Mutinta’s departure should not be made a big storm – Mweetwa
By Kombe Chimpinde Mataka
UPND party spokesperson Cornelious Mweetwa says Mutinta Mazoka’s
departure should not be made a big storm.
Daughter of UPND founding president Anderson Kambela Mazoka, Mutinta has
resigned from the UPND without citing reasons.
She however thanked those that she had worked with in the party.
Mweetwa told The Mast that if they were reasons why Mutinta has resigned from the ruling party she would give them to the public herself.
“She has not given reasons. I got aware of her resignation more than three weeks ago and it is not something new so it should be
understood that notwithstanding that she is the daughter of the founding president, she is just a member like any other member who
enjoys her full rights of her discretion, of her freedoms of association. And therefore she might have something that she wants to
do wherein her continued association with the UPND may not be in the interest of that other thing that she wants to do.
We don’t think we should give much room to speculation,” Mweetwa said. “She is just enjoying her freedom of association. People voted for her on account of the Mazoka name. It is a very respected name. It has a very special place in the life history of our party. But as an individual, she has choices to make.”
He added that “the mother continues to serve the people of Zambia as a member of parliament on the UPND ticket”.
“So her departure should not be made a big storm. No, not at all. It has to be understood
that many people in the UPND have left the party. She is not the first one to leave the party. At least not less than three founder vice-presidents of the UPND have left the party before,” he noted. “But the party
continued because a party is an idea which was started by founders. Its life is a going concern carried by those who are carrying the idea today. So let us not create appetite for assumption and antagonism.”
Mweetwa said Mutinta had been in the UPND for a long time.
“She had been in the UPND for as long time. How many people knew she was in the UPND for instance other than now she is leaving and of course carrying a respected name of the founder president as Anderson
Mazoka’s daughter, no one knew?” said Mweetwa.