. Mumba

By JULIUS PHIRI and ANDREW  PHIRI –
MMD president Nevers Mumba has no powers to suspend anybody in the party because he is suspended himself, deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu has said.
On Tuesday, Dr Mumba announced the suspension of Southern Province chairperson Oliver Pelete for alleged indiscipline.
But Mr Nyangu said the purported suspension was null and void because Dr Mumba was suspended as party president.
Mr Nyangu said he was shocked that Dr Mumba usurped powers of disciplining party members which are vested in the party national secretary.
“The constitution of the party is very clear that the president of the party looks at the issues of policy. Article 41 of the party states that it is the national secretary of the party that can discipline a member of the party,” he said.
The act by Dr Mumba to suspend the provincial chairperson for Southern Province showed that he was ignorant of the party’s constitution.
His role as party president   was to deal with policy matters of the party, a  thing he said Dr Mumba seemed not to know.
“Dr Mumba does not seem to know what  he is doing, theses are kicks of a dying horse,” Mr Nyangu said.
Mr Nyangu further said Dr Mumba’s tours had no blessings from  the party but however, said the court ruling would give a clear
position on Dr Mumba’s Position.
On Dr Mumba’s lifting of  suspension for  Namatama ward councillor Fennix Liandisha, Mr Nyangu said he had no right to lift the suspension as it was tantamount to gross indiscipline.
Meanwhile, the MMD in Eastern Province has condemned senior party leaders that have thrown their weight behind United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema.
Provincial MMD Secretary Samuel Lugomo said during a live phone-in ‘Big Issue’ radio programme on Feel Free FM in Chipata yesterday that despite the confusion that has rocked the party, the former ruling party was ready for the presidential by-election.
Mr Lugomo said that Lunte Member of Parliament (MP) Felix Mutati, Liuwa MP Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane and Mumbwa MP Dr Brian Chituwo have never had a good relationship with Dr Mumba.
He, however, said the party was ready for the January 20, 2015 presidential by-election despite the confusion at the top.
He said that Zambians were fed up with experiments, adding that people wanted a mature political party like MMD.
He said there was need to rally behind MMD which had been tested before with the running of Government.
Mr Lugomo said MMD was not threatened by UPND and Patriotic Front in the presidential by-election.
He said Zambia’s economy under former Republican President Rupiah Banda was good compared to three years of the current trends.