Chadema ejects prominent duo

Dar es Salaam. The Chadema Central Committee has stripped of their party membership former CC member Kitila Mkumbo and its erstwhile Arusha regional chairman Samson Mwigamba.

The decision came after a two-day Chadema CC meeting held in Dar es Salaam to discuss Dr Mkumbo and Mwigamba’s defences against allegations of plotting to wreck the party.

The two, along with Kigoma North MP Mr Zitto Kabwe, were stripped of their leadership positions in the country’s leading opposition party earlier last month after they were accused of involvement in an alleged plot to change the Chadema leadership hierarchy dubbed “Victory Strategy 2013”.

Addressing a packed press conference, which was delayed for over three hours, Chadema secretary general Willibrod Slaa said the CC reached the decision to strip Dr Mkumbo and Mr Mwigamba of their party membership following their “weak defences against eleven charges facing them.”

Dr Slaa, who was flanked by Chadema lawyer and members of the party’s secretariat noted that of the two, only Dr Mkumbo submitted his defence in writing and in person, while Mr Mwigamba submitted his only in writing.

According to the party boss, the CC didn’t discuss Mr Kabwe’s defence because of a High Court order that restrained the party’s supreme body from discussing him. Mr Kabwe, through his lawyer Albert Msando wanted any action on him barred until his appeal against the decision to strip him of his positions is heard.

 “Only Dr Mkumbo appeared before the CC and defended himself but we weren’t satisfied by his arguments,” said Dr Slaa.

According to him, the disgraced official refuted all charges levelled against him although he acknowledged that he, alongside Mr Mwigamba, were the authors of the controversial document.

Dr Slaa said during the meeting, Dr Mkumbo failed to prove some of the allegations that his camp has been levelling against chairman Freeman Mbowe and other top party officials, including embezzlement of funds.

“Dr Mkumbo and company have been claiming that Mr Mbowe has been embezzling party funds but we showed him bank statements and other financial reports which proved otherwise,” said he.

Dr Slaa said the document didn’t only intend to make Mr Kabwe the party chairman; it also aimed at killing the party by desecrating Chadema leaders so that the party loses its appeal in the eyes of the voters.

Reached for comment, Dr Mkumbo said he won’t appeal against the decision as he is contemplating his political career while for his part, Mr Mwigamba said he wasn’t surprised by decision because “I saw it coming.”