Katele Kalumba
KAKA: I really feel constrained to comment on Pastor Nevers Sekwila Mumba’s letter but truthfulness in politics is a more effective strategy than misinformation.
MMD: We are glad you recognize the importance of Truth over Misinformation, but we wish to point out that your entire letter was a shallow response to the fundamental questions which Dr. Mumba raised in his letter and are saddened that despite your above confession, you chose to mislead not only yourself, but also the readers, rather than to speak the truth as it exists.
KAKA: Having presided over the ZCID as Chairman…. I cannot forget how ZCID guided Hon. Kunda in this process and lobbied for the NCC Act. I do not remember the role of the pastor.
MMD: In Dr. Mumba’s letter to President Lungu, he CLEARLY, states that the “The concept of the First draft was discussed in my office in 2003 when I served as Vice President with the late Justice Minister George Kunda”. Is the contention here that Dr. Mumba was not involved in the primary stages of this process? How can Dr. Katele Kalumba claim to remember the role that everyone else played and yet ignore the role that the Republican Vice President played before this was handed down the hierarchy to other relevant people? Does Dr. Katele Kalumba know that President Mwanawasa sent Dr.Nevers Mumba to Kenya to study their constitution making process way before it was announced? Or perhaps has Dr. Kalumba so comprehended the letter wrongly to ignore the fact that Dr. Mumba aptly recognized the roles which many other “commissioners” played in the process? It is also interesting that Dr. Katele Kalumba has all too soon forgotten that he only came to serve as MMD National Secretary between 2005 and 2011 when the process had already been underway. Dr. Mumba was Vice-President from 2003 until towards the end of 2004 and had ‘hands on’ approach in the process
KAKA: As MMD National Secretary, the NCC initiated by the late Levy Mwanawasa. It failed. A new process started during the new PF government. We welcomed it.
MMD: The Doctor here seems to have confused himself. The fact that he was MMD National Secretary between 2005 and 2011 is irrelevant as this was not an MMD project, but a government project. From the writing, he seem’s to suggest that the Patriotic Front Government started a whole new process following what he terms the “Failed NCC under late Levy Mwanawasa.” This is not only misleading but dishonest and can only be termed ‘selective memory loss’ and a denial of the role of previous leaderships played. The MMD concluded the process and delivered the Amended Constitution to Parliament while still in power in 2011, where it failed largely because the PF had boycotted the NCC sittings and really have no moral right to call it ‘their baby.’. In late 2015, the PF simply wrapped up an already well documented process and which is why as a party, the MMD in principle supported the final process in parliament and Dr. Mumba is on record as having called it an “MMD baby” which the PF went to the ‘labour ward’ to actually give birth to.
KAKA: Did I see Pastor Mumba anywhere close to the ring? Please help me remember someone. I seek fair comment. As to the rather unpastorly imputations about the Constitution, please spare ECL.
MMD: We can try to help our dear old KAKA where Pastor Mumba was and since he seeks a fair comment, here it is. As most Zambians will recall, around the period in question, (2003 to 2004), we saw the height of President Mwanawasa’s fight against corruption. It was during this time that Katele Kalumba became famous for his alleged widely publicized ‘charm and witchcraft’-related disappearing acts, one of which lasted a whole three months as was reported by then Police Spokesperson, Brenda Muntemba. We believe Dr. Kalumba led an erratic lifestyle, dabbling in the supernatural, allegedly turning himself into reptilian creatures and using African magic computerized gadgets, all in trying to run away from being prosecuted for corruption. As we all know, light and darkness cannot mix and it is this spiritual divide which created a natural barrier between the pastor and the Wizard which one KAKA has no recollection about.
KAKA: The Constitution conventions which started from Districts to the National level cannot be loaded on President Lungu.
MMD: Yet again, this is highly misleading. The fact that the credit of delivering it has gone to him as the ‘WALK THE TALK’ President who assented to it means that the Constitution as it stands today is his creation and that he must, at the very least, honor it, by following its provisions, rather than tearing it apart and breaking its very provisions with impunity. This we believe is what Dr. Mumba is calling for in governance, basic MORALITY AND INTEGRITY.
KAKA: ECZ did not give ECL votes. Zambian voted for him.
MMD: Our question is why has Dr. Katele Kalumba become the defender of President Lungu on this matter? Our contention is precisely that the votes were stolen and demand for the petitioners’ petition to be heard which will be accompanied by overwhelming evidence to prove their claim. The PF is jittery about this. If they are confident that they did not steal the UPND votes, let them stop the gimmicks and allow the petition to be heard..
KAKA: Ba pastor, can your heart be so weighed by petitioner’s hatred that you cannot look at a red ant and describe it as an insect instead you call it a reptile?
MMD: Ba KAKA, Dr. Mumba has no hatred for anyone, which most people in fact regard as his greatest weakness because they believe that as a politician, one has to have people he hates. To the Contrary, this is a man who entered Politics to bring the genuine Christian Principles of Love, Morality and Integrity to the political arena. Dr. Mumba loves all fellow human beings the same regardless of class, creed, political affiliation, tribe and even race. He loves President Edgar Lungu and Hakainde Hichilema alike, and that is why he can unreservedly campaign with the one and write a timely word of counsel to the other at crucial time like this and urge him to do the right thing contrary to many voices of appeasement directed at him from people such as yourself.
It is this courage that sets him apart up as a man of integrity, to fight for the right and speak the truth, even when its not popular, just like Elijah of old rebuked King Ahab, and just like John the Baptist rebuked King Herod.
Finally, The Bible tells us in Isaiah chapter 5 verse 20(King James Version (KJV)that “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Dr. Katele Kalumba, everyone knows that you dabble in ‘midnight science’ and that anyone who stands on truth, Morality and Integrity is quite threatening to your spirit. We plead with you to not mislead the nation but rather hold your piece if you have failed to speak the truth as you know it.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, we wish to dismiss as cheap, this vain attempt by Dr. Katele Kalumba to discredit the letter which MMD President, Dr.Nevers Sekwila Mumba wrote to President Edgar C Lungu in good faith, over which he has received many congratulatory messages from some of the most unlikely people from all walks in Zambia and abroad. We wish to put on record that right now, our country does not need leaders who are cheap bootlickers, who think only of short term benefits, but more men and women who can stand on principle and think about the future of our beloved Zambia. If we standby and merely look on at how the Amended Constitution has been violated in this short time, one shudders to think what lies ahead once this lawless Government is sworn into power.
Meanwhile, for now, it is not dear old KAKA we want to hear from. It is Lady Chief Justice who holds the key to whether Zambia goes the way of a ‘Banana Republic’ or a young but stable multi-party democracy founded on a Constitution, not yet perfect but with a lot of promise. What is considered as one of the best Constitutions in the world, the American Constitution, has had hundreds of amendments as society continues to be dynamic. We pray that she will not feel overwhelmed or gagged by anyone. We want to count some ballot boxes again. We want to talk to Lady Chief Justice about some extra ballots that went into the boxes. We want to talk to her about some strange persons who were in the ECZ strong rooms and the role of the illegal ministers who stayed on. We want to also establish some missing polling stream results and some biased media coverage. We want to discuss with Lady Chief Justice how it editoris that in a land of justice, a petition brought before the highest court of the land can be thrown out without a single argument, witness, piece of evidence or judgment?
Lady Chief Justice can your hear us? How shall Lady Chief Justice brush all this aside and convince herself that ECL won this election? Are you there madam? Can you hear us? You are our only hope.
REV. REUBEN SAMBO
MMD NATIONAL SECRETARY