NEVERS MUMBA HAS DEFECTED TO THE UPND – SICHILIMA
…describes him as a liability to UPND….
…Nevers Mumba’s term as President expired in 2022…
Sunday 3rd Nov. 2024. Operation Save MMD leader Gaston Sichilima says New Hope MMD faction leader Dr. Nevers Mumba has only defected to the ruling UPND as there is no agreement signed between the two parties.
On Wednesday the UPND signed what they termed as an MOU with the New Hope MMD faction led by Dr. Mumba in Lusaka.
The signing in ceremony was attended by UPND President who is also Republican President, Hakainde Hichilema, and New Hope MMD faction leader Pastor Nevers Mumba among others.
Appearing on “The Pulse Nation” program on Millennium TV on Wednesday, Mr. Sichilima said that Pastor Mumba has no right to take the MMD anywhere because he is not the party leader and there is no provision in MMD Constitution for ‘wamuyayaya’ (enternity) or third term for the Party President.
“We as the genuine MMD would like to clarify that Pastor Mumba has no right whatsoever to take the MMD anywhere or represent it because he is not MMD President. He was elected in 2012 and his two terms ended on 25 May, 2022. To us in the MMD, he is a former party President”, Mr. Sichilima said.
The Operation Save MMD leader noted that “it is unfortunate that His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, the President of Republic of Zambia and the UPND allowed himself to be exposed in such a manner by trying to legalize the illegality of Dr. Mumba and ignoring loud voices of the majority genuine MMD members countrywide including the senior NEC members in Pastor Mumba’s faction who has petitioned the party to call for all inclusive free, fair and democratic intraparty elections up to the National Convention”.
He added that the MMD has a solid democratic constitution which cannot be amended in a boardroom meeting and President Hichilema should respect that.
“As far as we are concerned, it is only the National Convention or a full NEC meeting that can mandate the party to go into any MOU or alliance. This is so because that decision of MOU was made by our former party president, without input of the convention or full NEC meeting. So, we consider it null and void and brand it as a defection of Dr. Mumba together with his 7 supporters who are just opportunists seeking personal benefits from President Hichilema,” Mr. Sichilima added.
Mr. Sichilima affirmed that now the focus of the MMD was to organize it’s party Convention.
“Since the one who was a liability and blocking the growth of the party is gone into the UPND, we can now organize the long awaited convention so that we can rightfully claim our space as a party in Zambian politics to give proper checks and balances to the government”, Mr. Sichilima said.
He further called on President Hakainde Hichilema and UPND operatives to stop interfering in MMD affairs by using the Police force to disturb the party mobilization programs now that the UPND have openly taken and accepted Nevers Mumba as their member.