President Banda asked to intervene in Ndola MMD issues

A group of Ndola based Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD) Cadres have called upon Republican President Rupiah Banda to intervene in the manner in which the party’s Ndola District officials are allegedly dividing the party in the district.

ZANIS Ndola reports that the cadres who sought anonymity said the newly elected Victor Koni Executive were championing personal agenda’s and not unifying the party.

The cadres, who are calling themselves as MMD Activists, said the Victor Koni led executive had embarked on a massive harassment campaign of party cadres and officials from the previous Cephas Katongo led executive.

“President Rupiah Banda should immediately come to Ndola and find out for himself how this newly elected Victor Koni Executive is dividing the party, Koni is busy chasing away people from the party that did not endorse his adoption as MMD Chifubu Parliamentary seat candidate,’ they alleged.

“They are harassing cadres and party officials that served in Mr Katongo’s executive, this is not good for the party they are just tearing us apart,” they charged.

The cadres alleged that Mr Koni was not happy that the party did not adopt him as a candidate for the Chifubu parliamentary seat but instead adopted Frank Ng’ambi who eventually lost the seat to PF’s Susan Kawandami.

The Cadres said Mr Koni’s executive was currently planning to suspend the entire Chifubu MMD Constituency Committee.

“Victor Koni is still upset that he was not chosen as the candidate for the Chifubu seat, that is why he is planning to suspend the entire committee,” they said.

They said Mr Koni has since approached the owner of Chachitika motel in Chifubu to take up the seat of Chifubu Constituency.
[pullquote]“Victor Koni is still upset that he was not chosen as the candidate for the Chifubu seat, that is why he is planning to suspend the entire committee,” they said.[/pullquote]
The cadres alleged that in previous Chifubu by-election, Mr Koni was accused of having been seen at Chachitika motel dishing out money to voters and advising them to vote for the PF candidate and not the MMD candidate.

‘He has already approached Mr Mwelwa to be the new constituency chairman, the same person he is accused of having worked with last year, in de-campaigning MMD candidate Frank Ngambi,” they said.

The cadres further accused Mr Koni of having introduced the PF’s latest slogan “Don’t kubeba”, after he started advising people to mingle and eat with the MMD but to make sure that they voted for the PF candidate.

“Koni is the same person who brought about the PF slogan Dontch Kubeba, he told people to eat and pretend to be MMD supporters but to make sure that they voted for the PF candidate, what type of a chairman can such a one be?” they asked.

The cadres went on to say that they are shocked that Mr Koni’s executive has asked them to surrender all campaign materials such as T/shirts, Chitenge materials that they received from the Kephas Katongo led executive for the Chifubu by-election campaign period.

“And now he has asked us to return all T/shirts and Chitenge material that we were using during the Chifubu campaign, how are we going to take back clothes that we have been wearing, the President should intervene otherwise the party will disintegrate,” they observed.

The cadres further said the open de-campaigning of Vice President George Kunda’s candidature at the on coming party’s national convention and the preference for Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande by Mr Koni and his executive was tribal and should not be encouraged in the MMD.

And when reached for a comment, Mr Koni denied all the allegations and said he was aware that there was a splitter group in the MMD which wanted to destabilise the party in the district.

Mr Koni said the group which was referring to itself as MMD Ndola District activists were PF bound cadres who wanted to bring confusion to the MMD before finally showing their true colours.

He called on the cadres in the district to be very careful with the Activists as he alleged they had the potential to break the party.

And MMD Chifubu constituency chairlady Mable Simbule confirmed that no official in her constituency had received any suspension letter neither were any plans of suspending their entire constituency.

She said the party was very strong and that no one had been asked to return any campaign materials such as Chitenge materials, T/shirts and bicycles in Chifubu.

The chairlady said the new executive was working tirelessly and that it was unfortunate that some people were attempting to distract its focus.

She said Mr Koni’s executive had only been in office for one month and had already started working wonders.

“As Chifubu constituency we are behind the Chairman, he has only been in office for one month and he has done wonders, just go and check the district for yourself, you will see, she said.

[ ZANIS ]