Police hunt for Muhabi

POLICE have summoned former MMD national secretary Muhabi Lungu for illegally holding a national executive committee (NEC) meeting.
Lusaka Province commissioner of police Charity Katanga said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that police advised Mr Lungu not to go ahead with the meeting due to security concerns but he disregarded the advice.
She said police summoned Mr Lungu to report to the police as convenor of the meeting which was held on Saturday.
Mrs Katanga said Mr Lungu ignored police advice and went ahead with the meeting at two named lodges but the meetings were later stopped.
She said cadres later went to the MMD secretariat where they almost clashed, but that police quickly intervened.
“We received notification on MMD headed paper [letterhead] asking the police for protection during a meeting for fear of violence under the name of Muhabi Lungu as the party national secretary.
“We later received another letter on an MMD headed paper [letterhead] from another national secretary, Mwansa Mbulakulima, urging the police not to allow the meeting to go ahead,” Mrs Katanga said.
“Police advised Mr Lungu not to go ahead with the planned meeting for security concerns,’’ she said.
Mrs Katanga said police want to caution Mr Lungu for going ahead with the meeting.
Mr Lungu said in an interview yesterday that he will avail himself to the police today at 09:00 hours.
“I am not ready to spend the weekend in police custody. I am not on the run though. But the police sound as if they want to arrest me,” he said.
Mr Lungu said he is fully aware of what he was doing and that he is prepared to face the consequences.
“It is not right for the police to deny me the right to hold a meeting. Mr Pande had obtained an injunction restraining MMD party president Nevers Mumba and Mwansa Mbulakulima [national secretary] from interfering with our meeting which was held at my house,’’ he said.
But Mr Mbulakulima said in an interview yesterday that the “rebellious” MMD NEC members remain expelled.
Reacting to former MMD national chairperson Kabinga Pande, who declared all suspensions null and void, Mr Mbulakulima insisted that the members remain expelled.
“Those are last kicks of a dying horse,” he said.
Mr Mbulakulima said that the expelled members of the party campaigned for the United Party for National Development and Patriotic Front at a critical hour when the party needed them.
He said actions of the expelled members are in the public domain and that it is a notorious fact that they deserted the party when they were needed most.
And Mr Mbulakulima said the expelled members have no right to dictate to the party when the national convention should be held.
He said the 30-day ultimatum given to the party is not valid and should be disregarded by all party members.
Mr Mbulakulima said the party’s NEC is conducting elections starting from the grassroots which will culminate into a national convention.

Zambia Daily Mail