Maravi

PF MPs defend Chiluba's corruption

PF MPs defend Chiluba's corruption
By Noel Sichalwe
Tuesday June 26, 2007 [04:00]

SOME Patriotic Front (PF) members of parliament have defended Chiluba’s corruption and instead accused The Post of pushing a personal agenda against the former president. Addressing the press at Kapingila House in Lusaka on Sunday, spokesperson for the named members of parliament Saviour Chishimba said it was sad that some people were now called 'stinking' and 'monkeys'.

Chishimba who is Kasama Central PF member of parliament was speaking in the presence of PF members of parliament Davies Mwila (Chipili), Jacob Chongo (Mwense), Albert Kanyanyamina (Kanchibiya), Reverend Sampa Bredt (Chawama) and Mumbi Phiri (Munali).

Chishimba also claimed to have been speaking on behalf of other members of parliament who were not present and named them as Peter Machungwa (Luapula), Besa Chimbaka (Bahati), Joseph Kasongo (Bangweulu), Mwenya Musenge (Nkana), Yamfwa Mukanga (Kantanshi) among others.

He also claimed to have been speaking on behalf of 51 businessmen and church leaders.
Notable among the church leaders was Reverend Edith Mutale and Bishop Stephen Mwale.

The meeting was attended by scores of people some of whom were wearing PF T-shirts.
The group would occasionally chant slogans like: "Abash M'membe...Abash The Post..."
"We are compelled to issue a statement following the morally and culturally inadmissible Post newspaper editorial of Tuesday June 19, 2007, which referred to the remarks made by His Royal Highness the Mwata of the Lunda people of Luapula Province," Chishimba said.

"The inordinate innuendos by Mr. M'membe through The Post have now triggered our resolve to fight injustices tooth and nail until justice, fair play and respect for one another as tenets of Zambia's social order are realised."
Chishimba said part XIII of the Zambian Constitution authoritatively established the institution of chiefs.

He said Article 127 (1) provided that: "subject to the provision of this constitution, the institution of chief shall exist in any area of Zambia in accordance with the culture, customs and traditions or wishes and aspirations of the people to whom it applies."
He said Mwata Kazembe was the 'father of his subjects' and supreme custodian of the culture of his people.

He said The Post should not involve Mwata Kazembe in its agenda against Chiluba.
"In our local language we say, imfumu ni mfula iloka ponse (which literary means that a chief is like rain which falls anywhere)," Chishimba said.

"Therefore, culture demands that he speaks for all upon taking notice of any injustices in the systems within the chiefdom and wherever his subjects may be. The second Republican president of Zambia Dr. F.J.T. Chiluba is the subject of His Royal Highness like any other person of the soil."

"It is therefore, non-arguable that it was upon a reasonable inference that there is unfairness in the manner in which Dr. Chiluba, his subject is being handled by the state that High Royal Highness, in accordance with tradition is called upon naturally to expose all elements indicative of injustice."

Chishimba said some of the substantive factors that constituted the inference drawn in persecuting Chiluba included the fact that his immunity was removed without following due parliamentary procedures.

He said parliamentary procedure indicated that the House could not debate a person who was not part of the assembly.

He said in the event that a person being discussed was not in Parliament, that person was supposed to be afforded an opportunity to be heard.

Chishimba said Chiluba was not afforded the opportunity to be heard and that all the alleged transgressions were only heard from one side with unparalleled impudence.
He said the removal of Chiluba's immunity was a manipulative arrangement by President Mwanawasa and legitimatised by Post editor Fred M'membe through The Post.
"We emphasise here today that in the absence of the right to be heard right from the onset, the removal of immunity was not only barbarous but also naked retaliation by the desperate and weak," he said.

He said The Post has been carrying innumerable stories suggesting that Chiluba was already guilty in the alleged transgressions contrary to Article 18(2) of the Constitution that presumed anyone innocent until proven guilty.

Chishimba said President Mwanawasa and M'membe through The Post have already found Chiluba guilty and have been calling him plunderer instead of suspected plunderer.
He said according to the 'jungle laws' which were specifically and specially manufactured for Chiluba by President Mwanawasa's administration and legitimatised by The Post, Chiluba did not deserve to be heard because he was a lesser human being.
"It is common knowledge in this country that The Post editor Mr. M'membe has been trying to discredit, denigrate and bring into disrepute Dr. Chiluba for many years now," Chishimba said.

"His pathological hatred for the former president is even shown by the fact that in his paper, he refers to him as a nobody by addressing him not as former president, Dr. Chiluba or even Mr. Chiluba but he just calls him Chiluba. In any society, this is unacceptable."

Chishimba said there was a situation supported by President Mwanawasa's government and spearheaded by The Post where civil proceedings took precedence to make the Zambian people conclude and believe that Chiluba was guilty before criminal cases were determined by the courts.

He said M'membe through The Post was behaving like the alpha and omega in Zambia and that whatever he said must silence everybody through insulting others in editorials.
He said the London High Court judgment against Chiluba and others was not only prejudicial but also injurious to the sovereignty of the nation.

"To embrace and kiss the imperialist's inference in our internal affairs is the worst insult of the century by President Mwanawasa and Mr. M'membe of The Post," Chishimba said.
"Stooges who swore to defend and protect the Constitution of Zambia now masquerading as leaders in government and imperialists preach against corruption and yet they are the most corrupt and evil on earth."

He said it was insulting and an abomination to the freedom fighters for the current leadership to connive with imperialists who were driven out of the land by blood and iron to return and persecute a bona fide citizen.

"Cursed is the day when judge Smith set his foot on our soil upon which the freedom fighters' blood was shed at the hands of colonial Britons," Chishimba said.

"Kapwepwe (Simon Mwansa) and Nkumbula (Harry Mwaanga) among others, rise now, come back and fight for us. Zambia is totally lost, not only direction but also dignity."
Chishimba said they had lined up activities to defend Chiluba and prevent The Post from attacking Chiluba.

Labels: CHILUBA, PF, SATA

posted by MrK @ 3:34 AM