MUTATI FACTOR

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 10:40:22 +0000

THE anti-Mutati demonstration is a very serious mischief.  It fails to recognise the political economic and social dynamics at play.

Mr. Felix Mutati is the President of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD), a fact well known and recognised by Zambians. Therefore his appointment to cabinet was on account of two basic considerations namely that the MMD had partnered with the Patriotic Front to win the 2016 Presidential and General Election.

Secondly, Mr. Mutati is an accomplished accountant whose contribution to the economic stabilisation programme of our country is not in any doubt as can be attested by bilateral and multi-lateral partners, including the Bretton Woods organisations – World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Politically, the motive for the demonstration is obscure considering that if Mr. Mutati resigned from the MMD this would be a de facto capitulation to Nevers Mumba who is in court claiming leadership of the party.

It is well known that Pastor Mumba is in a serious alliance with the UPND and it must be clear that the party would be forced to forego the alliance with the Patriotic Front.

This eventuality would create a crisis within the MMD that would have a knock on effect to the Patriotic Front in the Eastern Province which is a stronghold of the MMD.

This obviously is undesirable considering that politics is about numbers and within the next four years the country will go back to the polls in a race that is expected to be tight and unpredictable.

Our concern is that the reasons advanced against Mr. Mutati are neither plausible nor cogent enough.  To suggest that the protest is about Mr. Mutati spending his allowances and salary funding his party begs the question because this is exactly what a party president should do, sacrifice his resources for his party.

This reason is not persuasive.

We can only speculate that the grouse arises from some finance-related issue and since no claim of financial impropriety has been advanced, the inevitable conclusion would lie in his calling as an accountant which sometimes requires taking hard decisions to conserve resources.

Quite clearly, a public manifestation of the nature mounted by the Eastern Province PF is not likely to elicit the desired goal because it runs counter to principles of sound management which obviate any recourse to public approbation as a management tool.

There should be no doubt that future elections will be determined by the influence any party will carry in its strongholds and Eastern Province is a stronghold of the MMD.

Former President Rupiah Banda is a formidable leader whose influence cannot be underrated.  His support for Patriotic Front and President Lungu as a candidate persuaded most Easterners to vote and support the PF.

It is understandable that PF leaders in the province would feel isolated and therefore at the deep end of party organisation.  This can be expected and antagonism will not stand the PF in good stead it might instead cause confusion, resentment and ultimately deliver the province to the opposition which has been making inroads quite steadily.

Rather than open an ugly festering wound, Easterners with their misguided cousins must close ranks and resolve issues of finance behind closed doors like all normal people do.

These public spats have the tendency of entrenching positions which easily lead to self-destruction.  For example rumours were rife from Lusaka that cadres from the Copperbelt were carrying placards which among other things called for the sacking of Mr. Mutati and reinstatement of Mr Chishimba Kambwili.  If true, this must be a source of worry for the party.