of its members that have been appointed in yesterday’s Patriotic Front (PF) Government cabinet.

Reacting to President Michael Sata’s appointment of some of the MMD members to his cabinet prominent among them the party’s newly-elected Chilanga Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Keith Mukata as Commerce Trade and Industry Deputy Minister, Mr Nyangu said in an interview yesterday that the move was allegedly a ploy to weaken the opposition.

Mr Nyangu charged that although the country’s Constitution empowered the President to appoint anyone, it was morally wrong to get members from other parties.

Asked what course of action the former ruling party was going to mete out to its members appointed by President Sata, Mr Nyangu said the NEC would decide the fate of those that had been appointed to serve in the PF government.

He added that the party’s constitution was explicit on the fate of those that “cross floors” to join other parties as they would automatically be expelled.

Other appointed MMD members include newly-elected Katuba Constituency MP Patrick Chikusu as Health Deputy Minister, Nicholas Banda for Kapoche as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Forrie Tembo for Nyimba as deputy information and Broadcasting Services minister.

Others are MMD Luampa MP Josephine Limata as North-Western Province Minister and MMD Livingstone MP Katombora Lukulo as Minister in Southern Province.

[Times of Zambia]

36 COMMENTS

  1. Is not this what the MMD did while in power during the reigns of LPM and most recently, that of RB?

    Don’t be hypocrites.

    You showed the nation what to do, is it now wrong for PF to do it?

  2. Mr nyangu must be very dull . I thought it was mmd policy to work with other parties when mwanawasa was president he appointed opposition mps in his govt. Rb also appointed opposition mps in govt. During that time it was ok. We need serious leadership if it was not ok why did nyangu kip quiet. Should we say he was a bootlicker.President Sata also didnt want his mps to work with govt but he is doing the same. Let us work together but pliz before u appoint these mps consult the party leadership and agree on the way forward. Lets mature

  3. Mr Nyangu, learn to use your brain before you engage your mouth. This is a GOD given opportunity for you to have people inside MCS govt and learn what is going on. Moreover, these people will be serving Zambians and not PF. You did not see them fit to be ministers during your time in power but MCS has seen that they can contribute something to the development of this country. Sore loser

  4. PF labelled it MPs adopted by MMD rebels!!! MMD is talking of possibility of disciplining its appointed MPs!!! I THINK WE NEED TO OVERHAUL OUR POLITICS! What manner of change have we landed ourselves here … seems to be of no substance but just faces!!!! GOD DELIVER US!!

  5. Nyangu dont panic just let the Ministers go and Donchi Kubeba. They will report to you whaqts going on in the country so you also know and contribute ACCORDINGLY By the way is this Nyngu boy an elected MP?

  6. Ba Nyangu let these guys serve as ministers after all our own Levy set a precedent by appointing MPs from opposition parties. Can you remember?

  7. what goes round mr sata called them rebel mps or he trying to disunity the opposition i don’t know the motive remember he is the serpent

  8. I seem to remember the MMD and other civil society organisations asking President Sata to promote reconciliation and that a wrong and a wrong don’t make it right. So here President Sata is trying to move forward but Nyangu and some bloggers refer to the former PF rebel MP’s. How then are you going to move forward, I’m sure if it was about corruption the song will be about working together and forgiveness. We should learn to leave certain past experiences behind, how else are we supposed to develop. We are all working for a better Zambia let MMD set an example and allow there MP’s work for and on behalf of the Zambian people.

  9. MMD must think and must not do things out of hatred and jealous. Let our members infiltrate the PF then we will know the way forward.

  10. what his saying literaly amounts to nonsense….levy worked with the opposition , what more can you ask for, besides alot of us are willing to work with the government of the day…

  11. MMD should be careful here. Expelling them would play in the hands of PF ploy to weaken MMD in parliament thru bye elections so they can extend their numbers and get control of parliament too. This would be disaster as things cant get worse right now. It calls for serious analysis of issues and strategising.

  12. It is always negative to dangle ‘advantage’ or beit or temptation to oposition members in order to weaken opposition.
    Africa is known for being non-objective when it comes to national matters where leaders do things and pass laws to foster their party and personal interests at the expense of the nations they serve.
    In this regard, in our young democracy, the opposition voice is very crucial in curbing formulation of ‘bad’ laws by the rulling party.
    In this case the opposition has the right, in the interest of the nation, to gard against invasion on their voice in parliament by the ruling PF.
    Instead of personal pursuit, the opposition leaders too must understand that they aught to serve the country.
    Therefore, accepting appointments such as these may be very negative.

  13. MMD TOOK PF MPS It was right. TODAY they are CRYING.
    Embracing them and they don’t want. Get them by the Horn, again they start crying vengeance. What then is Good for MMD.

  14. The opposition MMD has the right in national interest and indeed party interest to expell the self-expelled MPs who wish to cross or may not adhear to the party’s expected conduct.
    This means that such MPs would end up losing both their seats as MPs as well as their ministrial deputy positions.
    This would be the best move for MMD to do because you cannot trust the PF govt considering that they have not respected democratic tenets in their own party ever since it was formed.
    It would be sensible to think that they can easily exhibit dictatorial tendencies even at national level.
    In fact party ideologies are what get implemented whenever a party comes into power.
    They dont implement other people’s ideologies other than theirs.
    MMD must expell those MPs if they accept the positions

  15. None of the PF Rebel MPs were appointed to ministerial positions. They were rebels because the went against PF’s stance of not taking part in the NCC proceedings. MMD embraced the rebels as a way of frustrating the PF leadership.

  16. I find this S.T.U.P.I.D that MMD would have such shallow thinkers; on what grounds would this make the Opposition weak.
    If he did not appoint anyone you would have been the first to condemn you fo.ol. We are democratic country and as Citizens, we are not bias to be served by only Ministers from the Ruling party. Well Done President SATA, this shows maturity.
    Please don’t listen to these fo.ols and appoint many more from opposition. We are one Zambia which MMD wanted to destroy.

  17. # 21 SHEIKH,
    It is not that you find this stupid and you have stated, but rather it is that you are ignorant on what grounds would this make the Opposition weak.
    I take it you are pretending in your contribution, but if you convince me that you are serious then your analysis lacks merit (if at all it is there).

  18. What does the would be new constituition say about such appointments and MPs crossing over to other parties? If anyone knows please educate us so we know what the future has for us.

    Otherwise this dribbling will continue. MMD did it, PF is doing it, future admins may do it also until its outlawed.

  19. There is a rumour that one of the officers who was with RB is soliciting to be taken back to his former office, Please do not entertain those leaving State House, otherwise pipo will never be at peace. This Alfonso chap should stay away.

  20. We have a very good strategy that we learnt from your MMD mambalas, we know you rigged in some areas and we want to capture those areas, we appoint them and you expel them, we hold a by-election and we win on a silver plate and our representation in parliament increases. Simple as that.

  21. Bemba President Sata should have talked first to the MMD. You dont go over the head of the another party! He has just bought these MMD chaps with cheap positions which have no influence on policy. Deputy Ministers dont sit in Cabinet Meetings neither do they act in place of a Minister. The Deputy Minister post is just a cost centre. It is a position 4 st.upid people. Seems we are going to have bye elctions soon!

  22. Do onto others as you would like them to do onto you! MMD did to the opposition, and weakened them, Gen Miyanda’s party never recovered!

    Your members would rather be Ministers in a PF government than be mere opposition MP’s in MMD. Try stopping them and you will just invite by- elections which you will lose…Check Mate!

  23. OKAY BA MMD EXPEL YOUR MPs WE HAVE ADOPTED AND US PF WILL START CORRUPTION CASES AND WHO EVER IS FOUND WANTING WILL BE JAILED FOR GOOD.
    CASE NUMBER ONE
    1.ZAMTEL
    2.UPG
    3.FINANCE BANK

  24. “Mr Nyangu charged that although the country’s Constitution empowered the President to appoint anyone, it was morally wrong to get members from other parties.” How morally RIGHT was it when RB appointed MPs from the opposition? Stupid fool.

  25. Well Sata is a minority president elected mainly by lusaka and copperbelt. He is not a president to all so we are watching closely….watch and see

  26. I have read every comment, lets be more realisic, President Sata, is a President Now, Paries aside we need to develop the Nation, if forms government that embraces opposition its for the best interest of the Nation. also part of reconcilling the zambians. Bye electons will attract additional costs to the nation insteady of mending the already exagerated potholes created by the previous regime. Fellow country men, When are the young going to learn and grow with the view to govern tommorow? The Nyangus have had their time, its time for the young fellow like Mukata to be in Government the better years to come. you can not learn from outside government, give them chance to grow. I wish all young ones to rise above political sphere and allow those given chances to participate in governance

  27. I wish Mr Nyangu cld read what realistic bloggers are saying on this blog, not so long ago, Mr Mwanawasa MHSRIP appointed members of the opposition into his cabinet and no one frm MMD complained, he even appointed Nevers Mumba as Veep yet Nevers was a leader of his own political party, Mr Nyangu, yo own MMD president RB was appointed Veep from Unip and no one in MMD complained, atleast openly, RB himself appointed rebel mp as minister in yo government and u didnt consider this as weakening the opposition, as if that was not enuf, u put 22 PF Mps on yo pay roll and believed u weakened PF, see how it feels to interfere with other pipo’s business? Where i come from we say AKATANSHI TAKALISHA, AKALEKELESHA EKALISHA!

  28. The PF MP’s who were called rebels where not appointed Ministers but where working against PF and Sata and went for NCC which the party was not in support. So there is nothing wrong to appoint MMD chaps and they are free to serve their party MMD faithfully if they dont want to be called MMD rebel MP’s

  29. I think we have stupid party laws of expelling people because they are appointed to serve the country. It should be known that after elections, it is no longer about the party but the development of Zambia. If the President thinks that someone in the opposition is capable of deliverying then let him appoint the guy. Our thinking as Zambians in very backward. I have seen that in Norway, the opposition leaders are part of the cabinet. Why not in Zambia?

  30. Sata has enough MPs that he could have appointed as deputy ministers, why did he cross the floor by appointing MPs from the MMD? Why did he not appoint anyone from the UPND? The answer is simple, the UPND MPs would be expelled there and then. Another reason is that it is easy to bribe MMD MPs who are desperate for moneyand power 

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