POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba Wrote;
“How Treachery and Betrayal Ruin Promising Careers”
I found it suitable to use the life of a promising career of Pastor Neves Mumba as an example.
In my view, he was a perfect example of how great political opportunity, political fortune and immense public goodwill can be squandered because young people choose shortcuts, engage in betrayal, treachery and display naked ambitions and thereby lose what appeared to be have been automatic rise in career.
NEVERS MUMBA IS A CRIMINAL CONVICT
Pastor Nevers Mumba was convicted of the crime of Abuse of Authority of Office.
On September 11, 2018, Pastor Mumba was convicted on two counts of abuse of authority of office related to his tenure as Zambia’s High Commissioner to Canada.
He was found guilty of failing to follow procedures in awarding contracts for carpeting and electrical works at the Zambian residence in Canada.
He was also convicted for irregular disbursement of $500,000 donated by the mining giant, Barrick Gold, to the Zambian High Commission in Canada, meant for a cultural exchange program.
I chose not to bring these matters up.
I think I believe in building people than to tear them down.
Therefore my article was about how young politicians miss great opportunities and squander political fortunes because of their naked ambitions, political opportunism, impatience, and poor judgment.
I merely used the test case of Nevers Mumba as a perfect example.
I HAVE A DISTINGUISHED RECORD
In my write-up, I chose to ignore the dirt around Pastor Nevers Mumba, including his criminal conviction by a competent court of law for theft and abuse of office.
In comparison, my tour of duty as a senior diplomat for eight years: as Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, as Ambassador to Ethiopia, as Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU) and as Permanent Representativebto the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) remains distinguished with remarkable trail of success, admirable record and a good legacy.
However Pastor Mumba chose to respond by issuing defamatory remarks, dangerous allegations, and utter insults against me.
So, I reserve the right to seek proper redress for his defamatory statements. It’s a matter for another day.
POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM
But let me demonstrate and buttress my earlier point against political opportunism that ruin careers of young politicians and I will use one of my experiences with Pastor Mumba.
Within a mere fourteen months after his contraversial appointment as Republican Vice President, President Levy Mwanawasa fired Mumba.
In October 2004 President Levy Mwanawasa fired Mumba for gross insubordination, specifically for refusing to retract public comments he made accusing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of harbouring individuals he alleged were working against the Republic of Zambia.
Despite President Mwanawasa’s earlier apology to President Joseph Kabila, Mumba said he didn’t regret his remarks and refused to apologise.
President Mwanawasa stated that Mumba breached his oath of allegiance and showed a lack of remorse, and proceeded to revoke his appointment as Member of Parliament, and removed him from the position of Vice President with immediate effect.
In fact, in 2003, Mumba’s appointment was deemed unconstitutional as he was not eligible for the position as he had contested the 2001 general election.
The law forbids contestants that had lost elections from being nominated as MPs. I think the framers of the Constitution were clear, they did not desire that losers of an election should come through the back-door.
Mumba stood in the 2001 presidential elections under his earlier party, the National Citizen Coalition (NCC).
He obtained 38,000 votes of the 1.7million total votes, which was 2.1% of the votes.
The results were;
MWANAWASA Levy P. , MMD-506,695, (28.6%)
MAZOKA Anderson K. , UPND-472,697(26.9%)
TEMBO Christon S. (Lt.Gen.), FDD- 228, 861 (12.29%)
KAUNDA Tilyenji C. , UNIP-175,898 (9.93%)
MIYANDA Godfrey K. (Brig.Gen.), HP-140,688 (7.94%)
MWILA Benjamin Y. , ZRP-85,473 (4.83%)
SATA Michael C., PF 59,172 (3.34%)
MUMBA Nevers S. (Dr), NCC 38,860 (2.19%)
KONIE Gwendoline C. , SDP 10,253 (0.58%)
MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA Inonge (Dr), AZ 9,882 (0.56%).
SHAMAPANDE Yobert K. (Dr),NLD 9,481 (0.54%)
Mwanawasa argued that the appointment of Mumba was not unconstitutional as he was appointed as Vice President and not as an MP.
But to be a Vice President, one needed to be a member of parliament… Anyway that’s a story for another day.
MUMBA IGNORES VALUABLE ADVICE
When he was fired as Vice President, Mumba called our office that he urgently wanted to meet President Frederick Chiluba.
I went to meet Mumba at his temporary or quickly rented home on Independence Avenue in Woodlands near Woodlands Zamtel Office.
” I thought you were an older man.” he said when he ushered me to a sit outside in the grass garden.
“Because the day you were fired, the matter was mentioned in Cabinet (Administrative Assitant at the Office of the Second President) and I wondered; Who is this Emmanuel Mwamba? “naumbi umuntu wesu batamfya,” he said refering to my dismissal from public service by Mwanawasa.
Mwanawasa had fired me (through Permanent Secretary at Cabinet Office, Oliver Kalabo).
The contention was that I could not speak as an official spokesperson for the Second President while I held the position of a civil servant.
Anyway, I contested my dismissal at the High Court.
I won!
My fight with Mwanawasa was personal to him. This was because I was a face of his nemesis and arch political rival, Frederick Chiluba who maintained his customary golden silence while I waged a fierce media war for him for all those years.
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, George Kunda SC, was directed to immediately appeal my high court victory and contested it in the Supreme Court.
At the Supreme Court, I won!
The Supreme Court,like the High Court revoked the dismissal and reinstated me with immediate effect, and ordered that I be paid with full back pay and accumulated allowances.
The case had taken almost five years.
Back to the story.
At their subsequent meeting with the former President, Dr. Nevers Mumba sought help from Dr. Chiluba recognising his great influence in the MMD.
Mumba disclosed that he intended to challenge President Levy Mwanawasa at the forthcoming MMD Convention billed for 2005 and claimed he had wide support and a great chance to beat Mwanawasa.
President Chiluba’s advice was clear.
“Do not announce your intention now. You are no longer Vice President, friends will become few. Stay low, this will prevent or avoid any disciplinary process or suspension or expulsion. A challenge to the President, not just a Party President, but a sitting Republican President, is a serious matter, and he will quickly expel you. Do not give him a chance to do so, do NOT announce your intention now. It will be extremely premature.”
Mumba thanked President Chiluba and informed him that he was going to meet his elder brother too (Zambia’s founding President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda).
Serval road in Kabulonga was literally a President’s lane. Dr. Kaunda, Michael Chilufya Sata, Hakainde Hichilema and Dr Chiluba all had houses or lived on the same stretch of road.
Suprisingly, a few days later, Mumba announced that he was going to challenge President Mwanawasa during the MMD Convention planned for 2005.
When we discussed the matter, President Chiluba was amused but not surprised.
“Ebwafya bwa mwaice wesu. He takes the advice of the last person he has consulted and not the quality of sound advice”.
“He will be expelled sooner than later and as I warned, he will not set foot at the MMD Convention.”
It didn’t long before a rushed disciplinary process was commenced against Pastor Mumba and the National Executive Committee expelled him.
At the MMD Convention held in Kabwe in July 2005, Dr. Katele Kalumba, who was facing corruption charges alongside Dr. Chiluba, shocked both President Mwanawasa and his new team when he announced at the premises of the Convention that he was standing for the second most powerful position of National Secrrtary, and proceeded to beat the incumbent, Mwanawasa’s strong candidate and key pillar, Vernon Johnson Mwaanga, to scoop the coveted position.
Maybe if Mumba had not rushed and taken the free but valuable advice from Dr. Chiluba, he would probably have stood a chance!
MORE POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM END IN FAILURE
Mumba proceeded to form yet another political party (Reform Party) in 2006, which was involved in similar debacles and his attempt to stand under a new political alliance or to stand as an MP in Chinsali under the PF all backfired.
Many will remember that like the proverbial hyena, seeking two paths, Mumba”s steps ended in failure
The Reform Party joined hands with the National Democratic Front Alliance where he was thoroughly beaten by Benjamin Mwila.
After his expulsion in 2001 from the MMD Mwila had formed the Zambia Republican Party. In 2006 the Party entered into a political alliance with Mumba’s Rrform Party.
When Mumba was trounced at the Alliance election, Mumba, at the last minute attempted to stand as an MP under the Patriotic Front. Mr Sata was gracious enough to give him an adoption certificate amd he travelled overnight to stand in Chinsali as an MP.
However, his own cousin, Christopher Mulenga, who had worked for the Chinsali seat since 2002 refused to pave way and the Patriotic Front members chased Mumba!
Because of his political opportunism, he didnt stand as President or MP…
“Chimbwi afwile intangalilo” was what political pundits likened his embarrasing display of desperation in 2006.
But that’s a story for another day.
A South African civil activist said that you used to chop people’s wives. You kept quite. Is that what you call a distinguished career? Katoba mayanda iwe.
This man is just a failure. If Mumba was convict by the High Court. Why was he not sentenced? If the crime is so true why didnt he serve time? The same way his aligences were to PF and not to Chiluba and the state. Mwamba is a clown. A low life who can not match Mumba.
Mwamba is stating facts. Mumba was convicted by courts of law. How praise singers can deny this fact shows exactly how toxic our politics have become. It shows that UPND is full of dull people that follow their ka Herdman blindly.
REJECT TRIBALISM, CORRUPTION AND OPPRESSION.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN AUGUST.
Some people dont realise that convictions are followed by sentences. Their sense of logic is as naive as those they consort with.
When you sentence a person. Pronounce them wrong. Punishment follows. Why wasnt Neverous Mumba imprisoned?
Was this a cooked up charge and orcherstraed court case? You can not have courts pronouncing someone guilty yet fail to sentence the person.
The Katele Kalumba, Fausten Kabwe et al matter. These people were found guilty. They have since been sentenced and are serving time or in the case of Katele Kalumba is so sick that he was pardoned. And that is a matter for another day. But they were sentenced.
Why then if this is true hasnt Nevers Mumba been imprisoned? That is the point am making. Mwamba like Sampa are liars. Cite the cause number of his case and lets ensure that the law follows its course.
Ubuwaawaawaa…tapali we dont make noise like you. If Nevers needs to imprisoned. Let the die be cast. A fact is a fact. Lets get to the bottom of this. Why was he not imprisoned for the crime?
A case of the kettle calling the pot black. You, Mr. Emmanuel “Goebbels” Mwamba, are a fugitive from the law. You skipped bail because you were convinced that you would be found guilty and sentenced.
If you are a man of integrity, come back and face justice.