By Scoop Reporter
RULING Patriotic Front (PF) cadre Thabo Kawana is now walking a tight rope as indigenous party members are demanding for his expulsion from the party for creating confusion by fighting the true PF members for personal aggrandisement.
Yesterday, Mr. Kawana petitioned Ministry of Local Government, Charles Banda, to suspend Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe from his position over alleged abuse of office and embezzlement of funds.
This comes a week after Mr. Kawana reported Mr. Kang’ombe to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over irregularities involving the shareholding of Kitwe United football club.
In a letter dated May 4, 2020, Mr. Kawana wants Mr. Kang’ombe suspended to pave way for investigations into allegations leveled against him.
But founding PF members have demanded for an immediate expulsion of Mr. Kawana from PF because he is bringing the name of the party into disrepute by fighting old members.
They accuse Mr. Kawana of being sponsored to bring confusion in the party while the party leadership is watching because he is former president Rupiah Banda’s man but that if the party does not deal with dissidents like him, they should not be surprised if they are kicked out of power in 2021.
In one of the WhatsApp groups, old members of the party yesterday openly showed grouses over the way in which Mr. Kawana is antagonising old members and wondered why the leadership is quiet.
“The only reason why Mr. Kawana is being tolerated is because he is RB’s boy. We have allowed the MMD to destroy our party because they are now the ones in charge of the PF. Mr. Kawana is from MMD. These are the same people who fought late Michael Sata day and night when we were in opposition.
“Today, the people who suffered for this party have been forgotten. They are being fought by the same people we removed from power in 2011. They even have positions and literally running the PF. The only solution to the confusion he has created in the party is to expel him,” one of the members said.
Another member wrote:
“What wrong has Mr. Kang’ombe done that he should be fought by Mr. Kawana who only came into PF yesterday? This Kawana chap is not a loyal member of the PF but an opposition. He may even be UPND and we are tolerating his nonsense. If we don’t stop this nonsense, we will cry in 2021.”
Another one wrote:
“This is indiscipline which we are tolerating as a party. What following does Kawana have that we should be talking about politics being a game of numbers? The party must expel Kawana now.”
