Unanimous decision to have Kabimba removed from office

PATRIOTIC Front secretary general Wynter Kabimba’s future in the party appeared bleak yesterday when all the 10 party provincial heads unanimously endorsed a decision to have him removed from office for allegedly failing the party.
The 10 provincial officials have also endorsed President Sata as the sole PF candidate in the 2016 general elections.
The officials presented their petition to members of the central committee (MCC) after deliberating the whole morning following a decision to put a halt to public demonstrations that commenced on Tuesday.
MCC members Willie Nsanda and Samuel Mukupa, who were flanked by Lusaka deputy mayor Mulenga Sata, provincial chairlady Margaret Mumba and Lusaka district chairman Robert Chikwelete among the senior party officials, received the petition, which also effectively means that Mr Kabimba has been given a vote of no confidence.
Lusaka Province chairman Horace Longwe said the party in the province has resolved that Mr Kabimba leaves the position of secretary general because he was stubborn and had failed to connect with party structures and the grassroots which do the actual voting.
Mr Longwe accused Mr Kabimba of allegedly being preoccupied with presidential ambitions, even when Mr Sata already occupies office, instead of organising the party, and also that the party secretary general has been threatening to ‘discipline’ anyone that stands in the way of his presidential ambitions.
“Mr Kabimba must pack and go; he has failed the party and does not recognise elected party officials. He does not know how to conduct party mobilisation and the loss of four by-elections is enough evidence that we have a fake party secretary general,” said Eastern Province PF provincial secretary William Phiri.
He accused Mr Kabimba of forming parallel structures in Eastern Province, a move that has brought confusion in the district.
Northern Province district information and publicity secretary Jackson Simutende said they have passed a vote of no confidence in Mr Kabimba because he was a tribalist.
He said “the PF is bigger than Mr Kabimba. We have worked hard for the party and cannot allow an individual to bring confusion in the party. We are also proposing Mr Sata as sole candidate for the 2016 elections and if we had an option, we would love him to go even in 2021”.
Other provinces present at the consultative meeting were Muchinga, Luapula, Western, North-Western and Southern.
The consultative meeting held at Lusaka’s Nakatindi Hall yesterday ran under the theme ‘Sata for 2016; nafuti, nafuti’.
And Mr Nsanda commended the provincial officials for the peaceful manner they conducted the consultative meeting and promised to take their petition to the MCC.
He said tribalism would not be tolerated in the party, which was founded on the power to the people.
“We are focused on development and will not allow few individuals to hijack the party which they worked for. Let’s remain united and wait for the feedback from the President,” he said.
Mr Nsanda also urged PF members to reject newspapers that promote tribalism because their party looks beyond tribe.
Mr Mukupa urged PF members countrywide to safeguard the party at all costs.
He said “our only certificate we have as party officials is Mr Sata, who has dedicated his life to working for the Zambian people. Let’s stop hiding in the name of tribalism”.
And another MCC, Mandevu member of Parliament Jean Kapata, has demanded that Mr Kabimba be disciplined for his careless tribal remarks.
In her letter to PF deputy secretary-general Bridget Atanga, dated September 27, 2013, Ms Kapata stated that The Post newspapers published two articles ‘A clique of tribal elements is financing PF cadres’and ‘Hon. Chishimba Is part of the tribal clique’ on September 25 and 26 , 2013, attributed to Mr Kabimba.
She also said Mr Kabimba issued another statement to the Daily Nation titled ‘PF is the most indisciplined party in the history of Zambia’.
She said Mr Kabimba’s utterances had brought the party into disrepute and goes against Article 15(g) of the party constitution. She emphasised that it is also an offence under Article 29 (H) for a member to give false information or engage in rumours which tend to injure the reputation of the party or its officials.