EMBATTLED NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili has threatened The Mast and two of its reporters Oliver Chisenga and Edwin Mbulo with an unknown action.
This follows a story written by Chisenga over the Copperbelt NDC leadership visiting interim party president Josephs Akafumba.
“No matter how you write and try to support this Akafumba group you are just wasting your time. They will never get NDC and they are not NDC and we are taking one action that will throw all of you, including you The Mast and you, their supporters, into the air,” he said. “Abantu six ati Copperbelt team? Our Copperbelt team is intact and don’t even mislead the people.”
Kambwili accused The Mast and two reporters of being part of the scheme that saw him dethroned by his own party following a disagreement over their involvement with the UPND alliance.
“You are all wasting your time to fight us. They have no legal standing, those people. Why have they chickened out on the court case? Nensoni tamwakwata ba Oliver (aren’t you ashamed Mr Oliver)…Excuse me! You are part of them, we know you. Epo mwambila nabena Malite twalishiba (we know how you started with Malite),” he charged. “What do you think you can hide from me? When we fired Musenge (Mwenya), you were writing that ex-secretary general but aba elyo twabatamfya why are you writing as NDC? Mulekwata ama ethics muncito shenu (have ethics in your vocation). When Musenge was fired you were writing that he is ex so why are you not writing that because what bena Akafumba have done is exactly what Musenge did? And he lost but why haven’t you written that?”
Kambwili said The Mast and their two reporters will not manage to destroy him stressing that they were too small to embark on this agenda.
“You won’t go anywhere. Teti muncite (you can’t) destroy imwe baice mwacepa sana (you young men are light weights) nomunobe Mbuzi (Mbulo) uwaku Livingstone (with your friend Mbulo) na newspaper yenu (with your newspaper) Mast, atase!” said Kambwili in a fury. “Dont call me ba president ulentumfya (you are fooling me) like nshishibe ama (as if I don’t know your) true colours yobe. Abantu five baisa ukufuma ku (from the) Copperbelt ati Copperbelt team…twalimucita (we) suspend Sichula (George), ninshi tawalembela (why didn’t you), ninshi tawalembela ati he is a suspended official?”
Meanwhile, Kambwili has suspended NDC Copperbelt chairperson George Sichula due to gross misconduct.
In a letter dated March 5, 2021, Dr Mbulo Paul Kakunta on behalf of Kambwili told Sichula that it had come to his attention through social media, print and television that he was using unpalatable language to undermine the authority of the party president (Kambwili).
He told Sichula that the NDC constitution states that the party president can only be removed by the national governing council resolution supported by the two-thirds majority.
“This has caused an irreparable damage to the party and is tantamount to putting the party into disrepute of insubordination due to gross misconduct,” reads Dr Kakunta’s letter. “Kindly show cause why we cannot take disciplinary action against you within ten days. In the meantime, you are suspended from your position until all disciplinary process is accomplished.”
Sichula recently said Kambwili was treating NDC members like zombies.
Speaking at a media briefing at the UPND secretariat in Kitwe, Sichula, who was accompanied by several NDC Copperbelt executive members said the alliance was not for individuals.
“We are not here to defect, but to re-enforce the alliance which we stand in. As NDC provincial executive, we wish to reaffirm that we are in the alliance and behind our national leaders. We were made to believe in the alliance and we are now at 100 per cent. We believe that this alliance is working and will continue to work. The UPND came on board during the Roan by-elections, that was enough evidence. This alliance was not started by Hakainde Hichilema or Chishimba Kambwili, but the Zambian people,” Sichula said.
“People have talked about the alliance, so no one has the right to break the alliance. If you want to break it, go to the people of Zambia. How can one person go on TV and say we have come to the end? If you are tired of the alliance, please go it alone. We are in support of the alliance and it’s candidate Hakainde Hichilema who is incoming Head of State.”
Last week Sichula led some officials to pay a courtesy call on Josephs Akafumba, whom they recognise as NDC president.