Maravi

HH

HH phoned me over pact - Teta
By George Chellah
Friday February 09, 2007 [02:00]

MMD spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba yesterday revealed that he had discussions with UPND president Hakainde Hichilema and his secretary general Tiens Kahenya. But Hichilema, who could neither deny nor confirm Tetamashimba's revelations, said it was immaterial whether or not anybody had spoken to Tetamashimba 20 times or more. He insisted that as far as UPND was concerned, there was no pact between them and MMD Reacting to UPND vice-president Richard Kapita's challenge to him to disclose names of the top UPND leaders that approached him over their intentions to enter into a pact with MMD, Tetamashimba advised Kapita just to keep quiet.



"First of all the challenge from Kapita is unfortunate in that there has always been confrontation between politicians from my province and myself. I challenge Kapita to ask his own president Hakainde Hichilema whether he has not rang me on more than two occasions... I mean him ringing me and not me ringing him. I have a lot of respect for HH and I feel he is a good and genuine young man. So what we discussed is not for public consumption. Let Kapita ask his president that, let him find out from his president what we discussed," Tetamashimba said. "I also challenge Kapita to ask his own secretary general whether he had not discussed with me on how there must be unity of purpose in this country. What we discussed with HH I will never reveal because I have respect for him. Let Kapita ask his members of parliament who were quoted in The Post (Emmanuel Hachipuka and Raphael Muyanda) whether they never had a discussion with me. Kapita should keep quiet. His stance makes him to be a person who should be in a party like Patriotic Front (PF) and not a party like UPND that is led by a decent young man like HH."

Tetamashimba last week revealed that he had discussions with top UPND leaders concerning possibilities of working together but they had asked UPND to put their proposals in writing before anything could be agreed upon. He was commenting on The Post's revelation that at least 10 UPND members of parliament were pushing for a pact with MMD. He said he had discussed this matter with more senior UPND members than the two members of parliament that were quoted in The Post. It was this statement that compelled Kapita to challenge Tetamashimba to disclose the names of those top UPND leaders he met.

And Tetamashimba yesterday described the unfolding events in UPND as unfortunate. "What is happening in UPND is very unfortunate especially that we have leaders in the party who want to portray lies to people when they were doing something different. A similar thing happened when the late Anderson Mazoka, Saki, myself, Muyanda and the late Wamulume discussed and agreed that the late Mazoka should serve President Mwanawasa and wanted an appointment from President Mwanawasa," Tetamashimba said. "It is these same people including Kapita who misled the late Mazoka and at the end Mazoka didn't have that agreement with MMD.

The late Wamulume even went to an extent of asking General Shikapwasha and Michael Mabenga to deny the statement. HH is a good gentleman with a clean vision in respect of unity of purpose and to develop his own country. And he is a person who could be one of the leaders in future because he is still a young man." Tetamashimba said as things stood, UPND alone had no capacity to form government.

"HH's leadership just like Mr Sata whose parties are embroiled in tribal sentiments will never make him (Hichilema) a leader of this country. People like Kapita have blind loyalty and will never give good advice to a person," Tetamashimba said. "Kapita himself is a reject. He lost an election. Therefore, HH has nobody in North-Western Province who can make people support him to win an election," he said.

But Hichilema yesterday said he did not want to waste time discussing the matter. "No George, I will not discuss this matter with you. You heard our position on this matter so I don't want to waste time with you...this is wasting time. I have already stated my position. I don't even know what mileage you George wants to get from this. Why do you want fights, acrimony and squabbles?" he said. Hichilema said he met his members of parliament twice and that matter was discussed and resolved. "We discussed this matter with Muyanda and Hachipuka so may be, let me ask you why you want to keep this issue?" he asked.

But when reminded about the need for him to clear his name over Tetamashimba's disclosure, Hichilema angrily responded: "I don't have to clear myself to anybody whether it's you George or The Post. Ultimately what matters is the party's position or the policy. We have reached consensus. I told people to talk to anybody because we are not fighting anybody here. If anybody has spoken to Tetamashimba 20 times it doesn't matter. They know the party's position. I will not gag my National Management Committee (NMC) members, they speak to anybody. "I will speak to anybody whether Mr Sata or anybody. I will also speak to you that's why I don't refuse to speak to you. I will talk to anybody whether MMD, PF or anybody. You may wish to know that I am talking to many people. Some of my members are married to people from different parties so can't they talk?"

Hichilema said nobody would have a pact without the members' position. "Yes, Sata thinks he controls everybody in this country. But to me, Sata is not a factor," Hichilema said. "We will tolerate Zambians and all the tribes because no tribe is superior to the other...even with this language thing. I know what's happening, someone wants to make Sata feel that he is the only one in opposition because we have entered into a pact with MMD. But that will not work. I will respect Zambians regardless of their tribe. I have said that before."

And when contacted, Kapita who initially challenged Tetamashimba to disclose the names of top UPND leaders who approached him, responded: "He has told you from his own mouth. I am not aware of that myself so perhaps what you can do is ask president Hichilema because he told us that he has not had any contacts with Tetamashimba. In fact, we were in a meeting yesterday (Wednesday) and it was hot. The president and Mr Kahenya have not told us so it's only fair that you call the president and ask him."

He warned that Tetamashimba's days in politics were numbered. "We will see what will happen in 2011, things change. Tetamashimba used to call himself Teta Mazoka, he was claiming to be too close to Mr. Mazoka but the moment he realised we were not going to form government what happened?" Kapita asked. "He is now a minister since he wanted to be one so let him just leave UPND alone.

Tetamashimba is the last person to speak about UPND. He knows that his days are numbered."
And Kahenya said it would be unfair for him to give a statement over the matter. "I will be very honest with you. I would not want to make further comments because I was not here when the MPs were giving a press conference. I was out of the country. So I have not been privy to some of the information that has been flying around. It would be very unfair for me to give a concrete comment on that," he said.

Meanwhile, Siavonga UPND member of parliament Douglas Syakalima who spoke on behalf the members of parliament during a press briefing at which they denied the issue of the pact with MMD, said he had worked with Tetamashimba before and knew how mischievous he could be sometimes. "This mischief is only to Tetamashimba's benefit. Teta is our colleague, we can talk but not to the extent of making a deal. I have always advised Teta to tame his tongue and I am advising him again to do that because he may think he is harming UPND when he is actually harming MMD dangerously," Syakalima said.

"Even if we wanted to make a deal, nobody can use Teta. We know that many of our people generally don't want to understand how we want to run our politics. In politics there should be civility. I can tell you that one of my elder brothers is married to Sata's niece. So can some say that he is talking to them?" Syakalima said Tetamashimba wants UPND to be seen as a non-entity. "Early this year Teta himself sent an sms to the resident (HH) greeting him saying Happy New Year and the president sent back also that Happy New Year. So if this Teta's way of entering a pact then that's mischief," said Syakalima.

Labels: UPND

posted by MrK @ 7:06 AM