By Daimone Siulapwa
WHO is the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) spokesperson? For those that have come off the bus and are new town, they might think it is Edward Mumbi. The former Patriotic Front (PF) secretary-general has indeed been more vocal than the MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya.
It does not take a genius to know that, if you look at the statements defending Rupiah Banda and those attacking Michael Sata, the main opposition in this year’s presidential elections, Edward Mumbi’s are likely to beat that of Dora Siliya in volume.
Mr Mumbi officially joined the MMD on August 27, 2009 after some months away from politics following his removal as PF secretary general, having succeeded Charles Chimuumbwa, who defected to the ruling party after being poached by late President Levy Mwanawasa.
In joining the MMD, Mr Mumbi said the challenges that face the nation cannot be addressed within the context of reckless populist politics, which are far from the development path and are based on a selfish quest for power, as exhibited by some political leaders, an apparent reference to PF leader Michael Sata.
He further said political leaders who chart the path of reckless political populism are dangerous to the nation and advised that no one should support them adding that it is important for Zambians to begin a real debate in the country over important issues and to gauge the capacity of some political leaders.
Question to ask is whether Mr Mumbi, since joining the MMD has been debating on important issues in politics. Again, no prizes for getting the answer right there!
Mr Mumbi has spent his close to two years in the MMD blindly defending President Rupiah Banda and attacking Michael Sata.
Understandable that he has spent most of his time attacking Michael Sata, after all, he is a former lieutenant of the PF and therefore privileged to know the man a lot more better than the average voter on the street. In a way, you would say he is a big catch for the ruling party. He is to the MMD what George Mpombo is to the PF. The guys with secrets of their perceived opponents!
Having been part of Rupiah Banda’s Cabinet, you would expect George Welo Mpombo to know a lot more about the President than you and I. Little wonder Mr Mpombo was making revelations about RB’s son and State House being involved in arms deals at the time he served as Defence minister.
In the same way, we have seen Edward Mumbi with some damning allegations such as claims that Michael Sata received $100, 000 through Finance bank which he used to fund former Change Life Zambia executive director Fr Frank Bwalya for the Red Card Campaign.
Mr Mumbi also challenged Mr Sata to tell the nation what he has done with the money donated to the party by well-wishers saying as chief executive of the Patriotic Front at the time, he was aware of the huge sums of money the party received from well-wishers including some international donors adding that he was the one who used to take the money to the PF leader whenever the party received funds from the donor community.
“The money made available to the party by the donor community has not gone to any of the nine provinces in the country. I want him to explain to the nation where that money is. Having been chief executive of the party, I knew everything about the party and I received the money on behalf of the party and delivered it to Mr. Sata. If what I am saying about his dishonest conduct is not true, let him come out and deny it,” Mr Mumbi was quoted as saying.
However, the biggest problem is believing such characters, who today were in one party, and then the following day have moved to another due to personal frustrations bordering on their individual aspirations.
As late as the 2008 Presidential elections, Mr Edward Mumbi was chief executive officer of the PF and as such, instrumental in ensuring that Michael Sata beats Rupiah Banda in the elections that followed after the death of Levy Mwanawasa. Could he be a Plant?
Now in joining the MMD, Mr Mumbi talked about politics of popularism being dangerous to the nation. This was an obvious reference to Michael Sata. Question is at what point did Mr Mumbi realise these kind of politics are dangerous for the nation.
For the record, Mr Sata since his defeat in the 2001 elections has been on the road with populist messages which have appealed him to mostly the unemployed urban youths and workers in the informal sector. Mr Sata has talked about lowering taxes, putting more money in people’s pockets and has spoken against Chinese investors (whom he calls infestors) and also the Lebanese.
In talking about lowering taxes and putting more money in people’s pockets even without explaining how he is going to do this, Mr Sata’s popularity has surged in urban centres where the tax regime has been felt by the working class.
Now, this populist message has always been part of Mr Sata since 2001. Even at the time he was standing against Rupiah Banda in 2008, it was this message that he was preaching with Edward Mumbi, being secretary general, as his right hand man. Mr Edward Mumbi is an adult, and should have known that these kind of populist politics are dangerous for the nation. But having been relieved of his position in the PF, he now wants to believe that this is the only time he has seen the danger of such kind of politics. This is insulting the intelligence of the Zambian people.
Same goes for Mr George Welo Mpombo, who was one of the fiercest critics of Mr Sata, especially in the 2006 elections. We all remember that statement by Mr George Mpombo labeling Mr Sata as a political demagogue who the people of the Copperbelt will not tolerate. Now, we know Mr Mpombo as having a tendency to use bombastic words, even when a simple word could suffice. But just for the record, the word demagogue means a political leader who gains power by appealing to people’s emotions, and prejudices in a way that is considered manipulative and dangerous. The synonyms for this word are agitator, manipulator, crowd pleaser and haranguer. If indeed Michael Sata is a demagogue, then one ought to believe what Edward Mumbi says about the PF leader, which is that his populist politics are a danger to the nation.
But who do you believe? Mr Mpombo is today supporting Mr Sata who a few years (at a time Mr Mumbi was among his staunchest supporters) described as a demagogue. On the other hand, having been fired by Mr Sata as secretary general of the PF, Mr Mumbi is today repeating the very same words that were used against his former boss.
Simply put, individuals such as Mr Mpombo and Mr Mumbi are themselves a danger to this nation. They are not helping our people to make informed decisions because of flip-flopping on many issues. Are these the people we want as our leaders? God forbid!
This country is better of without such characters on the political playing field.
