MMD presidential hopeful Felix Mutati says the former ruling party failed to take advantage of the large crowds during campaigns ahead of last year’s elections because the party leadership did not have the message that could touch the people.
Mr Mutati, who is Lunte member of Parliament (MP), said the opposition party had no direct touch with the people as it spent time with flamboyant investment pledges that had little meaning to an ordinary person.
The MMD was kicked out of power last September after 20 years with corruption tag placed on its back and it is now looking for a new leader after the retirement of former president Rupiah Banda.
Mr Mutati, who is one of the contenders for the party’s top job, said in an interview on Friday that time had come to rekindle the morale of the people on the grassroots so that they could be able to realise that the party was still alive.
“Our message missed the target, the message did not touch the hearts of the people and we need to activate the engagement with the people. People don’t need flamboyant investment pledges which did not touch them,” he said.
Mr Mutati said it was wrong for politicians to take advantage of the poor people by using them as tools of helping them to get into power.
He said the MMD presidency was a tough race with good competitors but was confident that he would emerge victorious on the May 25 when the election will be held.
The former Commerce minister said he had travelled to 64 districts of the country as he sought the mandate to be at the helm of the former ruling party and was pleased that party structures still existed at the grassroots.
Earlier, Mr Mutati paid tribute to the Lions Club of Mulungushi for its continued assistance to the needy in society and urged the people to support the poor.
Speaking when he officiated at the donation of a wheelchair by the Lions Club to Siachobe, Mr Mutati said the club had come a long way in creating opportunities for other people in society.
He said the club had been built on the principle of creating opportunities for others, providing unconditional service as well as making partnerships with the poor people.
Lions Club of Mulungushi president Ben Siame said the club members had been the bearer of messages of hope for the needy people in society.
Bo Mutati mina, it took you this long to realize that you can not bride people with what belongs to them in the first place? Better late, than never I suppose.
However, considering that you will soon be prosecuted for the World Bank related kickbacks you took when you where at ZESCO, yours is a futile admission. And wasted effort, but good luck. All I am saying is if you do not have enough moral and personal integrity to NOT take public office until you are cleared of corruption, you are still the same greedy corrupt uncaring filthy MMD as far as I am concerned.
And you have no message, and you will have no message to touch the people!
MMD should just vote for Nevers. Sata has never attacked Mutati, which should tell you the story. On other hand, Micheal has been on Nevers like I dont know, because is being seen as serious competitor. wake up MMD
If the fact that Sata has never attacked Mutati is the criteria for Nevers to be the candidate, I can only say that this is the shallowest strategic reasoning I have ever encountered.
I think the real issue is that Mutati is working with Sata, which I strongly suspect too because I am not sure how Mutati should have said such a thing about MMD if he believes in it.
mr mutati if there people who were corrupt in the mmd regime you one them. can you account for the trips and lodging in Goa and other states in India.you some officials at the zambia high commission one of which was transferred while is still there can be investigated. there is no way you cleanse yourself today and cheat zambians.
@Lynch mob misleader . The Zesco scandles happened long after Bo Mutati had left.
You are very wrong sir/madam
Yes, please tell me more. Stand to be corrected on that particular one, but won’t change my mind about Mutati or MMD. He has more skeletons in his closet than the catacombs in Rome
Mutati was at Zesco just b4 2001 election, and the world bank scandal happened/started just b4 the elections into the first term of Levi’s govt. The other thing is that he was a Commerce Minister in a govt ‘labelled as a corrupt govt’. Ask if you’ve friends in Asia, they will tell you about his investments in Asia.
Only till a few months ago, Mutati was part and parcel of the leadership that failed to craft a message that could connect with the people! And yet today, this romptouous aloof scambug wants us to believe he has all of a sudden re-invented himself into a visionary leader who can steer the MMD back into power. Well only gullible people can believe such stinking bull, because from all I can see, Mutati has AIDS and hasn’t much time to implement anything, including these lies he is raving off.
Good excuse mmd did not have message to give “FALSE” . You had the message but it was theory.
Mutati is not even ashamed of his statement. He was a senior cabinet minister and today he wants to become president, a person who has even failed to work effectively as leader of the opposition in parliament
I don’t know where to put this guy
I thought that as Commerce Minister he was responsible for ‘the flamboyant investment pledges that did not touch the people.’
That is it for me – Not fit to be MMD leader.
Here are the mistakes RB made:
1. He wounded his enemy but left him alive. Should have killed him off completely. Should have learned from King Shaka.
2. He sent the most eloquent MMD member to Canada.
3. He kept the most disliked MMD leaders as his closest friends.
4. He did not promise what he could not deliver. People like to be told that they will have more money in their pockets for just voting and doing nothing.
Aloof, discordant & still no message, indeed.
Hindsight is always 20-20!!
Bo Mutati, you r still young. Go restart your life. You don’t have a chance here basa. Besides, there is no support for you from the grassroots. You are tented. Leave it to clean people. Zambians can’t afford making a mistake again after this one. Wynter also thinks he is next hehe kuti waaseka!!!!!!
In the constellation of the MMD presidential aspirants all one sees at this stage are weak cases, that have skeletons in cupboards, none with the requisite charismatic attributes to attract interest to their tepid agendas. A lost cause by all accounts, sadly.
MMD should just get stuffed end of story!!
MMD had no message to touch the people THEN and they don’t have it NOW because they WILL never have it!
“Mr Mutati, who is Lunte member of Parliament (MP), said the opposition party had no direct touch with the people as it spent time with flamboyant investment pledges that had little meaning to an ordinary person”. Maybe so, but consider also the fact that those same people have learnt the hard way that flamboyant and undoable messages of donchi kubeba and more money in your pockets only served the selfish interests of some politicians who wanted to get power at all costs.
Ba LT where was Mr. Mutati speaking and where is this Lions Club of Mulungushi? Mporokoso? Basic Journalism start with where, who, when, what, how. GOD BLESS ZAMBIA.
And when we argue that even if its for free, give us proper perspective of the news they nyonyonyo
As Mr Mutati has correctly observed that “…it was wrong for politicians to take advantage of the poor people by using them as tools of helping them to get into power……”. So he must be careful not to misread the episodes of September 2011 just because MMD lost. In 2011 voters allowed themselves to be cheated with cheap and flamboyant messages, if you go on the streets now people have less money in pockets and they are openly confirming how gullible they were to believe such wild messages. I think that the MMD message of investment was an honest and practical way of putting more money in people’s pockets. The problem was that MMD did not interpret or simplify it to the people in a way that the people could connect with it.
In short the MMD message was true, honest and practical but presented in a fashion too elitist to connect with the majority of people. From now on as the MMD repositions itself and campaigns for 2016 they should know that their audience are not qualified economists.
@The Saint, RB’s mistakes were: 1. Bad relations with the post. 2. Befriended tainted Chiluba. 3. Dominated public media to nauseating levels. 4. Tolerated corruption-removed abuse of office clause in the laws-a complete turn around on Levy. 5. U kamwendo munjila-constant travelling. 6. Children in govt business. 7. Irritating Vuvuzelas-Tekere, Dora, Lifwekelo, Siulapwa, Kalonde, CC3, etc yet people had MMD fatigue.
You have summarised nicely!!
# 19 and 20 Reagan bush, please do not insult bloggers by saying we are not qualified economists whatever that means.
Which part of the word “FAILURE” do you not understand? Giving a half – hearted apology or admission of guilt is as good as not giving one at all and it looks like you are still in denial and just want to gloss over the hard unpleasant facts.
Mutati’s attempt to repackage or sell himself is a little too late. People are not foolish and can smell a liar and pretender from miles away. Mutati is simply not sincere and that is precisely where he loses touch with people. This is the same lack of sincerity we saw in September 2011. Mutati and MMD are in it for themselves, not the people. This is the MMD message – UNREPENTANT SELFISHNESS & GREED
Bumper maize harvests with exports to spare,record amounts of forex reserves ($2.5bn),record amounts of exports and a big trade surpluses,an upgrade by UNDP from a least developed country to a middle income status,a very good amount of FDI inflows and a good record on road projects started by MMD and commissioned by RB. Thats a great legacy and a great message to touch the people.Only the blind like Mutati,the hateful and tribally inclined bigots and political opportunists who choose not to be touched by MMD’s great record.
@ 24 Enka Rasha,
Did those achievement trickle down to the poor Zambian? The answer is a Big NO. Look at what PF is doing, all road construction projects worthy below 20 Billion Kwacha will have to be undertaken by Zambian Companies, 360 healthy facilities are being constructed around the country, Warehouse management for FRA maize is being handled by Zambian companies in those areas, so if you have a small company in your village, go back and be a warehouse manager, you will be paid 8 million kwacha monthly per warehouse. PF is empowering Zambians for sure
@Enka Rasha, well said. But an ordinary Zambian does not really care about UNDP’s ratings. MMD sang that song of ratings and bumper harvests but what was in it for an ordinary street guy? People felt cheated by those high office achievements which did not trickle down. So? A simple message like “more money in your pockets” made impact. It is all about “micro” and not “macro” benefit. Roads and bridges are pathetic baba. ZAMBIA is big.
#23 Remote thief, if you have a humble education just accept your station in life or improve your education, no need to feel insulted. It’s not an insult to say that the vast majority of us voters are not economists let alone reasonably educated, otherwise tell us how you would explain people believing in fantastic and impractical theories like more money in your pockets within 90 days? I am not pro MMD or pro PF, I just wanted to guide our politicians as a responsible citizen. Please read #24 Enka Rasha too, those are the things that people like you and me failed to comprehend in 2011.
Looks like the race is between Nevers and Mutati
mutati i have seen you in company of your party cadres..the PF. what do u want in MMD?
Mutati has nothing to offer, period! He has unfortunatelly become a flip flop politician. He won only by 200 votes! How is he going to win the MMD Presidency?
He is quite a smart man, just that he had wrong group around him. As you know in Zambia, no matter how good you can be, corrupt people would never give such leaders a chance. He has the experience and surely can contribute to the development of Zambia. President Sata should consider him for a Ministerial Position.
Birds of a feather flock together.
There is nothing you can say that will redeem this man’s lost political career
Birds of the same feathers. PF and Mutati
# 27, Reagan bush, telling someone the obvious is not guidance. It is patronisingingly stupi+. The truly educated do flaunt their “education” – it speaks for itself.
The macro-economic indicators that improved during the MMD tenure of office were the result of the increased demand for copper and related metals on the world market. MMD has no control over the world metal prices, does it? Lets not take credit for things we have no control over. The bumper harvests were a result of consistently good rainfall over several years, but – oh, MMD controls the rainfall as well ! The real failure of the MMD was that because they do not engineer rainfall or world copper prices, they were totally clueless as to how to pass the benefits on to the common people.
And they will never have any message for the people