DR NEVERS Mumba has clarified that his endorsement of President Hakainde Hichilema for the 2026 general elections does not in any way signal the death of his party, the Movement of Multiparty Democracy (MMD).
Dr Mumba has backed the candidature of President Hichilema stating he is a stronger candidate. This decision has, however, been received with mixed feelings, with many people stating that it is the end of the MMD.
However, Dr. Mumba has said the MMD is still in existence and that it will be prepared to field a presidential candidate in the 2031 general election.
“Well, I do not know how many times we are going to explain this to the Zambian people. On October 30, Movement of Multiparty Democracy entered an alliance and signed a memorandum of understanding publicly before all Zambians.
“We made an arrangement to face the next election together. And it was the decision, of the MMD and myself that my colleague, HH, who is the president of The Republic Of Zambia, on this issue and this coming election is better positioned, to be able to run as our common candidate,” Dr Mumba said.
He said when he appeared on Diamond Breakfast this morning, that given the challenges the MMD has gone through, the United Party for National Development (UPND) is in a stronger position to field a presidential candidate.
“When we look at our two situations, it was a common sense decision to say for this coming election, the MMD is going to support the candidature of president Hakainde Hichilema. It doesn’t kill MMD. MMD will leave beyond 2026. MMD will make its own decision concerning the next 2031 election because now it’s its own political party, and it’s going to make a decision now how we face the next election,” he said.
Dr. Mumba said those who think the MMD has died should think again.
“It’s not retiring the MMD as a political party. We are in an alliance. And being in an alliance, you can not have two presidential candidates in one alliance. You can only have one.
“In our case, we believe that President HH is better positioned to represent us as we move beyond 2026. Once 2031 starts to approach, it will be a totally different decision.
“We have to go back to the drawing board and now make a decision on how we are going to face 2031. So that is basically what it is. MMD stands strong, and we are going to continue strengthening it, even within the alliance because it is an individual party,” Dr Mumba said.
(Mwebantu, Tuesday, 2nd April, 2025)