UPP president Saviour Chishimba says it is strange that former party secretary general Mbaita Musendeka is bad mouthing him when she had failed to account for resources.

Yesterday, Musendeka announced that she had resigned from UPP and warned that if those who have remained in the party continued pushing her, she would spill the beans.

“We all talk about corruption, injustice but the facts that led to my resignation compels me to remember this saying ‘when you point a finger at someone, three are actually pointing at yourself and you could be three times worse’. I was disrespected in the presence of many people as I handed over the notes today and I was given no room to explain my side. when I tried, he (Chishimba) became furious and left. If it happened like that to me then surely it can happen to any other. If a leader has a stiff backbone it becomes very dangerous. A lot has been said about me but if it continues I will spill the rotten beans,” warned Musendeka.

But in an interview with News Diggers! today, Chishimba charged that Musendeka had failed to account for party resources.

“I actually find it very strange that she could issue such a statement because UPP has been surviving purely on the personal contributions of members across the country. Others come to meeting using their vehicles when there is an event, others will buy water, others will supply other things. So it’s very strange and I actually don’t know what kind of corruption [Musendeka is talking about] because it’s only recently that we have organized a fully fledged committee for fund raising who in this case also demand accountability. UPP only attempted to constitute a fund raising project ever since it was initiated in 2009 once and that was about three months ago which was placed under the treasurer general but then, to my surprise because she (Musendeka) was chairing the meetings, I found out that she had taken over the treasurer general and I only discovered a day before the braii was held when people from all the structures that came started to complain about her,” Chishimba said.

“Now when you appoint a committee, there should be hand over notes so that at the end of the day, if the braii doesn’t go ahead, people are refunded but surprisingly, she has only handed over one receipt from the time she started serving as SG. So I have instructed [Phillip] Matavu who is the current spokesperson to make sure that everything is accounted for. And you can imagine if you read what she wrote about the fundraising committee chairperson, surely how can she be a stranger when she is chairperson and she has taken two weeks just to handover the notes but she has only submitted one receipt which we shall take pictures of and share with the public,” he said.

Chishimba challenged her to report any corruption in the UPP to the Anti Corruption Commission instead of issuing threats.

“Go to the Anti-Corruption Commission and report, it’s as simple as that. All matters of corruption are reported to the Anti-Corruption Commission and those that have got such matters should go their quickly because UPP as I have said, I loathe corruption and anything that has to do with maladministration. That statement [from Musendeka] is empty and it’s very difficult to respond to an empty statement because people must learn in this country to be specific, and it’s actually an offense in the laws of Zambia to conceal corruption. When you see corruption and you conceal it, it’s an offence and that’s what all the people of Zambia must understand. Corruption is beyond the disparity of our politics in this country so if there is corruption, go to the public bodies that are appointed to handle such matters and report,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chishimba clarified that Kizito Mukuka did not resign from his position as party spokesperson but that he was demoted and replaced with someone else.

“Mr Kizito Mukuka did not resign from the party and he wasn’t fired. All we did actually were some realignments to let the chairperson in charge of public relations to be the spokesperson of the party. That’s all we did, otherwise Mr Mukuka is a still a member of the UPP,” said Chishimba.