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UDF MPs are contemplating to remove Mwanza Central legislator Davis Katsonga as the party’s Chief Whip in Parliament over his decision to fire 20 colleagues from various committees of the House.
Leader of UDF MPs in Parliament Leonard Mangulama said on Thursday almost all the MPs in the party have communicated with him expressing their anger with Katsonga and have agreed to remove him as Chief Whip.
According to Mangulama, the MPs excluding cabinet ministers, are still bitter with Katsonga’s decision to dismiss some of the MPs from various Committees of the House although his decision was reversed by Leader of the House Yusuf Mwawa.
“The MPs are extremely unhappy with him and his administration. Anybody who tampers with the welfare of the MPs is not our friend. How can he wake up and say he has fired people? He has proved to be a bad leader,” he said.
Mangulama said the MPs will meet soon to cast a vote over the issue before they start strategising on how to go about it although almost every members is for the idea of removing him.
“I don’t think there is anyone who wants him,” he said.
Asked for his personal opinion, Mangulama said: “I don’t think he is the right Whip. It’s the views of almost everybody. I am also not happy with him”.
Katsonga could not be drawn to comment on the issue because he said he only reacts on something that has been presented to him officially and not through the press.
Mwawa overruled Katsonga’s decision to dismiss the 20 UDF parliamentarians from their respective committees of the House, arguing that he does not have such powers.
He said it is only the Business Committee of the House which has the power to change membership in committees after consultations with the leadership of various parties represented in the National Assembly.
A day after the decision to fire the 20 MPs was made some two weeks ago, Mangulama gave Katsonga a seven-day ultimatum to reinstate the MPs or risk unspecified action.
But Katsonga challenged Mangulama to touch base with him instead of visiting newspaper newsrooms, claiming the MPs were removed for trying to sabotage the budget.
UDF deputy publicity secretary Mary Kaphwereza Banda said it was not fair to fire any MP from a parliamentary committee on “unknown reasons” and that the issue has to be discussed between government and the party.
But she couldn’t be reached on Thursday to comment on the threat by the MPs to remove Katsonga but the party’s spokesperson Salule Masangwi said the party has not met to decide on Katsonga’s position as Chief Whip.
Leader of the House in Parliament Yusuf Mwawa said the choice and removal of leadership in Parliament is a government business in consultation with political parties “in this case UDF”.
Mwawa said the MPs can remove someone on his position like Chief Whip by writing to the President and the party and by way of voting “which is more powerful than any appointment”.
But Mwawa said Katsonga is the right person to handle the issue at hand since his job as Chief Whip is to look after the welfare of the MPs.
“He has a problem with the MPs, how does he work?” questioned Mwawa.
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