MOOMBA Member of Parliament (MP) Vitalis Mooya has challenged Matantala rural integrated enterprise (M-RIDE) founder Mark Chona to come out in the open and state what the purpose of the organization was because there were indications that it was being used as a political launch pad for a number of people.
Mr Mooya said in an interview during the week that Mr Chona who is former Taskforce on Corruption executive chairperson, should come out in the open and state whether it was t true that the organization was being used to prop up some people close to him for political positions.
Mr Moomba said that indications on the ground were that Mr. Chona wanted to use the Matantala to prop up some relatives and friends for political positions.
“I am challenging him to state whether Matantala is not being used as a political launch pad for himself, his close relatives or indeed for a political party for his friends. He should tell the nation whether Matantala is not being used to prop up some people politically.” he said.
Mr Mooya said as the area MP for the constituency in which most of the activities were being undertaken by Matantala and where meetings were held with political pronouncements, he was concerned about the operations of Matantala.
He cited the recent political pronouncement by economist Chibamba Kanyama at a workshop at Kasaka in Moomba constituency that Tongas would not produce a president unless they see opportunities in networking with others.
The parliamentarian said the statement, which was published in the September 25 2010 edition of the Post Newspapers was very political and challenged Mr Kanyama to state whether he was misquoted or not.
“Many Tongas like myself were injured,” he said.
Mr Mooya said even if Mr Chona had said he was not involved in politics given the issues raised during Matantala functions it was difficult to believe and it was the reason why he should come out in the open and tell the nation the true position.
He, however, stated that as area MP he was not scared of whoever the project might come up with because he was close to the electorate who would have the final say.
And Commenting on the assertion by Mr Chona on radio Phoenix’s “Let the people talk’ program on Tuesday that his organization had done a lot in the three chiefdoms in which it operates in Mazabuka and Monze, Mr Mooya said the organization was merely supplementing government efforts.
He said that the government had put in place various development projects in the country aimed at meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) saying even if there were no Matantala in the three chiefdoms, the projects could have been undertaken by the government.
Mr Mooya also scoffed at Mr Chona’s assertions that Matantala had managed to significantly bring down poverty levels in the area saying that one organization could not manage to do that.
Matantala operates in Chiefs Chona and Mwanza in Monze as well as in Chief Hanjalika in Mazabuka.
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Mr. Mooya is the second person to carpet the operations of Matantala Development association in recent months.
In June, chief Chona of Monze announced that he would ban all activities of the association next year if Mr Chona failed to meet him to explain the organisation’s operations.
Chief Chona who had called on donors that support Matantala to thoroughly audit the operations of the organization said Mr Chona was operating illegally in the area because he had sidelined chief who was supposed to be a co-signatory to the contract for the organization to work in the chiefdom.
The traditional ruler accused Mr Chona of refusing to recognize his authority by dealing directly with some of the village headpersons in the area.
The chief said he had been waiting for Mr Chona to sit down with him and explain why Matantala operates in secrecy since 2007 and he had now, therefore, run out of patience hence the ultimatum which ends in December 2010.
He said Mr. Chona was leaving a lot of room for all sorts of speculation because of the secrecy with which he was operating the Matantala.
Mr Mooya said he did not want to come in and air his observations then as he thought the two should resolve their differences saying, however, that he had been keenly watching the operations of Matantala and thought it was now time to speak out.
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