Tue, 03 Jan 2017 07:44:27 +0000
By Bennie Mundando
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) youths on the Copperbelt have declared war against former provincial minister Mwenya Musenge for demanding that Chishimba Kambwili’s exculpatory letter should be withdrawn on account that it was premised on trivial issues.
Youth chairpersons from three districts in the province have taken a swipe at Mr. Musenge and urged him to leave the party if he felt that it was abrogating its constitution in meting discipline on Mr. Kambwili.
Kitwe district youth chairperson Mukuzo Kaboba told the Daily Nation yesterday that Mr. Musenge was being a coward for rushing to the press to air his grievances when he was part of the central committee that decided Mr. Kambwili’s fate.
Mr. Kaboba said Mr. Musenge’s demands that Mr. Kambwili’s exculpatory letter be withdrawn undermined the party leadership and that his attacks on the party secretary general Davis Mwila were an insult to authority.
“If he wanted to defend his colleague for his wrong-doings, why didn’t he do so in the central committee? He is just being a coward by rushing to the media because he had a chance to defend Mr. Kambwili because he is part of the committee that made that decision. His attacks on the SG is an insult to those in leadership and is undermining our party and we will not tolerate that.
“Mr. Kambwili has been attacking our provincial chair Nathan Chanda yet the man has been magnanimous enough to ignore these attacks. It is wrong for Mr. Musenge to go against the party’s decision because PF is not an animal farm where senior members are dealt with differently from ordinary members,” Mr. Kaboba said.
Kalulushi youth chairperson Prince Bwalya said anyone going against the party’s principles and ideals had no blessings from the youths in the district, adding that Mr. Musenge was free to leave the ruling party if he felt that it was being too harsh on Mr. Kambwili.
Mr. Bwalya said there was need for Mr. Musenge to respect party leaders and that it was wrong to attack Mr. Mwila because the decision to write a letter of exculpation to Mr. Kambwili was not arrived at by one person but the central committee.
“We shall not tolerate anyone going against the party and the leadership of President Edgar Lungu and so, if Mr. Musenge feels that his friend was unfairly treated, he is free to leave the party,” Mr. Bwalya said.
And Mufulira district youth chairperson Victor Miti condemned Mr. Musenge’s attacks on Mr. Mwila, saying every organisation had rules and regulations and that there was nothing wrong with disciplining erring members.
Mr. Miti said no one was victimising Mr. Kambwili but that the party’s decision was premised on harmonising its operations by instilling discipline among its followers.
“We would like to condemn the stance taken by Mr. Musenge because every club or party has rules and regulations and those who are found wanting must be corrected. No one is victimising Mr. Kambwili but the party is simply trying to correct the situation,” Mr. Miti said.
