FORMER vice-president Enoch Kavindele has joined the race to contest the MMD presidency at the former ruling party’s forthcoming extra-ordinary convention.
Mr Kavindele, who served as party president before losing it to late Levy Mwanawasa prior to the 2006 general elections, is said to be favoured by many members because of his continued loyalty despite being frustrated in the past.
However, the sources revealed that the decision by Mr Kavindele had caused panic among some members who are supporting other candidates.
The sources said there is fear among some members that the extra-ordinary convention, whose date is yet to be announced, could cause more problems for the former ruling party as members elect the new president.
Four party parliamentarians, who include Felix Mutati for Lunte, Situmbeko Musokotwane (Liuwa), Kabinga Pande (Kasempa) and the suspended Moses Muteteka for Chisamba Constituency as well as former Zambian ambassador to Canada Nevers Mumba have already expressed interest in the party’s highest office.
“If we are not careful, we can experience what happened in 2001 where interested members in the presidency will form their party or decide just not to support whoever will be elected,” said the source.
When contacted, Mr Kavindele said he was still consulting before coming up with a concrete decision on whether or not he would contest the presidency of the MMD.
“I am not ruling myself out but I am still consulting and once I make a decision, I will announce,” said Mr Kavindele, who recently pledged K60 million towards the holding of the party convention.
“I must say, however, that although it is difficult to say now, I have received many members who have asked me to go for the party presidency and I am giving it a thought.”
Mr Kavindele said the leadership problem that the MMD was currently facing was self-inflicted after the party scrapped off the vice-president position prior to 2006 elections.
He said he had always advised that the party should have the position of the vice-president and hoped that the coming extra-ordinary party convention would consider his position.
“I thought it was a mistake to abolish that position. The party has suffered because it has no vice-president and I have always said that this is not good for the party, we need such a position, especially in situations like this one,” he said.
Mr Kavindele said he hoped that the delegates to the convention would be able to elect a leader who would be responsible enough and take the MMD to greater heights following the defeat in the 2011 polls.
He said following the loss to the Patriotic Front (PF) in the September elections, the MMD needed to have a leader who would be able to revitalise the party and remain competitive.
The opposition MMD has been locked into sustained trouble since losing last year’s elections as many senior members, including those eyeing the party presidency face probe over corruption allegations levelled against them.
While Mr Muteteka remains suspended for alleged insubordination, party spokesperson, Dora Siliya was recently reprimanded for accusing Mr Mutati of causing the defeat because of his globe-trotting at the expense of the campaigns.
[Times of Zambia]
the king of zambia in politics
YES!!! This gives nevers mumba very little chances of winning. i would rather have ek for president than mumba. Tiye EK.
Nevers is not scared of Kavindele
Politicians, when do these zed old guys ever have enough? Do they have a monopoly of knowledge and wisdom?
Kavindele will never learn after all the failures he has been thru , he is just a spoirer
Try it again EK. You were the first to challenge KK in 1990 at UNIP convention. Out of all the candidates you are the most experienced candidate. You may carry the day.
experience in what? what is what has caused problems in zambia today thinking that you get someone with experience for presidency. you have now created more problems in the name of of someone with experience
What experience?
Which convention? Which MMD? Have you found money to hold a convention? Pay for registration first.
He donated 60 mil towards the convention. How about RB??
here is another old f@#^&!! that have messed our country big time. people who cannot tell when the chips are down. you should stop politics and concetrate on your rail line dream and the failed vodacom nonsense. infact, why dont you help solve this barotse land issue since you were in unip and know something about it instead trying and failing all the time.
in unip there is no problem of barotse,bt king cobra brt the problem.kavindela you are inoset come out of unip with your clean hand so you are well cme back as pr.
Mr. Kavindele is best advised to stay away from the political arena. He squandered his chances in the UNIP era, tried his luck under the MMD era but was soundly rejected by the people. His attempt to aspire for MMD’s Presidency is merely causing confusion when people are focussing on Kabinga Pande and Dr. Musokotwane. Dr. Mumba as a Bemba must give support to a man from Western or Noeth-western province. The appointment of Dr. Musokotwane to MMD leadership and hopefully Republican Presidency, will instil stability in Zambia and re-assure the peoples of Western Province that they too matter to the meaningful development of all parts of this country. Kavindele must provide driving oil to support peaceful programmes. Let Kavindele pick up a leaf from Ramapotsa to run big businesses.
NOT AGAIN ! This old lizard is always showing up when elections are near. malabishi
Are elections near? I thought we still have 5.5 years to go. Do you something I don’t know?
Zambians allowed themselves to be tricked by people into a volatile future the tricksters themselves would not even be there to see. That provision in the constitution that allows only people of sound health to aspire for office was inserted to protect the interests of state, nothing else! Kunda, like Sata, has been dying for years right before our very own eyes but was ironically allowed to run for parliament. As for Sata, Levy evacuated him to Morningside after his 2nd heart attack & the government became privy to the his coctail of incurable ailements but for reasons only known to Sakala, Kunda & Banda, they allowed such a sick man to run, and win. With problems of BA64 etc mounting, it’s most likely that Sata will this year kick the bucket, in office. This is treason, not BA64.
this man is a coward. he will let you down when you least expect it. history never lies. learn form the past.
All of these candidates are toxic: some have a penchant for boasting, one a cavalier lifestyle,while another has grotesque economic ideas, & others still possess permanent stains on their persona.
SITUMBEKO IS THE MAN TO LEAD ZAMBIA – THE MAN TOGETHER WITH MAGANDE HELPED LEVI TO TURN AROUND THE ECONOMY.
#10,find something better to do.musokotwane cant be a president anywhere.the chap according to wikileaks cables released was extremly quiet in key donor meetings.no one can entrust ths country to that hopeles learned man.as for kavindele concentrate on your busines.u cnt be trying since 1990!take heed
Kavindele, just enjoy whatever money you have left. We now wwant someone who was born in Zambia and not Northern Rhodesia. Twanaka naimwe nomba, enough with the relics already!
No Situmbeko, no EK, no Pande, no Nevers, no nonsense. We want fresh blood. We’re going for Elias Chipimo next time around, unless MMD or PF give us a more youthful and dynamic alternatives to these old inconsistent crooks. MMD is definitely headed for the archives.
What’s up with these power hungry leaders? They are suppose to pave they way for us, we were the future when they were in government and 20 years down the line they still say we are the future! It’s time we stop recyclin please people of zambia, start voting for real change and fresh ideas.
The problem in Zambia is that there are few educated young people courageous enough to stand up be ready to serve their country. This has allowed these old finished and recycled politicians to want to continue in politics as if they were immortal. The answer is to have a a party with a powerful and educated youth league where leaders of tomorrow are groomed not a bunch of kaponya youths calling themselves youth wings. Which political party in Zambia has a promising youth wing? None! Party organisers take heed!
This one also,even James Bond movies are now outdated.
Is this an April fools Joke or what?
Eish we are in for the old old chaps once again. I started hearing about this Kavindle thing when I was in Grade 2 and the guy is still in Politics now and I am very old myself so one wonders when these selfish chaps will ever give up. Where are the young ones kanshi we need you now these old madalas have run out of ideas. I am talking about all the parties; including UPND dont think HH is young – NO. The guy may look young to some of you but he is very old and archaic in thinking. We need new blood. I end here!
you are well come back kavindele,you are the only man out from unip with clean hand, the barutse problem is not yours is for king cobra icisoka cikalamba.
this man kanvindele kips a lion he cnt lead human beings
Let kavindele retire. We are tired of old folks, who cant change anything. Look at SAta; aftet putting him in office, he has now developed cold feets to development
Finally a president from another region
17 Liato, yes I can confirm that it is an April fool’s joke. Nice one eh?
EK, is completely out of synch with reality.He is a businessman and not a politician. He was just a pony VEEP. So stop dreaming EK.
Why is it that everyone contesting an election will say that people have asked me to stand or people approached me if i can represent them but end up losing?
What a country? from RB to Sata and to EK!!!!! All of them from UNIP and MMD
Sadly as long as there is vacuum up there, and the younger ones are not stepping up to political leadership positions and not opting to stone throwing and foot soldering our Grand Dads and Dads will always take up those positions…we can only have ourselves to blame frankly. And this is a country which has majority of its voters who are youth.
When are Children the Future of the Nation? Bafikala bonse nelyomukotele mulefwayafye ukukanga amatole Ku state House.
UKUKANGA INTOYO Ku State House, Chikala you blocked my language.
If the negative thingz VJ haz been associated with can be ignored or indeed “deleted”, the man standz out az the best candidate for the MMD and Zambia. Az one of Zambia’z most accomplished buzinessmen and a shrewed one for that matter, EK iz not much politics for the prezidency.
EK another old fashioned chap from unip wants to be in office awee sure UNIP still runs Zambia if you dont know………. just recycling same old materials… its like tax rebates the same company coming with a diferent name every 5years… Zambians will never learn
M.M.D honestly d,u trust this man?so called kavindele,who cn go 2 anextent of losing a parliamentary seat?2 become a party president? this is the end of M.M.D.
Educated young Zambians are to blame for not being active in the country’s politics, hence the domince by old citizens and uneducated thugs. Young people in Zambia had better turn the leaf otherwise Zambian politics remain in the hands of senior citizens and kaponyas from the so called party youth leagues.
He has fathered too many children outsite marriage. He pregnated two of his secretaries( Justina & Charity) when he was running Woodgate Holdings. He also father two more children with two different women. If he goes to State House, he will become a wife grabber like Chiluba.
If you have never listen to Situmbeko talk, you should! He sounds like an *****… It is embarassing to all Zambians.
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