Maravi

No mercy for defiant PF councillors, warns Sata

No mercy for defiant PF councillors, warns Sata
By George Chellah
Wednesday February 14, 2007 [02:00]

THERE will be no mercy for all PF councillors who welcomed Chinese President Hu Jintao at the airport during his visit to Zambia, Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata declared yesterday. And Sata said President Levy Mwanawasa was tired and it was unlikely that he would manage to go for another four years in office.

Addressing journalists on arrival from London via South Africa at Lusaka International Airport yesterday, Sata said he would be receiving a report over the PF councillors that went to welcome President Hu at the airport. "Some indisciplined councillors were doing our civic duty. They were saying civic duty, what civic duty? What came first? Is it PF or civic duties? The choice is yours, choose now. Levy is tired, he won't go on for another four years. This country needs to be liberated, we are in the struggle," Sata said. "So people with one leg in comfort and the other leg in the struggle will have to go. This is a struggle and I will only go with people who are willing to go with me in the struggle."

He cautioned PF leaders not to attempt to defend short-term interests. "We have a larger portion to defend... we have to defend our people from poverty, people need employment. Those of you with double-dealings... members of parliament or councillors, we know you. And I am afraid if you don't behave like PF then it's too late," Sata said. "There will be no mercy or forgiving for all those people because the more we forgive you, the more potholes we are creating for the party. These people if they want comfort then I am afraid they can go," Sata declared. "If they want to work with Sylvia Masebo (local government minister) they can go. If the mayor wants to go, I have a deputy mayor and if the deputy mayor goes, I have councillors."

He said President Mwanawasa would be flushed out of MMD the same way he did to former president Frederick Chiluba. "Whoever will be elected MMD president will flush Levy out. Levy didn't want Chiluba to be MMD president, the same will happen to Levy," Sata said. Sata thanked the PF leadership for managing the affairs of the party so well in his absence. "People have been saying PF is Sata and Sata is PF. Without Sata there will no PF but I was not here but they behaved extremely well. They had some potholes in Parliament and councils but you maintained the party," Sata said. "You have done extremely well. So you should continue to work hard. This country used to be prominent but it’s no longer what it used to be. We must bring our country where it used to be."

Meanwhile, scores of PF cadres thronged the Lusaka International Airport car park waiting for their leader's arrival. The cadres who were singing and chanting PF slogans were prevented from entering the airport grounds like their MMD colleagues. As a result, they were only confined outside the airport grounds. When Sata arrived, his members of parliament led by Lusaka mayor Susan Nakazwe lined up like government ministers to greet him.

Immediately he finished greeting them, Sata was whisked away to the VIP lounge where he held a press briefing. But before he addressed journalists, Sata took time to individually greet his councillors.

Labels: LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MMD, PF, SATA

posted by MrK @ 8:45 PM