Southern Province MMD chairman Vincent Mulobela has told the Lusaka High Court that if Nevers Mumba is allowed to continue as party leader, there will be no MMD in the future.

The defence witness further said the election of Mumba as party president in 2012 was the biggest mistake the party has ever made.

This is the matter in which Winnie Zaloumis, in her capacity as MMD acting National Secretary for the Mumba-led MMD faction, has sued Mutati, Mwansa Mbulakulima, Raphael Nakacinda and George Kangwa in the Lusaka High Court, challenging the legality of the convention that was held in Kabwe that elected Mutati and others into office.

The defence opened its testimony in July and various witnesses have testified.

When the matter came up for continued defence before High Court judge Sharon Newa, Wednesday, Mulobela, a defence witness, told the court that the convention which ushered in Mutati and the team in 2016 was legal because according to the MMD constitution, the party was due to hold a convention in that year.

“It is shocking to hear that such well-organised convention was illegal because that is the legal thing to do. During that convention, it was a time to make all amendments, corrections and elect leaders,” Mulobela said.

He claimed that since Mumba was elected as president in 2012 to 2015, the party begun to crumble as the former started chasing people he found in the party for simply speaking the truth.

“When we elected Dr Mumba in 2012, we thought he was a man of God who would lead us using the word of God and unite the party but no, he is the biggest mistake we have ever made as a party. We have lost out as a party because our leaders were chased by Dr Mumba fora simply speaking the truth,” Mulobela said.

He said according to his observation as a member of the MMD since inception, there was lack of leadership during Mumba’s term.

Mulobela added that Mumba was only elected to finish the term for former party president Rupiah Banda who had just resigned after losing the 2011 general elections.

“If the party in such a short time can be torn apart, there will be no MMD tomorrow if Dr Mumba is allowed to continue leading. He claims that his mandate was supposed to end in 2017, this is 2019, his term then ended two years ago,” the witness charged.

He further told the court that Southern Province, in particular, had petitioned the National Executive Committee (NEC) to hold a convention in 2016 and not 2017 as demanded by Mumba.

Mulobela said if Mumba wanted to lead the party again, he was free to challenge Mutati at the next party Convention next year.

Trial continues.