Dr Nevers Mumba says the Felix Mutati-led MMD faction must stop going round the country organising conferences and card renewal exercises until the courts determine the legitimate leader of the former ruling party.

And in an interview with News Diggers, Dr Mumba who is both former Vice-President of Zambia and High Commissioner to Canada, said he is not bitter with former President Rupiah Banda for recognising the Works and Supply Minister as the true leader of the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD).

“The question is what is their rush? What are they scared of? Is it the court case? And we agree with the police that there is no need for them to create another crisis on top of another. The truth of the matter is that Felix Mutati is not the president of MMD. It’s just that we do not want to create a crisis, so we are going to allow the arms of the State in this case the police to make judgment,” Mumba said.

He charged that Mutati and his team were exhibiting strange desperation.

“Listen, there is desperation going on with our colleagues and I fully understand their desperation. They know that they are illegitimate and they may want to make themselves legitimate by having events in the name of MMD in districts where the police have not been adequately informed. But we are not aware that the police across the country have been informed that that group cannot have meetings anywhere in the country until the case is disposed off. And we agree with the police and we think that they are doing the right thing in terms of avoiding violence and extra judicial processes of solving problems. Because if police don’t do their part then our membership in those Provinces can rise up against that group and injure each other or even kill each other.” he said.

“However, I am not surprised that they are having this meeting because there is a desperation. [Look] there is a court case which is coming next month… so our advice to our colleagues is that let them be at peace and let the courts address themselves to this matter and in two weeks from now, they are going to know the correct position. So we can just ask them to relax, trust in God and that way, we are able to create peace amongst ourselves.”

Asked if he was unhappy with former President Rupiah Banda for recognising Mutati as MMD president, Mumba said the former Head of State was at liberty to publicly endorse anyone he chose.

“Anybody can recognise anyone. There are very good people who have recognised capable leaders depending on their personal interest and I think President Banda has his own interests, those interests dictate who he supports. But I am not bitter against him, I am not upset. If I was bitter against the former president you would have seen it by now. President Banda is my elder brother and he’s a former president of our party and of our country so I have to give him that respect. But as for his political decisions, he’s just like any other Zambian who can decide to recognise anybody depending on his personal interest. But that does not affect me, what affects me is the truth and the truth is about to come out,” said Dr Mumba.