Crisis engulfs MMD as members move against plans by party president, Mumba, to hold extraordinary convention

Two members of the former ruling party, the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD), have petitioned the Lusaka High Court to block party president, Nevers Mumba, and national secretary, Elizabeth Chitika, from convening an extraordinary convention.

In an ex-parte summons for an interim injunction filed on June 11, 2025, Frank Bowa and Edith Matakala argue that the planned convention is illegal and designed to legitimise Dr Mumba’s continued stay in office beyond the constitutional term limit.

The plaintiffs claim that Dr Mumba’s tenure as MMD president expired in 2021, having served from 2012 to 2017 and again from 2017 to 2021.

They accuse him of clinging to power in violation of the MMD constitution—specifically Article 40(1), which restricts the party presidency to two five-year terms.

Court documents show that Bowa and Matakala initiated legal proceedings against Dr Mumba and Ms Chitika on March 20, 2025.

Among other reliefs, they are seeking the formation of a National Transitional Committee to manage the leadership handover process.

Despite serving the defendants with a demand letter, the plaintiffs say Mumba and Chitika proceeded to issue an official announcement of an upcoming extraordinary general meeting, with the date yet to be disclosed.

“We verily believe that the announcement by the defendants regarding the holding of the planned extraordinary meeting is a ploy to defeat the ends of justice,” the duo stated in a joint affidavit.

They argue that the move is meant to legitimise what they describe as Dr Mumba’s “illegal presidency” and to bypass the formation of a transitional leadership structure.

Bowa and Matakala further allege that Mumba and Chitika have been unlawfully organising provincial conferences while continuing to hold themselves out as MMD president and national secretary, respectively.

According to the affidavit, such meetings have already taken place in the Central, Muchinga, Northern, North-Western, and Eastern provinces.

“The defendants and their agents have no authority under the MMD constitution to conduct such activities. Unless restrained by the court, they are likely to repeat the acts complained of,” they submitted.

The plaintiffs are now seeking a court order restraining Mumba and Chitika from convening the extraordinary convention and from representing themselves as MMD president and national secretary until the matter is fully resolved.

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