By Arthur Sikopo
Senior Chief Nzamane of the Ngoni speaking people has advised MMD to resolve leadership squabbles if the party is to remain firm on the ground.
The Chipata Senior Chief was speaking when MMD faction led by National Secretary, Raphael Nakacinda, paid a courtesy call on him at his palace.
He said people in the lower structures of the party in the area were yet to be sure on who to follow between the two factions that currently exist, that of Raphael Nakacinda and Nevers Mumba.
The traditional leader said if not resolved soon, structures may be taken by other competitors leaving the former ruling party without any standing.
Senior Chief Nzamane says the leaders of the party MMD, which is the mother of democracy need to realize that they have to get back on the ground to regain members that have been lost along the way.
“Am happy that you want to hold this sober party. You want to hold the membership too. But my only worry is how long the Court proceeding is going to take. Won’t we still stay in the limbo that we are? That is my biggest worry,” he said.
He is concerned that MMD is going through such wrangles when it is supposed to be offering solutions to many issues including the economic challenges the country is faced with.
“How fast are you going to reorganize yourselves so that you can amass the support of the people who are suffering right now? This should be the worry of everybody else in here,” the Chief said.
And Induna Kapachika echoed the concerns of Chief Nzamane on the need to keep the grassroots held firm.
He said happenings in the MMD have a possibility to scatter members.
And when asked by the Chief is structures were still intact, another elder in the Chiefdom said the structures are in place except for a few that left and went to join the other MMD Camp.
“Structures from the branches, ward and to the province are there. Not all of them have moved to Nevers except for only about three (3) or four (4) from the leaders,” she responded to telling the Chief said the MMD Nakacinda Leadership.
And in Mr Nakacinda accompanied by other National Executive Committee Members that included Gastone Sichilima, Ms Margaret Musonda and Dauzen Tembo, the Elections, Women and Youth Chairpersons respectively, said theirs was not a personal fight but to bring sanity to the party and strengthen democracy in the country.
“MMD brought Democracy to Zambia and it will be unfair to have this party die due to personalities. We can’t have a party that only three names are pronounced when the party is mentioned. This party is not about Mutati, Nevers and me, Nakacinda, but a symbol of democracy in Zambia,” he said.
He said his team believe that the Court misdirected itself to offer Nevers Mumba the leadership because his tenure expired, hence the Mutati faction was voted for in the 2016 Party Convection in Kabwe.
Meanwhile, a number of callers on Breeze FM equally expressed concern over the wrangles in MMD.
They have since called for a quick solution to be found.
Mr Nakacinda who is in Eastern Province for tour featured on Breeze FM Radio explaining the current issues in the MMD and why he has decided to counter the 5th November 2019 judgment that gave Nevers Mumba the Presidency.
