Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) President Dr. Nevers Sekwila Mumba has called upon Republican President Mr Edgar Lungu to urgently intervene in the ongoing Malawi Impasse in his capacity as Southern Africa Development Cooperation (SADC) Chairperson on Security and Defense.
In a statement, Dr. Mumba who is a former Republican Vice President said that Malawi and Zambia are twins.
“Zambia and Malawi have so much in common politically, economically and socially. In the political arena, both countries were colonized by the British. Furthermore, between 1953 and 1963, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi made up the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Economically both countries rely on Agriculture, and socially, both Countries have Christianity as the major religion. The Chewas and tumbukas who make up the majority of the population in Malawi are also found in Zambia. The Paramount Chief of the Chewa people, His Royal Highness Gawa Undi is infact based in Zambia in Katete district. So It wouldn’t be wrong for one to conclude that Zambia and Malawi are twins”, Dr. Mumba said.
Dr. Mumba said that the current Malawi Impasse that has arisen after an election dispute could have been avoided if all political players were part and parcel of the election process.
“Our brothers and sisters of Malawi like us are known to be peaceful and loving people. The images and videos coming from Malawi are extremely worrying. I would like to commend the opposition Parties in Malawi for taking their concerns over the disputed Presidential elections to the Constitutional Court. However, we would like to urge all Parties to restrain themselves and their supporters from taking the law into their own hands. We also urge security forces not to be heavy handed in dealing with their own citizens”, Dr. Mumba said.
“This impasse wouldn’t have happened if all the political players were part and parcel of the election process. We however commend the courts in Malawi for their land mark ruling last Friday on the “right to be heard” case lodged by the opposition. This will afford the people of Malawi an opportunity to verify the authenticity of the disputed election. It is such actions that diffuse conflict in a nation”, Dr. Mumba said.
Dr. Mumba said regional bodies like the AU and SADC should take advantage of early warnings to prevent catastrophes from happening on the Continent.
“In the past our region has not taken advantage of early warnings to avert catastrophes in the region. Some cases in point include Zimbabwe, where SADC procrastinated in intervening until the military moved in at a high cost to human life. The case of Sudan is another example of failure on the part of continental and regional watchdog organizations. The results where a military intervention at great human cost. It is for this reason that we are asking SADC to avoid another catastrophe in the making in Malawi. We are running out of time. Any unrest in Malawi affects the security of our nation. The cessation of hostilities in Malawi therefore is in the interest of our country,” Dr Mumba said.
Dr. Mumba has called upon Republican President Mr Edgar Lungu to urgently intervene in the impasse in his capacity as SADC Chairperson of Defense and Security.
“Malawi like Zambia is a member of both the Southern Africa Development Cooperation (SADC) and the Africa Union (AU). We are fortunate that our Republican President Mr. Lungu is the Chairperson of the Security and Defense Wing of SADC. We call upon President Lungu to urgently call for a SADC defence and security meeting to discuss the Malawi Impasse and find peaceful means to resolve it before it escalates”, Dr. Mumba said.
“Some cases in point include Zimbabwe, where SADC procrastinated in intervening until the military moved in at a high cost to human life. ”
When was that? I believe 1 security guard was killed. Certainly many more would have been killed if SADC invaded.
Why is a corrupt politician like Nevers Mumba really trying to turn Zambia on Malawi?
What’s wrong with us Zambians …why we give limelight to such crooks like Mumba? No wonder our nation is going to the dogs…this man should be behind bars!!
No no no Nervous Nevers Sekwila Mumba Malawi is a big grown asz democratic Country with credible and capable institution of Governance anchored on Rule of LAW. That’s what mediocre politicians like Mumba have failed to reckon. All players in Malawi should be given a chance to have their goal at election outcome in a normal way.
I believe Malawi did have election Observers.
Nevers is extremely miserable on Foreign Policy issues. That is why late LPM sacked the hell out’a him. Let Malawi sort out their political differences which are very normal in a democratic dispensation. Differences are also part of democracy.
Yangu, ekomufwaya ukutwala amasangalatoni, mwaa!
Brother Sekwila, on this matter, your motivation and call for intervention are flawed and lacks critical thinking. As such, as a country, we summarily dismiss it with the contempt it deserves. Intervention for and to achieve what? Whatever is happening in Malawi is pure politics of pluralism. There is no extra-constitutionalism or Judicial activism to alarm the Regional or Continental bodies. What would become of the region if Zambia mobilizes the SADC Standby Force to intervene on behalf of her Christian Tumbukas and Chewa folks, then Tanzania and Mozambique for their Yao or Muslim communities? That is not how effective Conflict Management works under any Political or peace Theory. I believe President Chagwa and other regional leaders in membership of the Peace and Security Thematic…
Bishop Mumba usually has great ideas, these are kind of Foreign Affairs to employee. Not abane Malanji, so dull.
Nostra…. – don’t you know that he was found guilty of misappropriating funds in Canada? Yet you are rallying for hi to appointed back in govt…anyway I dont know whether you are drunk or just joking
Imwe ba Jay jay, just because someone was found guilty of one or two crimes doeasn’t mean that he has nothing more to offer. I am not a fan of Nevers, but he speaks more sense than a number of current politicians combined. What Nevers is saying is that never take your peoples docility for granted. Malawians are know to be the most obedient and docile people in Africa. But still waters are the deepest and thats where dangerous creatures are habitat. Pressure makes diamond. and pressurized emotions eventually explode
Jay Jay…he who has no sin should be the first one to cast stones at Dr. Mumba. Not sure you’re squeaky clean yourself, if we were to put a microscope on your life. But you come here to make comments and suggestions, and rightly so. Just because the courts determined that Dr. Mumba misused some funds in Canada doesn’t mean he has no right to voice his opinion anymore. If anything, I do believe that Dr. Mumba could’ve made a better president than what we currently have in State House. So cut him some slack and stop that self righteous, holier than thou attitude. Other than that, you have a right to your own opinion too. Peace.
Snr Citizen 1.3: I agree wth u up to a point. I disagree where u bring in religion. Are Malawians divided politically on religious lines? I don’t think so and frankly there’s no evidence. Peter Mutharika is a Christian and so are the people opposing him.
A mediator in a conflict must be credible to both sides.Does your ECL possess the credibility and stature to impact on the positive resolution of this problem? In my view. this is still a Malawian problem which the Malawians themselves are capably resolving with the active participation of the masses.The mass participation of citizens has proved to be the most effective way of removing dictators in Africa.Even ECL himself has got a lot to learn from what is happening in Malawi today so that he can stop thinking that he will always depend on corruption and the police to remain in power.
Not withstanding the fact that Malawi is a sovereign state.
I agree with you that everyone must be at arms length in Malawi.
As for ECL and the Zambian situation, Kalusa was wired clean. He will be wired clean again even in the next general poll.
As for the opposition in Zambia and Africa, please don’t rush. Accept defeats. If you have credible causes of doubt, peddle on (pursue) the legal process democratically. What ever is happening in Malawi is similar to what happened
to Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Congo DR, Madagascar, Zimbabwe etc. Immature opposition always in the intersection gap.
Grow some morals because it’s democracy you wanted, democracy you got. Or are you already missing the one party rule in Double K and Kamuzu Banda in a wamuyayaya style.
Well said Dr Mumba. Lungu has no experience with dialogue. He can not resolve the internal problems. Where is he going to start from? Nikuwayawaya chabe.
“……..The Chewas and tumbukas who make up the majority of the population in Malawi are also found in Zambia. The Paramount Chief of the Chewa people, His Royal Highness Gawa Undi is infact based in Zambia in Katete district. So It wouldn’t be wrong for one to conclude that Zambia and Malawi are twins”, Dr. Mumba said.
Pastor your reasoning could be problematic. What if the Zambian President is a Tumbuka or Chewa and one of the leaders in Malawi is neither Tumbuka nor Chewa?
We however commend the courts in Malawi for their land mark ruling last Friday on the “right to be heard” case lodged by the opposition. I wish this were true about our beloved country Zambia.The right to be heard has now become the right NOT to heard by our courts. Sincerely , i believe Malawians have among them eminent men and women to resolve their problems. Remember how ECL shunned the Commonwealth insisting Zambia is capable of resolving its own Challenges without outside involvement, so be it with Malawi. I strongly doubt that a Government whose election victory when disputed was not itself not validated by the courts as required by the Constitution has moral standing to resolve the very subject matter it at all costs avoided. You cannot be a sinner and Saint at the same time ,…
The Courts of Law in Zambia ruled in favor of the ruling party. If you believe in your judiciary, that shouldn’t be a problem. Democracy is not just when Courts rule against your favored side, but when the rule of law prevails.
NEVERS, MALAWI UNLIKE ZAMBIA OBSERVES THE RULE OF LAW, NO WONDER THE COURTS HAVE RULED IN FAVOUR OF THE OPPOSITION BEING HEARD IN THE COURTS OF LAW, WOULD YOU WANT TO BRING CONFUSION IN A COUNTRY WHOSE ARMS OF GOVERNMENT SEEM TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY? SAKWILA YOU ARE TOO FAST, NO WONDER MWANAWASA CHASED YOU.
How can Zambia intervene when it has its own impasse? Elections were disputed! National Reconciliation failed!! How can you attempt to extinguish fires in your neighbours house when your own house is in flames!!??? Leave ba Lungu alone. He has too much on his own plate. Let the church assist the Malawans.
Nevers Mumba is a master of ambiguity whose talk always has no numbers or figures
Let them use their courts first.After the
Courts give a verdict that’s when neighbours can intervene. It’s like in a home first let the family try to solve then
We bring in neighbours. Mr mumba we
Have enough of our own problems to
Solve before we solve our neighbours problem.
Pastor Nervers Mumba, It is wrong to correct the right to be wrong and to correct the wrong to be right. Where is you credibility who can voice out for the voiceless? When too much suffering Escalates people resort to such as what is happening in Malawi.
We are the next to demonstrate in Zambia by 2021 if PF and Lungu will go for what they did in 2016. I am hoping we will unit as Zambian who have been mistreated by thugs politicians on the expense of the poor .
Malawians are resolving their Electoral Dispute in the Concourt so why does Nevers Mumba want Lungu to intervene? Unlike Zambia where Concourt refused to hear the Petetioners based on a Technicality Malawi Concourt have granted the Right to be heard. Thats the correct way to handle the Dispute and Lungu who doesn’t believe in Rule of Law and Constitutionalism should not interfere with Malawi Courts. Period.
Where’s the Malawian judge whom late Sata brought in?
There is nothing wrong with what Honourable Mumba has said. Read with both your eyes and judge the content not his name.
1. “… Dr. Nevers Sekwila Mumba has called upon Republican President Mr Edgar Lungu to urgently intervene in the ongoing Malawi Impasse in his capacity as (SADC) Chairperson on Security and Defense”. To intervene is to bring the affected parties to the negotiating table to settle the matter amicably. SADC protocol empowers ecl in his capacity stated above to intervene. What’s wrong with that? Some people have even concluded that it is zambia which is intervening militarily. Not at all.
In his 2nd comment Dr. Mumba said that the current Malawi Impasse that has arisen after an election dispute could have been avoided if all political players were part and parcel of the election process. He also has commended the courts in Malawi for their land mark ruling last Friday on the “right to be heard” case lodged by the opposition as this would afford the people of Malawi an opportunity to verify the authenticity of the disputed election. Again absolutely right.
3rdly – Dr. Mumba said regional bodies like the AU and SADC should take advantage of early warnings to prevent catastrophes from happening on the Continent. This general statement carries weight too gor future elections on the continent. You dont have to condemn for sake of it.