By Staff Reporter
Saboi Imboela says the grace period she gave to Chishimba Kambwili to come back and take over the NDC presidency is shrinking, saying the chances of him coming back to take over have now shrunk from 90 percent to 20 percent.
And Imboela says the statement by Southern Province minister Cornelius Mweetwa’s that the NDC was in complete oblivion, despite serving with that party’s other faction in the UPND alliance, should send a message to those “masquerading as NDC” in the alliance that they mean little to UPND after using them to destroy their own party.
Imboela also said Zambians, as opposed to opposition political parties, were the real enemy to the ruling UPND because of the excruciating problems they are going through, saying even their own person Seer 1 has started speaking against them.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Imboela said despite there being no provision in the party constitution that the president who left the party should take over if they returned to the party, the key was that she was not power hungry.
“So for that and I think where we are right now as NDC, before I would even say, (it) depends on what time Mr Kambwili comes back. If he was to come back now, but if he comes back at a time when we have started mobilising the party you know, and the only reason if I was to step down only because I am not power hungry,” Imboela said. “So I may only step down because I am not power hungry, maybe I would want him to come back whatever it is. But where we are right that is not the position. As NDC our constitution clearly says that when a president leaves the vice-president takes over.
But asked if she would voluntarily step aside if Kambwili returned to the party, Imboela said: “Depends. It’s not as easy as that. Depends. Because I would need to ask my central committee members first and foremost. Because you should know that even the central committee of NDC is split. Central committee of NDC right now is split. It’s not automatic.”
Asked how split they were, Imboela said: “What I am talking about when I talk about it’s split, just from the onset there were people that would say even if he was to come back, right, they would not want him to be president for example. Are you getting the point? It took a person like me whereby I was always saying I am not power hungry. If he was to come back I would be okay. You get the point? But as we go on, because time is moving. Are you getting the point? Time is moving,” Imboela said. “So even person like myself, because me I have given our former president a grace period. If he came back within a certain period of time I would voluntarily step aside. But time is moving as the way we are mobilising the party on the ground, we are mobilising it as a woman led party and we are mobilising it as a youth led party.”
Imboela said time had passed, and things would not be as simple as that if Kambwili came back.
“If for example, two-three months ago I would have told you may be it was a 90 yes and 10 percent no, you get the point? But where we are right now let me say an 80 percent no and 20 percent yes. Yes that’s how it is. Even for myself now I am saying time has gone so we would need again to sit down. They say politics is about numbers right? Maybe we would consider to say if he came back from the PF, now many people is he coming with?” Saboi said. “If maybe he comes back with 80 percent of the PF membership, maybe there would sit down and say ok maybe let’s consider. But where we stand right now, as NDC we are mobilising the party as a woman led party, as a youth led party. And like we have been saying I think time has gone.
On Mweetwa’s statement that the existing parties were not a threat, saying NDC should have been as they even won by-elections when they came on the scene, Saboi said Mweetwa must ask himself why as “a seasoned politician with experience in the media” he was appointed as Southern Province minister instead of being appointed chief government spokesperson, saying that was not the case because Mweetwa speaks irrelevant things.
She said political parties did not even need to speak because the people themselves were experiencing harsh economic times, she said the UPND had failed to address.
“Look at the skyrocketing fuel prices and commodity prices. So with that now you don’t even need any political party to start standing up and talk. The hunger that the people are feeling they are going to talk. For now I can even say that even their person, Seer 1, who was really supporting them you saw even yesterday’s broadcast. He has come out and he has said a lot of things,” she said.
She said the problems which happened in NDC were a creation of the UPND, but that the party was still standing because they were strong and have structures across the country, saying they have won five court cases challenging their standing as a party and are only remaining with one case now where then NDC vice-president Josephs Akafumba challenges Kambwili to stop masquerading as NDC leader.
“Once the ruling has been done we are going to embark on a robust mobilisation programme, because if you look at the case, just that it’s the ruling party, like I have said, a ruling party which had this programme to destabilize political parties, otherwise even the matter in court is where Mr Akafumba sued Dr Kambwili that he should stop masquerading as NDC president. And both men are not even NDC anymore,” Imboela said. “The last time we went to court the judge was even saying this matter has been overtaken by events. Why are we even here? You get the point? So that matter is neither here nor there but that’s the matter they are using.”
Asked if she was serious with her position that Zambia would see a woman president in 2028, Imboela said: “Certainly! Certainly! And if you go on the ground right now people will tell you that people are tired of men.”
She said Mweetwa’s statement should send a message to those who have been “masquerading” that the UPND did not mean well.
“Because if really they had any regard for the. He wouldn’t say that…but for him to say that it shows that they don’t have any respect for them. It’s not us as real NDC that they are disrespecting, it’s the fake NDC alliance member, alliance partner of theirs that they are disrespecting at the end of the day. And these are the things that we even told them to say you don’t destroy your own party for another party,” said Imboela. “Ba UPND banakwana. That’s why it was difficult to give positions to the alliance partners. Look at even the in-house fighting which is happening in the UPND right now. Amongst themselves they are jostling for positions. It a total war in there. If you are a real politician you can not destroy your party to try and join. UPND feels like with or without them they could have still won.”
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