PF CONVENTION UNNECESSARY, SUPPORT MUNDUBILE’S TONSE – MUKANGA
PF member Yamfwa Mukanga says there’s no need for the party to hold a convention while it is entangled in court issues.
He says it’s better to have Brian Mundubile’s Tonse Alliance as an alternative so that the party can move forward.
The Given Lubinda-led PF had announced that it would hold a convention before the end of this month.
In an interview, Mukanga noted that one faction of the PF had the papers while the other faction was running the show.
“The situation is that in politics everybody has liberty, they have liberty, they can choose to do what they think is right. But it’s always the leadership, what has caused all these things. It’s because our party seems to be held hostage if you want to go to a convention. The challenge is that, there is one group which is holding on to the paper, the other group is running the show. So it’s very difficult for us to do something that is tangible. And it’s for this reason that I believe that’s the source of this confusion, because whenever the decision is made that we go to the convention and then an injunction comes in or maybe the ones who are holding the paper say no, then it becomes a challenge because they’ll be supported by the government,” Mukanga said.
“But I believe that whatever is happening, soon we will come to a conclusion because there’s always a plan B. And this plan will work this time, because maybe we need to look around and see what would be the best way to move with because ‘do we just wait in perpetuity for a convention that will not come?’ No. What should happen now is to look around and see what would be the best to do because I know that there is a group of elders who need to find out how best to deal with the situation”.
Asked if the convention was unnecessary at the moment, he responded in the affirmative.
“I think to me, it will not be necessary unless things are corrected. But I don’t think that looking at the Judiciary the way it operates in Zambia, it’s very difficult. I think there is a part of the leadership that is looking for a plan B to move fast. No. We don’t need to wait forever. I don’t blame anyone, even for Mundubile to be chosen as the Alliance Chairperson, my congratulations to him, he did a good job because people are seeing something in him. And I believe he needs to be supported. So I don’t think people can come and say no, this and this. No, at this particular time, we need to move ahead in one way or another,” Mukanga said.
“That’s one of the plans. If you look at it this way, Mundubile is the Tonse Alliance president, that’s his alternative. We have another alternative. So people should look around on the alternatives, and then come up and discuss. The only thing I would want to be done is that there should still be unity in the way we are moving. We need all the factions to come together and discuss and say, this is what has happened, this is the only way we can move. And that’s what we need to do. And I believe the leadership is looking into all those lines, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to start condemning other people who are moving. What court issues are there with Tonse? If there are no court issues, why can’t people rally behind the system that has no issues? Because we seem to have been held hostage. So I think it’s important that people look at it that way and try to come down the table with that”.
He warned that nothing would happen to the opposition in August if they failed to unite.
“There are a lot of issues that need to be resolved in PF. Who among those who are currently [leading] did not come from somewhere? So I think it’s important that, no, we just sit down and resolve these things ourselves. The reason that might be given might not be the appropriate one. It’s not right to think like that, because somebody came from somewhere. I came from UNIP a long time ago because it was the only political party. So since I came from UNIP, are you going to say, yeah, but you came from UNIP, you cannot be PF? No. So we should accommodate others. The whole purpose of a political party is to grow and make the other people come in. And if they come in, if you have ideas, discuss so that at least you, within your philosophy and intention, you will work together,” said Mukanga.
“So what is important for now is to bring up this unity, to discuss because, if you look at the way the UPND is running, it will be difficult for any single party to destroy them because the party which would have been the best option to destroy them was PF. Which I think they’ve manipulated to an extent to where we have now reached a challenge. That’s why I think the issue of going for a big alliance like Tonse would be the best option. But even with that alliance, what is required is unity for other people to come on board and discuss issues so that we move as one block of opposition. If we do not move as one block of opposition in Zambia, nothing is going to happen in August”.
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