RB must go – Muteteka

MMD national youth chairperson, Moses Muteteka, has called for the immediate resignation of party president, Rupiah Banda.

Mr Muteteka, who is Chisamba Member of Parliament (MP), said in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Banda’s continued stay at the helm of the party was not building the MMD and that he should leave even before the convention was held in April this year.

"As MMD national youth chairperson, I challenge him to relinquish power and also he must surrender party property which came his way by virtue of being president of the party," he said.

Mr Muteteka is vying for the party presidency along with Kasempa MP, Kabinga Pande; Lunte MP, Felix Mutati; Situmbeko Musoktwane, parliamentarian for Liuwa Constituency and former Zambian high commissioner to Canada, Nevers Mumba.

When contacted for a comment, Mr Banda’s administrative secretary Mikatazo Wakumelo referred all queries on party matters to MMD national secretary, Richard Kachingwe.

But Major Kachingwe refused to grant an interview over the phone and efforts to meet him by Press time, proved futile.

Mr Muteteka said Mr Banda had failed to sustain the MMD and failed to fight corruption during the three years he served as Republican president.

He said the former Republican president had failed to unite the party and ignored the legacy left by late president Levy Mwanawasa.

Mr Muteteka said as soon as Mr Banda had relinquished the presidency, the party should start reorganising itself and avoid another disaster like the Msanzala by-election defeat.

"The party must be seen to be organised as it has just come out of power and has formidable structures on the ground throughout the country," he said.

Mr Mutetaka urged other party members to be candid and courageous enough to admit that the party’s purpose of unity was not fulfilled simply because of individuals with personal and selfish interests.

He said it was detrimental for the party leadership positions from branch to national executive committee (NEC) to be held by questionable leaders who backtrack on the party’s unity of purpose and principles of democracy.

"It is important that all party positions at all levels of the party are held by persons with inspiring abilities and credible character," he said.

Times of Zambia