THE nine MMD members of Parliament serving in the Patriotic Front government as deputy ministers have pledged allegiance to President Sata and not their party president Nevers Mumba whom they have described as a failure.
Their resolution to stick to Government has prompted the MMD to consider expelling the MPs, a decision which if implemented, may spark as many as nine by-elections.
Hours after Dr Mumba held a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday calling on the MPs to exclusively stick to their party or risk expulsion, the lawmakers were defiant, saying they are “ready for anything.”
Frustrated by what they termed a scheme to obliterate them from the political scene, Dr Mumba yesterday raised the battle for survival by asking the nine parliamentarians serving in Government to resign.
But Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing Stephen Masumba, who spoke on behalf of others, said the MPs are not “shaken or moved” and they are still loyal to President Sata.
“When it is necessary for us to go to court, we will go to court when it becomes convenient. Dr Mumba is a failure and MMD is destined for doom because if I will contest the Mufumbwe seat on PF ticket, I will scoop it and this reflects the situation in the eight other constituencies,” he said.
Mwinilunga MP Elijah Muchima, who is Deputy Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, said he will make a responsible decision over the call by his party president.
He said he consulted widely before accepting to serve in the PF government and that he will do the same even now when he is being requested to leave Government.
“I will have to consult with my chiefs and the people who voted for me into office. The people in my constituency were very happy when I was appointed deputy minister, so I will have to hear from them,” he said.
Chilanga MP Keith Mukata, who is Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, said in an interview that there is a history to the MPs being appointed to serve in the PF Government.
He said the MMD party leadership made a decision then that their members could be appointed into ministerial positions and does not understand the change of heart this time around.
“There is nothing that they can point at and say I did wrong. Let them apportion blame if they want but I found it humbling to be appointed deputy minister by the President [Sata] even when I belong to an opposition party,” Mr Mukata said.
He said if the MMD has made a decision not to work with the PF government, then all their MPs including those who are backbenchers, must resign. Mr Masumba said the suspension or expulsion of him and his counterparts is expected and accused Dr Mumba of being bitter.
Dr Mumba disclosed at a press briefing yesterday that the party’s national executive committee (NEC) has decided to invoke the resolution of the parliamentary liaison committee which was held immediately after it lost the 2011 elections.
“We have found it necessary to defend ourselves and institute discipline in our party,” he said.
Dr Mumba alleged that the ‘hiring of MPs is a small part in a huge plan to dismember, destroy and to diminish the influence of the MMD and the opposition both inside and outside Parliament.’
“We find it extremely difficult to accept the behaviour of the Patriotic Front. If President Sata and the PF were respectful of us, if they could have called me, called us, maybe it would have been different. We would have said we are working with a civil Government.
“Our only tools for survival are discipline and unity. As president, I would rather have 20 disciplined and dedicated MPs that 80 who not sure where they stand,” Dr Mumba said.
He said the party had resolved that any MMD MP, who accepts a ministerial job from the PF government, ceases to be a member of the party and a letter of expulsion shall be delivered and the national secretary shall inform the Speaker of the National Assembly.
Dr Mumba said while he can accept that MMD MPs can serve in the PF, he found it unacceptable that his party leadership is not consulted.
He said even President Sata and other opposition leaders protested when late President Mwanawasa appointed some members from the opposition to become part of Government.
Dr Mumba said he was not ‘poached’ from the National Citizens Coalition (NCC) but was appointed Vice-President following three months of discussions between the leadership of the NCC and MMD.
Other MPS serving in Government are Josephine Limata (Western Province), Patrick Ngoma (Education), Forrie Tembo (Local Government), Patrick Chikusu (Health), Nicholas Banda (Agriculture) and Isaac Banda (Mines).
By 19:00 hours last evening, some of the MPs were still locked up in a meeting with Dr Mumba at the party secretariat.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Bad start for Nevers. Consequence of being woken up and bankrolled to MMD presidency by RB and having to carry out RB’s agenda. Its a terrible syndrome that has plagued MMD succession throught out its short history
Ba Mumba, very shallow minded. These MPs are serving the people of Zambia and not PF. This is a Multiparty country. Why do you want to show the whole world that you are such a dull Pastor whole failed to run a Church and now wants to run a country. Mumba, if you are not very careful with the way you conduct yourself, you will sell MMD the same way you sold NCC. And you old MMD members, why do you follow this Mumba blindly?
Yes serving for pipo of zambia,bt respect satana more than there part president pastor mumba,so let them go to pf.
mwata, what difference would it make if they went to PF? What ideological differences are there between PF and MMD or any other party for that matter? These guys, like anyone you can think of in politics, are looking for a job. It does not matter in the least who gives it to them.
This is the height of folly.This country can afford too many by elections caused by big men’s egos.When two egoists meet its an i for an i.
@1 you are very right, this is doing this and 4get that by then sata was in opposition easy to go through and he think it is easy to come back no. these MPs will show him by join pf all of them because they want to work with government for benefits of the nation.viva pf and welcome to join pf guys
Remember the story of the PF rebel MPs? Sata is doing to MMD what they did to him. Chiwamila Galu
I NEVERS MUMBA WAS PRESIDENT OF NCC, WHEN MWANAWASA CALLED BY TO BE VICE-PRESIDENT, I LOOKED AT THE BENEFIT, HAD TO ABANDON MY PARTY. WHAY SHOULD THESE MPS FOLLOW MY STEPS? I AM VERY ENVIOUS AND UPSET. THEY GETTING THE SAME BENEFITS I WAS GETTING.
SAD FOR NEVERS AS HE CAN NEVER BE A ZAMBIAN PRESIDENT.M.M.D.IS DEAD JUST AS UNIP DIED AFTER LOOSING ELECTIONS IN 1991
From my assessment, the only bye election seat the PF could lose is the one in eastern province. The Chilanga one can be heavily contested but the rest seem to be based in eastern province which we all know for a fact is a province loyal to the ruling party. Mumba must trade carefully because if he keeps expelling North Western MPs, by 2016, we’ll be talking of the PF winning a landslide victory. As a president of a party, you have an opportunity to use such MPs as informants on government policy. In my opinion, Nevers Mumba represents the type of opposition that cannot win elections. Trying to show leadership and actually leading are two different things. Mumba is not a humble politician and used this chance to show that he can flex his powers.
n.w no matter what pf you cant make it anyless we are died,then king cobra can make it.
This is a very academic & cheap argument. Sata is president of his Party and the Republic. Just like Nevers, then president of his now failed party,the NCC, did when he was appointed veep of the republic. He pledged allegiance to then President Mwanawasa. What has changed now? Nevers yu have presided over two failed organizations which yu founded..your church and the party….yu will get a third shock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Two failed political parties to be exact!
UPND has got MPs FDD has got MPs independent still hv MPs but why only MMD? i think this ***** mps ar not intrested on saving people but money….that forged Mp can’t win any elections in his place …
Sata has few sane MP’s in Parliament from his PF. he co opted some from MMD to serve his interest and that of PF. Now Sata is also doing what MMD did to PF. Remember the rebels MP’s issues? This is very sad. There is too much vengeance in Zambia. PF should Not do what MMD did to them but rather fight to improve the economy than wage past battles NOW. they are in Power.
I still cannot understand how Zambian Opposition Leaders behave, what is wrong with Involving Opposition MPs in Ministerial positions. Shame on Mumba that he wants Zambia to get back to One party state. If there is a By election MMD will lose all the 9 constituencies
Uyu Nevours tomfwa! Alaonaula MMD. Can some one please send him back to his failed miserable Church or can we ask Bishop Imakando to poach him.
The down fall of MMD is looming! My friend Dr. Mumba and your party should think twice over the rough road you have taken. Don’t think that people will be on your side to waste public resources in the name of disciplining your MPS who were elected by people to serve them. Bear in your mind that it will be to your disadvantage. Bad beginning that will see MMD to the grave and we will be at hand to provide solemn music. You have very bad advisers who may not see beyond the nose!!!!!!!
We will adopt them to contest in thier respected constituency…….Nevers is dull indeed, the biggining of the MMD distraction.
Ba Nevers mwaleta amapolitics yabututu. I do not know where this kind of behaviour will lead our country. But thankfully, in the next constitution, the president will be appointing ministers from outside parliament
Nevers Mumba abandoned his own church, then NCC Party for Vice Presidency. No one complained. cawamila mbuzi kuluma galu
Nevers is a failure,he abandoned his church and formed a party which he also abandoned.He slogan was “Zambia shall be saved” but when he wa appointed Vice President he stopped talking about “Zambia shall be saved”.This man is power hungry and that is why he was fired by Mwanawasa when he started undermining the president.Nevers cannot be trusted!The MMD must be careful with this man he will drive it into oblivion like his NNC party.
IN MY OPINION MUTATI COULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER PRESIDENT FOR MMD. NEVERS FAILED HIS CHURCH MINISTRY AND HIS PARTY (NCC), SO WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM HIS LEADERSHIP?
The mps must resign on moral grounds! They dont agree with mmd anymore and why must they stick to it? They no longer respect the sponsoring party and they campaign against it during by-elections. They’re doing it for themselves period! My question is why MMD and PF mps accepting govt positions and not UPND mps? It shows lack of principles of their part. Who says you’re not serving zambian people when you are backbencher? We need a provision in the constitution for recalling mps that do not respect sponsoring parties! Like it happened to Thabo Mbeki when the ANC recalled him as president.
Nevers, I salute you.
Many people cant see the good you are doing to them.
They dont know that the sacrifice you are making is for their good.
They think, working with govt means supporting every decision govt makes.
That would be folly, because it is expected that every normal person knows that govts make mistakes, hence the need for credible opposition.
It will be naive and wrong to think that SATA in opposition was not contributing the development of the country.
He did not only contributed by agreeing with MMD but most times by criticising the mistakes.
We have already seen so many mistakes SATA has made in just 9 months.
Anyone who has failed to see this has an IQ challenge, because even the PF and SATA himself has publicly told people by reversing many decisions.
When MCS was in opposition and expelled PF MPs that went to the NCC, He reading the mood was moving with the people. Is Nevers moving with anyone other than Dora and RB?
This is rubbish. Why is about this MP’s? Weare tired with this nonesense. UNZA,CBU,UTH and many public institution are with funding yet these stupid egecentric fools want to plung zambia in more serious debt
the opposition mps must take the matter to court and the judges shud drag the case till 2016,then these mp will change hands to pf.MUMBA has on heart for zambia but only for himself.where on earth a pastor of a promising church abondens GOD s calling to lead the people to heaven and then suddenly u forsake HIM ,just for personal monetary gains.this is exactly what JUDAS ISCARIOT did ,sold jesus pocketed the money and later hanged himself.this EX-PASTOR has a DEMONIC SPIRIT of power.whatever he touches it doesnt bear fruits.MMD IS doomed.
NEVERS IS A PERPETUAL FAILURE
Mkhondo Lungu the deputy speaker is also an MMD lundazi Mp. Is he going to resign? The consequences of This Mumba Craziness are far reaching. Imagine the deputy speaker out, 9 MMD MPs out, and the constitution making in process. There is ratification of chief justice and deputy. What about the cost of bye elections? Nevers Mumba has grown big headed because of the muchinga bye elections. he needs to be careful
It’s amazing sometimes the wealth of ilogical crap Zambians can rave off the caff to support even the most ridiculous of situations. The matter is simple, no one can serve two masters, it’s either you are in opposition or in government. If PF portfolios you into govt, you become bound by collective responsibility, it’s the constitutional nature of the beast. How then would you be able to fulfill the role of an opposition MP? The choice Mumba has given them is realistic! He might be the wrong chap but he is right!
hahahaha, ba mumba bena awe, now go on ZWD and see how HH and his boys comment! i feel sorry for them!
# 21, the deputy to The British Prime minister Nicky Clegg is from the Liberal Democrat which is opposition, Ben Bernanke federal reserve chairman federal reserves in The US is a democrat.
Nevers’ legacy: he managed to destroy victory ministries, NCC party, Reformed Party (RP) and is now about to send MMD to archives- baume!!!
Sata has very few qualified MP’s in parliament from his party that why he has no choice than using qualified MP’s from MMD.Why didn’t he appoint MPs from UPND? These 9 MPs don’t agree with the MMD anymore and why do they stick to it.They should resign on join their new party PF. Look at how the PF ministers dress, especially Shamanda,Let him go the barbershop please.PF stands for PERPETUAL FAILURES. I want to commend dr Mumba for the move.Let them resign on moral grounds.
I find pipo who say so and so can never be president, very presumptuous and *****ic. Politics is a very unpredictable game if you have been very observant of the Zambian scenario. six months ago, pipo were like, “SATA WILL NEVER BE PRESIDENT”, NOWthey are munching humble pie.Now it is HH blahblahblah…..Nevers BLAHBLAHBLAH…..
In as much as Dr. Mumba may be right, the thing is expelling them from the party won’t to him good. However, the die is now cast better still the ball is in his coat. I dare him to it. If he does it surely he will plunge his party into perpetual extinction.
MPS hold fast as the people from your respective constituencies are watching. You will be victims of circumstance and GOD Almighty will deliver you into the boat safely.
Ye MMD yaloba. Chisamba MP was right, Dr. Mumba is not presidential material. Chapwa.
#29 – In case you are not away, the current UK govt is a coalition between the Lib Dems and the Tories, Cameron could not rule alone and he did not poach the Lib Dem MPs into his cabinet. In case you are the only blackman not aware, Obama, like Bernanke, are all democrates. It is such kind of flawed reasoning that indeed make me feel most Zambians are dunderheads.
Does the MMD have the money to re-contest 9 constituencies? If they have the money, then the election to elect the party presidency was a sham!
Shake my head. Tax payers money to be wasted again. Why do we always vote for toothless morons?
Shooting himself in the foot, the maverick at MMD!
Can someone tell me what Micheal Sata was trying to achieve when he expelled his 21 Mps.Were these mps serving their personal interests or a national one.And then what happened there after?
The MMD Deputy Chola-Boys can pride themselves to pledge allegiance to Sata, but in the final analysis the voters will decide the fate of these spineless stooges. .
We all know that PF expelled the 22 rebel MPs and they became more stronger. So what is so different for the MMD? If these guys are just looking for jobs, then they don’t need to claim that they are representing the people. If PF is implementing policies that MMD feels are leading the country in the wrong direction, then the MMD MPs must stand by the party. That is why the whole idea of appointing Ministers from MPs should be abolished in the New Constitution.
@31 mng, get your facts right. its upnd with the least qualified MPs and thats why its a terrorist organisation affiliated to boko haram
Owe bane ..UPND has most educated MPs..sure???? Guys we know it now that UPND has the most undereducated MPs followed by MMD. PF has the most educated MPs, these are facts not the lies told by upnd cadres. Check paliament website and find this truth.
#39 KKM. You have spoken sense. People are refusing to see beyond their noses. Why should President Sata appoint MPs from the opposition without consulting their party leaders? He complaines about the late Mwanawasa doing that and yet he is doing the same wrongs. We need principled leadership not just politicking. I’m not a Nevers or MMD fan but I feel the MMD is right on this one. If you want to start calling your leader a failure, then you should move to the success who has put money in your pockets.
No brain mumba! He loves power! Shame!
i have always told you that evers is a jealous man too pompus,if i didnt work with him ,i would call myself a goat!!!
Excellent move Nevers, Let Sata continue appointing the Kambwili calibre that are overflowing in his party.
Expel them! They are just serving their interests.
I think MMD is taking a chance by expelling those Mps. suppose they are adopted by PF and they win the elections, it will simply mean MMD numbers will keep going under. Their voice in parliament will keep going low
# 34 Terminal patient, get your facts right, Ben Bernanke is a republican. secondly a coalition govt is simply co opting opposition party members into govt . Nicky Clegg has just been given responsiblities in govt just as MMD Mps have been given resposnibilities in govt
Winter Kabimba has already open his arms for the 9 MMD MPs for adoption on PF tickets! He knows the advantage PF may have in such by-elections.
Pipo we talking about a highly intoxicated power hungry monkey here. Logic tells us that the opposition is being weaken. But we know the whole truth this Nervous will one day just write an application letter to Mata and request for a job. Be careful u blind followers in the name of monkeykingdom.
Ba Nevers Mumbwe mulichipuba sana. You are a selfish moron. How do you sink so low as to start with MP issues instead of telling the voters want you would want to see done? Emulate Chipimo Jr., he is very reasonable and his contributions are those of an opposition leader. Ci Nevers you are just as bitter as your friend Hichilema, premature and under 5 too! At least you have a questionable PhD in Theology but your thinking is very polluted. Remember how you got fired by our beloved late principled President HE Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, it is because of your unrealistic thinking and approach to issues. I advised you when you toured Luapula Province without permission from the then President, our late hero HE Mwanawasa and campaigned against him, you got fired. You are double tongued my dear!
The oath of office for MPs and Ministers is to the republican president NOT to their political party presidents.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
both Mumba and the 9 in question are the one and the same chaps. the 9 are job seekers and nevers is plain simple and *****
THE HOUR HAS COME FORTHE END OF MMD. MTSRIP