The Operation Save MMD says the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) has no association whatsoever with the new political party launched by Dr. Nevers Mumba at the NASDEC Sports Complex in Lusaka today.
The party says it was established with the sole purpose of protecting, restoring, and returning the MMD to its rightful place in Zambia’s political history — as the movement that delivered democracy and national transformation.
“Today marks a significant turning point and the beginning of better days for our party.
“It is important to note that Dr. Mumba’s constitutional ten-year tenure as MMD President expired in 2022. Any continued claim to that office beyond this period has been unconstitutional and illegal. What took place at NASDEC was therefore not an MMD convention, but rather the launch of a new political party which he has named the New Nation Party (NNP).
“The NASDEC gathering, which resembled a coronation rather than a convention, saw Dr. Mumba declared a “Life President,” fulfilling a long-held ambition that could never materialize within the democratic traditions and principles of the MMD.
“While we wish Dr. Mumba well in his new political journey, it must be clearly stated that he is no longer a member of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy. This is not the first time an individual has broken away from our great party, and it will not be the last.
“Dr. Mumba’s pronouncement that the MMD has rebranded into his new party is the joke of the century. These claims are false, deceptive, and deliberately misleading.
“This is also not the first time he has formed a political party. In 1998, he founded the National Christian Coalition, which he later dissolved when he joined the MMD in 2002 and was appointed Republican Vice President by then President Dr. Levy Mwanawasa.
“After his dismissal and expulsion from the MMD, he went on to form the Reform Party, which again he dissolved before returning to lead the MMD. We will not be surprised if, in due course, he dissolves this new party after aligning himself with a ruling party once again.
“Dr. Mumba, as a former MMD President, has no authority to rename, rebrand, or repurpose the MMD. What he has done is simply launch a new political party while attempting to mislead his funders and the public into believing he commands MMD structures—when, in truth, he merely hired a crowd.
“Let it be known: the MMD is not a “ka temba” political formation, but a respected national institution — a party that introduced democracy, changed the course of this nation, and produced three Republican Presidents. That proud legacy cannot and will never be erased by one individual in the name of Dr. Nevers Mumba.
“We therefore call upon all genuine MMD members across the country to remain calm and celebrate this moment of liberation. Like the children of Israel, the hard-hearted Pharaoh who kept our party in bondage has finally let us go. Today marks the first day of our journey to the promised land of renewal and restoration.
“In the coming days, Operation Save MMD will convene a national consultative meeting to outline the roadmap toward a genuine and inclusive MMD Convention, where every member’s voice will be heard and our great party will be restored to its former glory,” he said the party.