Speaking in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, MMD deputy national chairperson Chembe Nyangu maintained the party was not violent, as purported by some sections of society.

Reacting to concerns raised by Non-Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council (NGOCC) executive director Engwase Mwale’s calls that the MMD should come out in the open to denounce the Copperbelt youth wing militia allegedly threatening to travel to Mongu to sort out Bishop Duffy, Mr Nyangu said there would be no harm on the cleric.

“Bishop Duffy is safe as far as our position is, the MMD is not a violent party, all we are asking of him is to tone down, our stance is clear as a party, we do not condone violence,” he said.
[pullquote]“It does not mean that we have not taken any action against our members who made threats against Bishop Duffy, we do not need to go to the media to announce what course of action we took,” he said.

“We are the same people who have taken the United Party for National Development (UPND) to court for alleged violence during the Mufumbwe by-election, this is because we do not condone violence, so how can we turn around and change our position today?” he questioned.[/pullquote]
He said the party leadership counselled its youth wing on the Copperbelt, and assured the public that no harm would be done to Bishop Duffy.

Mr Nyangu said there was no way a party that strongly condemned violence, would change its stance in order to harm people in the country.

“It does not mean that we have not taken any action against our members who made threats against Bishop Duffy, we do not need to go to the media to announce what course of action we took,” he said.

“We are the same people who have taken the United Party for National Development (UPND) to court for alleged violence during the Mufumbwe by-election, this is because we do not condone violence, so how can we turn around and change our position today?” he questioned.

Mr Nyangu said the party leadership in Western Province would seek audience with the Bishop, to reach an amicable agreement.

This follows calls by both Mrs Mwale and Fr Patrick Chibuye of Mpika who called for action to be taken against the MMD militia for allegedly threatening violence on Bishop Duffy.

The two were quoted in Tuesday’s edition of The Post newspaper as having said that any form of violence would impact negatively, and called on the MMD to discipline those championing such causes.

Last week, Copperbelt MMD information secretary Chiko Chibale was quoted as having said the MMD in the province would not condone the continued attacks on the party and Government by Bishop Duffy, and the party would constitute a crack squad to manhandle the clergyman.
[ Times of Zambia ]

THE United Party for National Development (UPND) has described Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Wynter Kabimba as the enemy of the PF/UPND pact.

UPND chairperson for energy Garry Nkombo said in Lusaka yesterday that the party was shocked to hear of the statement by Mr Kabimba that the PF/UPND pact working group was yet to meet to decide which party would represent the pact in the Chilanga by-election.

Meanwhile, the PF has distanced itself from the statement made by Mr Kabimba in relation to the adoption of the candidate for the Chilanga polls.

Mr Nkombo told Radio Phoenix in Lusaka yesterday that the PF should come out in the open and state whether Mr Kabimba made the statement in his personal capacity or was doing so on behalf of the party.

He urged PF leader Michael Sata to educate Mr Kabimba on the ‘spirit of the pact’.

“If he (Mr Kabimba) is not interested in the pact he must come out openly. They must come out and say if this is the PF position. This clearly shows that Mr Kabimba is the enemy of the pact,” Mr Nkombo said.

Mr Kabimba told Radio Phoenix in an interview on Tuesday that the pact was yet to decide on a candidate to contest the October 28 Chilanga by-election when in fact the pact’s working group met on Monday and unanimously resolved that the UPND would field a candidate for the by-election.

Mr Nkombo who attended the meeting of the working group in his capacity as secretary said the meeting was also attended by Mandevu MP, Jean Kapata, Kanyama MP, Gerry Chanda, UPND secretary general Winston Chibwe and Siavonga MP, Douglas Syakalima.

Mr Nkombo wondered where the secretary general of the PF got the courage to continue to mislead the ‘spirit of the pact’.

And when contacted for a comment, PF spokesperson Given Lubinda said he had listened to what Mr Nkombo had said and added that what Mr Kabimba said did not reflect the position of the party.

He said it was true that the working group meeting met and that probably Mr Kabimba was speaking from the point of ignorance.

“Probably Wynter made that statement out of ignorance. My assumption is that he was making the statement out of ignorance,” he said.

Mr Lubinda referred all queries to Mr Kabimba, but attempts to contact Mr Kabimba failed as his mobile phone went unanswered.

[Times of Zambia]

FORMER Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Edward Mumbi has filed a court notice which is seeking PF president Michael Sata to produce bank statements and audited accounts of the opposition political party and his business.

And some PF cadres-cum-hooligans yesterday insulted Mr Mumbi, his friends, and his lawyer Keith Mukata within the Lusaka High Court premises.

Mr Mumbi also wants Mr Sata to account for K35 million, which the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue (ZCID) gave the PF during the 2008 Presidential elections.

This is in a case where Mr Sata has sued Mr Mumbi for defamation of character on grounds that the former PF secretary general accused him of stealing money, which some people donated to the party.

In his ‘notice to produce’ filed in the Lusaka High Court, Mr Mumbi wants the PF president to produce bank statements relating to his accounts maintained at Standard Chartered Bank, Finance Bank Zambia Limited, and Zanaco for the period January 2001 to December 2009.

“Take notice that the defendant (Mr Mumbi) shall at the hearing of this matter require the plaintiff (Mr Sata) to produce the following documents…bank statements for Patriotic Front for the period January 2001 to December 2009, relating to its account(s) maintained at Finance Bank Zambia Limited…

“List of names, addresses and phone numbers of observers deployed in the nine provinces during the 30th October 2008 Presidential elections and an account of how the K35 million released by the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue was applied,” the notice reads in part.

He further seeks Mr Sata to produce the PF’s audited accounts from 2001 to 2009, and audited accounts for M.C Sata Business Consultants and Manufacturer Representatives for the years 2001 to 2009.

When the matter came up on Monday this week, the said documents had not been produced and Mr Sata’s lawyer Wynter Kabimba was of the view that there was a procedural irregularity in Mr Mumbi’s request.

Later the parties resolved that a formal application under a relevant order should be made after which Judge Evans Hamaundu will make a ruling on whether Mr Sata should release the documents.

After the case was adjourned yesterday Mr Mumbi said he will immediately re-file the application through his lawyer Keith Mukata.

[pullquote]“This man, who is vying for the highest office of the land, hired street kids from the markets to escort him… those were not PF members but street kids who insulted me, my lawyer and my few friends who escorted me to court after the chamber hearing was adjourned.[/pullquote]

“I will re-file this application immediately as a matter of urgency. I would like to see this matter come to its logical conclusion,” Mr Mumbi said.

Meanwhile, some PF cadres, who included youths and elderly women, unleashed insults at Mr Mumbi, his friends and Mr Mukata after the case, which was in chambers, was adjourned.

Mr Mumbi accused Mr Sata of hiring hooligans from City and Soweto markets to escort him to the court.

“This man, who is vying for the highest office of the land, hired street kids from the markets to escort him… those were not PF members but street kids who insulted me, my lawyer and my few friends who escorted me to court after the chamber hearing was adjourned.

“We all belong to political parties but we did not have any cadres at the court. So I want people to make their own opinion as to which party is decent or which person is better than other because this matter does not need the presence of cadres or that kind of hooliganism,” Mr Mumbi said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]