MUNDUBILE BEING INDISCIPLINED FOR DEFYING PARTY ORDERS – MUKANDILA
I THINK we are now becoming jokers; we are all becoming comedians and of course it is a comedy of errors, says PF faction acting Secretary General Celestine Mukandila.
Mukandila further says Brian Mundubile is being indisciplined for not following party directives.
Meanwhile, former PF Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri says it is sad that Mundubile has decided to technically knock himself out of the PF presidential race.
On Friday, Mundubile filed his nomination for the Dan Pule-led Tonse Alliance chairmanship against the circular from the Given Lubinda-led PF and Tonse Alliance faction.
Later in the day, Mundubile clarified his chairmanship bid, saying it should not be misconstrued as him leaving the PF.
Reacting to that in an interview, Sunday, Mukandila said Mundubile was in contempt of the direction of the PF.
“Honourable Mundubile knows for certain that the Patriotic Front gave a position and the Tonse Alliance chairperson gave a position that that is an illegal procession. Even him deciding to continue patronising with those colleagues, he is in contempt of the procedure or the direction of the Patriotic Front and the chairman of the Tonse Alliance, Honourable Given Lubinda, he is in contempt of that. At this point, let’s start becoming very realistic. And let’s look at things as they are. The reality is the chairman of the Alliance is Honourable Given Lubinda, who is also the president of the Patriotic Front,” he said.
“And he is the president of the anchor party which is the Patriotic Front. So unless our colleague has forgotten that he was seconded into the Tonse Alliance by the Patriotic Front, then can we consider his statement even serious? I think we are now becoming jokers. We are all becoming comedians. And of course, it’s a comedy of errors”.
Mukandila said Mundubile, having being a member of the central committee, was bound by the collective responsibility of the PF.
“I think at this point it is extremely important to start asking very basic questions with regards to leadership as well as governance. First things first, we must understand what the principle of collective responsibility entails. The principle entails that decisions made by the collective body or authority will bind all of us. And Honourable Brian Mundubile is, or should I say was, a member of the central committee of the Patriotic Front and is bound by collective responsibility of the Patriotic Front. And secondly, it’s important to start understanding the fact that members of the Patriotic Front that found themselves in the Tonse Alliance were seconded by the Patriotic Front. And their appointments were done upon secondment from the Patriotic Front president who then was Edgar Chagwa Lungu,” he said.
“And that does not in any way create independence of the membership of the Alliance by any individual. I was seconded to the Tonse Alliance as National Youth Chairman. And at no point did I do anything independent of my sending authority or my seconding authority, which is the Patriotic Front. The letter of appointment I received was coming from the president of the Patriotic Front, a member of the Patriotic Front seconded to the Tonse Alliance. And at any point whatsoever, the Patriotic Front being the anchor party and being the sponsor or the seconder of these names would decide to withdraw them. And besides, just recently, a renewal of names was submitted to the Tonse Alliance”.
Mukandila questioned Mundubile’s decision to defy the party, arguing that if the PF had deemed the Pule-led Tonse elective conference scheduled for January 31 illegal, Mundubile had no business going against that position simply because he held a post in the alliance.
“So it’s important to start understanding the basic principles. Now, the basic principles of leadership should never be misunderstood to be political stances or political manoeuvres, no. It’s simply basic principles of leadership, collective responsibility, and understanding the strength upon which you stand in the alliance, which is the secondment from the Patriotic Front. If the Patriotic Front today indicates that we are not participating in this because it is illegal, who are you to indicate that you are going to participate because you have a position? And yet that position is because of the secondment of the Patriotic Front,” he said.
“Even president Edgar Lungu was seconded to the Tonse Alliance by the Patriotic Front. It’s the Patriotic Front Central Committee that seconded president Edgar Lungu to go into the Tonse Alliance. And that is why the engagement of the Patriotic Front to the Tonse Alliance was based on the rules of engagement of the Patriotic Front into the Tonse Alliance. And there was a team from the Patriotic Front Central Committee that was composed to come up with these rules of engagement. So no one should go out there and claim independence of their position in the alliance. You are seconded by the party and you can be recalled at any time. No one is indispensable”.
Mukandila said the party ran on the premise of rules, adding that those who could not take the heat should leave.
He further said failure to follow party processes and procedures was indiscipline.
“So for me, I would say I think it is a test for leadership. It is a test for understanding what exactly leadership entails. It is a test for understanding exactly the principles of leadership. Going forward, we can’t run anything on the premise of a banana rule. No, we are not a banana republic. We are not a banana organisation. The Patriotic Front runs on the premise of rules and procedures and regulations. We are guided by those principles of leadership. And those that cannot withstand the heat in the kitchen, let them leave, it is as simple as that,” Mukandila said.
“We must differentiate division from indiscipline. Failure to follow rules and regulations of a political party is indiscipline. It does not in any way show division. Let’s be realistic and real. Failure to follow party processes and procedures or party directives is not division, it amounts to indiscipline. Let us call a spade a spade. And no one should tell you that the party is divided in any way. The party is not divided, we are moving in unison. It is those that are indisciplined that are making such statements”.
Asked then if the party was going to take any action, Mukandila said a direction would be given after the Kasama mayoral by-election.
“The Tonse Alliance agreed to have a Council of Leaders meeting on the 5th of February, after the Kasama election. And that shall happen, we shall have a Council of Leaders meeting and a direction shall be given,” said Mukandila.
Meanwhile, speaking when she called in on Emmanuel Mwamba Verified, Phiri wondered how Mundubile decided to file directly for the Tonse chairmanship against the written rules of taking the winner of the PF presidency there.
“I’m just surprised with what’s happening [in the PF]. And you know the sad part is this is what [Michael] Sata used to say that educated people are cowards. It’s true, his words have come to pass. This Tonse Mundubile has gone to from the rules that were written, you are the ones who launched Tonse, PF as the anchor party, we were supposed to elect a president amongst ourselves as PF, then whoever emerges as winner to be taken to Tonse. Now I’m wondering how my learned lawyer has gone directly to Tonse and filed his nomination,” she wondered.
She further urged party structures to remain united as things would be fine.
“Pule cannot today say that he is also legit to call for a meeting. If you remember that meeting I attended, that one where the youths wanted to beat us, isn’t it the same Pule who, when Sylvia Chalikosa, Given Lubinda and Raphael Nakacinda went to wake him up, lowered himself and said only Lubinda can call for a meeting? It’s him who said that. So what has changed? As I conclude, I’m urging our party structures, we have been united for all these years. Miles [Sampa] brought confusion, you didn’t follow him. [Robert] Chabinga who has the papers was never followed, just relax, things will be fine,” said Phiri.
“In the last Central Committee meeting which I attended, it was allowed that all those presidential candidates who want to meet the structures, they are free to do so as long as they write to the secretariat, then the secretariat writes to the provincial chairperson. That’s how team Makebi has started moving around and no one is stopping him. No one has stopped anyone from talking to the structures, so Mundubile shouldn’t rush, those who rush, crash. And I feel so sad that Mundubile can technically knock himself out of the race. Anyway, we are watching and we are waiting to see what will happen next”.
News Diggers