Opposition Patriotic Front (PF) Lusaka Province Chairman, Evaristo Mulenga, has with immediate effect resigned from his party and joined the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD).

Mr. Mulenga announced his resignation from the PF at a rally addressed by President Rupiah Banda at the President’s Park in Kasama this morning.

Mr. Mulenga said he has decided to leave the PF because he did not want to be part of an organisation that was championing politics of insults and tribalism.
He said he does not regret his resignation from the PF because its leader does not respect the tenets of democracy.

Mr. Mulenga described Mr. Sata and the PF as vindictive and only bent on vengeance and personal vendettas.
He said having known the PF since its inception, he understands all the tactics the party members have been employing to win elections in all parts of the country.

Mr. Mulenga also declared that he would go flat out and ensure that he destroys the PF.
At the same rally, scores of other PF cadres defected from their party to the MMD.

And in welcoming the defectors to the MMD, President Banda appealed to the MMD leadership to ensure that the new members feel welcome to the ruling party.

President Banda said the MMD is a party for the people. He said the voluntary resignation of prominent members of the PF was an indication that the opposition party was crumbling down.

The President further appealed to members of other political parties to feel free to join the ruling party.

President Banda is in Kasama drumming up support for Burton Mugala, who is the MMD candidate for the October 15th, by-election. The PF-United Party for National Development pact has fielded Geoffrey Mwamba. Other parties vying for the seat are the former ruling party, United National Independence Party (UNIP), All People’s Congress (APC) and two independent candidates.

The Kasama Central parliamentary seat fell vacant after the resignation of area PF Member of Parliament Saviour Chishimba from parliament.

ZANIS

SOME MMD sympathisers yesterday called on MMD Kafulafuta Member of Parliament George Mpombo to resign from the party.

The spokesperson for the group Andre Mtine said during a Press briefing yesterday that the MMD national Secretariat and the local MMD leadership in Kafulafuta should discipline Mr Mpombo if he failed to resign.

Mr Mtine said the MMD was a serious party with a national mandate to bring development to the country and should therefore not allow Mr Mpombo to cause any further damage to the integrity of the MMD.

“We are calling upon Mr Mpombo to immediately cease his attempt to ‘mpombolise’ the MMD and resign. If he fails to do so, the MMD national secretary and the local MMD leadership in his constituency must discipline him before he causes more damage to the integrity of the ruling party,” he said.

Mr Mtine said Mr Mpombo had become a serious embarrassment not only to himself but to the MMD as well.

He wondered whether Mr Mpombo was part of a clique that deliberately wanted to create a false impression that there was confusion in the party.

It is not correct for a senior member of the party to use unacceptable channels of expressing his grievances.

The MMD, Mr Mtine said, was like any other club or organisation that had rules and regulations where membership was voluntary and members should therefore observe
rules and regulations.
Mr Mpombo could not be reached for comment.

The MMD sympathisers are happy with the current democratic dispensation in the country and are therefore disheartened by some members that want destroy the reputation through the media.

Mr Mtine said the MMD was the only party that had a vision to reduce poverty in Zambia and maintain social justice and that it was the only party that had representation from all parts of the country and should be allowed to continue.

He called on the party leadership to respect the lower ranks of the party and the lower ranks to respect the top leadership.

Mr Mtine also said their was a clique of disgruntled individuals that had a deliberate attempt to disrespect, discredit and undermine the leadership of President Rupiah Banda.

He said the clique was an alliance of destructive internal and external forces that was bent on fanning trouble in Zambia.

He said Zambians should guard jealously against their country and not allow any form of harm to the country.

[Times of Zambia]

Former Patriotic Front General Secretary, Edward Mumbi has challenged Patriotic Front leader Michael to tell the nation what he has done with the money donated to the party by well-wishers. Mr. Mumbi has also challenged Mr. Sata to explain why he wanted to frame former President Dr. Fredrick Chiluba as having received K2 billion from DRC governor for Katanga province Moses Katumbi.

Mr. Mumbi said 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. He said he was the one who used to take the money to Mr. Sata whenever the party received funds from the donor community.

Speaking at a rally addressed by President Rupiah Banda at Chilongoshi basic school in chief Munkonge’s area in Kasama yesterday, Mr. Mumbi disclosed that despite having been funded to pay election agents in 2006 and 2008 respectively, the party had not released the funds to its agents.

He said the donor community made huge contributions but that Mr. Sata had decided to keep the money to himself. Mr. Mumbi said he has documents about the money that the party received but was not used for the intended purpose.

He challenged Mr. Sata to come out in the open and explain how the huge sums of money made available to the party were used. He said in many cases he had to quarrel with the PF leader over issues to do with money especially when dishonesty was involved. Mr. Mumbi said because of the PF leaders’ dishonesty, the party was just using registers to seek financial assistance as opposed to party identity cards.[quote]

“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,” said Mr. Mumbi.

“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,” added Mr. Mumbi.

He disclosed that when Mr. Sata lost the elections, he sent Mr. Mumbi to ZNBC studios to announce to the nation alleging that for President Dr. Chiluba had received K2billion from Mr. Moses Katumbi to help campaign for the MMD. Mr. Mumbi said he refused to proceed with the mission because there were no facts and that the story was just a hoax.

The former PF secretary General vowed to go round the nine provinces of the country to expose the alleged dubious activities of the opposition leader.
He alleged that regardless of the many suitable candidates to contest the Kasama central bye-election, Mr. Sata opted for Mr. Geoffrey Mwamba because he receives money from him.

Mr. Mumbi also challenged Mr. Sata to be truthful and explain the reasons for his party’s withdrawal of the 2008 presidential petition.
He said responsible leaders must always tell the truth to the people they lead.

ZANIS

President Rupiah Banda has directed Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane to immediately release funds for the roofing of teachers’ houses at Chilongoshi Basic School in Chief Munkonge’s area in Kasama District.

Finance Minister disclosed the development in Chilongoshi on Monday.
This was at a rally to drum up support for MMD parliamentary candidate in the Kasama Central bye-election Burton Mugala.

Dr. Musokotwane assured the people in the area that the teachers’ houses would be roofed before the end of the year.
And President Banda has commended teachers at Chilongoshi basic school for their commitment to duty despite the many challenges they face.

President Banda said he was touched that they had decided to stay in the rural area to offer education to children, whom he described as the future of the nation.

Mr. Banda assured the teachers that government would do everything within its powers to ensure that life is made much easier for them.

And addressing the pupils before addressing a rally, President Banda advised the children to be focused and aim to complete their education.

President Banda told the kids that he was once like them and that they would also get to be like him once they concentrated on their education.

He said like some of them, his parents were not educated but fought hard to ensure that he got educated.

Mr. Banda encouraged the pupils to continue investing their time in education because this would determine their future when they grow up.

President Banda who spent some time to plant a tree at the school mingled with the excited kids and introduced some of the ministers in his entourage to the children.
[ZANIS]

Vice President George Kunda has directed the MMD youths on the Copperbelt to be vibrant and defend their national leaders.

Mr. Kunda made the pronouncement yesterday when he led the MMD Copperbelt Card renewal exercise at Lowenthal Theater Hall.

Mr. Kunda said the MMD wanted a very strong youth wing capable of defending the President, his cabinet and the party from critics.

He said it was the duty of the youths to answer to those that were insulting the president and his cabinet.

“We want a very strong youth wing, we want a youth wing that can defend the party and the president. Those insulting the President must be answered by the youth wing, don’t let the President answer, its your duty as youths to defend the president,” he said.

The Vice President further directed all MMD party members to recruit members from other political parties to join the MMD.

He said Copperbelt was critical to the party and that his party wanted by all means to regain its strength in the province.[quote]

“Copperbelt is critical to our party, we want you to explain the good policies of this government to the people so that Copperbelt will slowly be a stronghold for MMD,” he said.

Mr. Kunda directed that, following the card renewal exercise at Lowenthal theatre, MMD members in all the districts in the province must renew their cards.

The Vice President further explained that the cards renewal exercise was delayed countrywide, due to the illness and subsequent death of the former President Dr. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa and the economic global crisis.

[ZANIS]

The MMD in Northern Province has with immediate effect expelled Kasama District Chairlady, Brillian Sefuke, for allegedly campaigning for Patriotic Front candidate in the Kasama Central by-election, Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba also known as GBM.

MMD Provincial Secretary, Sebio Mukuka, confirmed the expulsion of Ms Sefuke in a statement to ZANIS in Kasama today.

Mr Mukuka said the former chairlady was found distributing PF campaign materials and foodstuffs contrary to the party regulations.
He also said Ms Sefuke issued unauthorized statements to the media without following laid down procedures.

Mr Mukuka accused Ms Sefuke of being bitter after she was not picked to contest the Kasama Central seat on the MMD ticket.
He has since warned that the MMD would not allow indiscipline to creep into the party, adding that those who would be found wanting would be flushed out.

Last week, MMD Provincial women affairs secretary, Elizabeth Goma was also expelled from the MMD for allegedly campaigning for the PF in the Kasama Central by-election which is scheduled for this Thursday.

ZANIS