Maravi

I'll meet the Lozis on the battlefield - Sata

I'll meet the Lozis on the battlefield - Sata
By Patson Chilemba
Sunday June 17, 2007 [04:00]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata has said he is grateful that some prominent people from Western Province have chosen to campaign on ethnic lines and has vowed that his party would meet them on the battlefield. And Sata has said the country has lost much more on revenue from Railway Systems of Zambia (RSZ) than it did under Zambia Railways.

Commenting on the resolution by a group of some prominent personalities from the Western Province that it was time for a Lozi person to become Republican President, Sata said the PF would meet them in the field.

“We will meet them in the field. They are right to do that. I am grateful that people from the Barotseland have started campaigning on ethnic lines,” he said.

Sata said people should concentrate on politics of policies as opposed to tribal politics. He said the resolution by Westerners was purely tribal, which should not be tolerated.

“Tribalism is only tribalism when it comes from others, people tolerate it. It’s only people in Luapula and Northern Province who believe in absorbing others. People accepted Dr Kaunda even though he did not come from Luapula. If what the Westerners are saying would have come from Northern Province, people would have been dancing by now, saying that was tribalism,” Sata said.

“As PF we are across board, we don’t need to rely on tribal sections. What we need is policies, not tribal sentiments.”

According to the minutes of the Western Province consultative meeting held on March 4, 2007, the chairman Siyoto Kunyanda stated that the meeting was convened to discuss among other things unity amongst people of Western Province and a roadmap for the identification of a credible candidate with the capacity to mobilise resources to float for the position of president of MMD and ultimately Republican president.

The participants during the deliberations agreed that there was need to cultivate unity amongst the people of Western Province so that they could work together and support each other.

They resolved that having supported Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba and President Levy Mwanawasa, “it was now opportune for a president from Western Province.”
Among the people that attended the meeting were Kunyanda (chairman), Michael Mabenga, W. Lisulo, A.C Luhila, M. Kaingu, labour deputy minister Austin Liato, education minister Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa, M. Kaingu, Charles Milupi, M. Mwangala, Richard Mwapela, H.L Imasiku, D.N Mbangu, L. Mwiyakui, F.N Mulonda, C.A Mulonda, S. Simwinji, M. Likukela and M. Akakandelwa.

Others were N.B.K Mutti, Dr M.W Lewanika, M. Wakumelo, M. Zaloumis, J. Songolo, F. Libona, F. Luhila, G. Mununka, S. Mukwalikuli, S.M Kalaluka, Lioko Mbaimbai and M. Mutukwa.

Meanwhile, Sata said RSZ had failed the people of Zambia.
He said there was nothing tangible that RSZ had brought to the railway transport industry in the country.
“They only came here to dismantle what Zambia Railways left. Now they are satisfied. When Zambia Railways was being run by the late Anderson Mazoka, it was providing services and now it is not,” Sata said.

“How much tax have we lost from Railway Systems? We have lost employment. Zimbabwe is still using the same railways. How have we failed?”

Sata said if it came to advertising bids for the sale of RSZ, the process should be as transparent as possible. He said it was unfortunate that Zambia had become a haven for briefcase investors.

“You brought Chinese to run Mulungushi Textiles in Kabwe and they have run away and you are not saying anything. Chinese reaped and went,” he said.

Sata charged that some investors were ‘economic hit-men’, who come to ruin the country.

He further said the people of Zambia could not trust the MMD government to renegotiate the mining agreements.

“This government is not in a position to renegotiate because their hands are dirty, their hands are not free. They can’t renegotiate because their hands are tied,” Sata said.

Last week at the World Economic Forum in South Africa, President Levy Mwanawasa said the government had asked RSZ to give back the company to the government so that it could be given to another company that could run it better.

Labels: PF, SATA, TRIBALISM

posted by MrK @ 5:09 AM