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That there are sacred cows in UDF is no secret. The once people’s party has no shortage of clowns and mad men who can rant and rave, and churn out any amount of obscenity, in contravention of the party’s discipline, protocol and decor, but no one will touch them. Not even raise an eye brow against them.
But let some people like Omar Bagus and Elias Wakuda Kamanga issue a statement in the newspaper supporting the prosecution of people suspected of having been involved in corruption, the party instantly summons them for disciplinary hearing at the next NEC.
But that is what UDF is known for, any way. So we will not waste our precious resources on that.
The issue I want us to discuss is the misconception that some people are beginning to take as gospel truth, namely, that there are people in UDF who can defy the party chairman and go away with it. No, this is not true.
When Dumbo Lemani says Bakili Muluzi will not stop him from pursuing the cause of his Fast Track group, does anyone really believe that? I for one do not and won’t because I believe that is child’s talk.
Just to fill you in, Lemani was quoted by the two dailies on Tuesday as saying Muluzi summoned him and told him to shut up and slow down in reacting to President Bingu wa Mutharika’s style of leadership. The papers said Lemani has said he will defy the chairman’s orders and continue to speak out because he is a human being, has feelings, and emotions and feels the Bingu administration is abusing him by associating him with corruption.
And then he goes on to say that he was one of the people who strongly stood by Muluzi’s choice of Bingu as presidential candidate against a barrage of opposition from within the cabinet. In short, Bingu is not supposed to touch him or people who campaigned for him, or anyone in UDF regardless of whether or not they committed crimes. Nonsense! But that is beside the point.
The message I want to put across is that no one in UDF speaks or goes against Atcheya and then life goes on for him or her. Remember how the third term issue and later the appointment of Bingu as presidential candidate caused storms in the party. Those cabinet ministers who had the cheek to raise an eyebrow, do or say anything uncomplimentary to the party’s sole sponsor, saw the wrath of Muluzi’s anger to them. Aleke Banda, Harry Thomson, Jan Jaap Sonke, Peter Kaleso and Moses Dossi became sour grapes immediately they demonstrated to Atcheya they could not be reduced to mere boot-lickers.
Others that Muluzi and UDF gurus, in general, treated with the saw the same highhandedness are former vice president Justin Malewezi and all those who stood as independents after failing primaries or falling out with UDF during the May elections.
Lemani cannot, therefore, be an exception to the rule. He would have already felt the full weight and spite of his party’s sponsor if he were stepping on his toes with his ranting.
So, rather than think Lemani has the audacity to defy his boss, I would say the two are sailing in the same boat.
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