Africa-Press – Zambia. CLERGYMAN turned politician Dr Nevers Mumba has pushed back against the mounting public backlash for renaming the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) as New Nation Party (NNP).
Some eminent citizens and founding members of the MMD, including governance activist Brebner Changala, former Finance Minister Dr Katele Kalumba and Dr Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika have condemned Dr Mumba accusing him of handing over the former ruling party to the United Party for National Development to appease President Hakainde Hichilema.
On Friday Changala branded Dr Mumba a traitor who has failed to condemn the injustices perpetrated by the UPND against the opposition but had chosen to send the MMD into oblivion while Dr Kalumba accused the former tele-evangelist of surrendering the MMD to the UPND.
But speaking to The Mast in an interview Friday, Dr Mumba said the decision to rename the former ruling party had come from members and not him as an individual.
“From the time I took over as president I have received many calls that ‘please do not keep that name, it will never win you any election. It is exhausted, it has been mishandled by people’,” he said.
Dr Mumba said the process to change the name of MMD to NNP started in 2021 and accused those speaking against it of being frustrated.
“So, basically at the end of the day many people say many things because they are expressing frustration, anger but the truth of the matter is that the Movement for Multiparty Democracy made a decision and the decision is binding,” he said.
Dr Mumba said the constitution of the MMD did not give any legal position to people calling themselves founding fathers.
He said the concept of the MMD had always been that there would be a leadership elected by the people and that leadership took over decision-making.
“That’s the foundation upon which the MMD was established and so, we do respect Dr Kalumba and other people’s views. We do respect their concerns, but unfortunately, from a legal point of view, they cannot change the decision of the national convention because they are fully aware that by the time a resolution reaches the national convention, it has gone through many processes. For instance the change of this name,” Dr Mumba said.
He said he had received a lot of messages not to keep the name MMD because he could not win an election with it.
On Friday, Kalumba, a former MMD National Secretary, expressed happiness that Dr Mumba had finally decided to form his own political party leaving the MMD. He said the true MMD was not gone but still available.
Dr Kalumba said Dr Mumba’s intention was to deliver the MMD to the UPND.
“He decided to deliver the MMD to the UPND. I have no problem with that. As the past president of MMD, he chose that, okay? But I’m very happy that he has now decided to form his own party,” he said.
“No one can claim that MMD is gone. No. True Blue MMD is still there. And the hour is still there. He never was MMD. So, for Nevers, I am glad he has left MMD. He was the better preacher as Zambia Shall Be Saved than a politician,” Dr Kalumba said.
He said MMD would never die, urging founding member Dr Mbikusita-Lewanika to take up the leadership of the MMD in transition.
“But MMD will never die. The history of MMD in Zambia will never die. I am saying, Akashambatwa should take the leadership for now to help transition,” Dr Kalumba said.
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