By Staff Reporter
The UPND is tearing itself up in Eastern Province, with information indicating that provincial chairperson Johabie Mtonga and Andrew Banda are said to be wrestling for power and influence against provincial permanent secretary Paul Thole and President Hakainde Hichilema’s political advisor Levy Ngoma on the other side.
But provincial chairperson Mtonga said it is natural to have squabbles here and there, but that could not be counted as divisions.
Andrew simply described the information as rubbish.
Well placed sources in UPND have told Daily Revelation that there is disunity in the provincial leadership which is risking further growth of the party in the province and in the process giving an opening to the opposition to gain and consolidate those gains.
“There is serious disunity here. Details are that the one who was the former provincial chairperson Thole, who was defeated by Johabie and is now the permanent secretary is on one side with Levy Ngoma. Andrew is said to be on one side with Johabie,” sources said. “The issue is that most district commissioners are said to be on the side of Thole, including some provincial leaders in the Johabie led provincial executive. What is happening is that because Thole was defeated by Johabi, those aligned with Johabi are complaining of being sidelined by the PS.”
Sources said one of the flash points in the fierce wrestle saw the DC candidate for Katete who was said to be favoured by Mtonga and Andrew, Judith Dumase, being overlooked for Malani Zimba who was favoured by Thole.
Dumase is the UPND provincial vice-chairlady.
Contacted for comment, Mtonga said he was sick at the time of the call and would not say much, but said that “the division is not there”, but added that “every public administration you cannot be loved by all the people, but the truth of the matter is that we are working very well.”
“Of course there could be squabbles here and there. It’s nature. It’s always there. It’s like a home. In a home with your wife when you quarrel it does not mean that marriage has not break. No! There is no division between me, either Mr Thole or Levy Ngoma no. It’s not like that. There are things that we can at least if he says something which me I disagree with him, I will tell him to say no, I disagree with him. Even him also, if he sees fit that I am going astray he is there to advise me,” Mtonga said. “And I think for people to say there is division in Eastern Province, myself and Andrew Banda and Mr Thole and Levy Ngoma, no that is not there.”
He said Thole called him recently when there was a problem at the provincial administration to sit together in addressing some matter, saying if there were “those squabbles I don’t think so that Mr Thole should have called me, our PS I can say in short.”
Mtonga said the permanent secretary always called him on matters concerning politics, together with the provincial minister Peter Phiri, who is also his vice-chairperson for administration at party level.
“So yes squabbles could be there but they are not that of that serious nature,” Mtonga said.
Asked on information that the person he and Andrew backed for district commissioner in Katete was overlooked in favour of the Thole favoured Zimba, Mtonga said: “Aaaaaah! On appointments you know my brother, all appointments come from the President through cabinet office. So for me to say, I can have someone just like even yourself, you can have someone to say I want him to be there. But people will have to sit down look at that.”
He said appointments came from God, and that appointments should not bring divisions in a province.
And Andrew described the information as rubbish, saying there was no truth in the matter.
Asked that information indicates that the squabbles are allowing the opposition parties like Socialist Party (SP) to grow, Andrew said: “Uhmmm! Uhmmm! Ati SP!!!”
