Maravi

Teta accuses Chiluba of funding PF

Teta accuses Chiluba of funding PF
By Sandra Mulowa and Brighton Phiri
Wednesday December 12, 2007 [03:00]

MMD spokesperson Ben Tetamashimba has charged that former president Frederick Chiluba is funding the Patriotic Front (PF). But both Chiluba and the PF have dismissed Tetamashimba’s allegations as baseless. Tetamashimba said Chiluba was spending money on his campaigns for PF. “Chiluba went to Ndola and I saw him with my own eyes and heard him with my own ears at Ndola’s Masala station and was saying ‘nkoloko yalala, don’t vote for MMD, vote for PF’,” said Tetamashimba when asked to clarify his statement.

“If someone is spending money and campaigning for PF, isn’t that bankrolling?”
Tetamashimba wondered why Chiluba had not told PF president Michael Sata not to allow his members of parliament to choose whether to go and represent the people at the National Constitutional Conference or not if he believed in freedom of speech and association.

He said that nobody dared speak against Chiluba when he was in power.
Tetamashimba said that Chiluba wanted to appeal to other tribalists for his personal fight against President Mwanawasa and Dr Kenneth Kaunda.

He said that it was clear that Dr Kaunda suffered humiliation not worth mention under Chiluba’s administration.

He asked Chiluba to leave out Dr Kaunda’s names in his debates.
“Who doesn’t know how president Kaunda was a destitute after ruling Zambia peacefully for such a long time? Who doesn’t know that president Kaunda was even searched for books allegedly stolen from State House when there was none? The whole world was searched to get money allegedly stolen by president Kaunda and there was none. The time to leave president Kaunda to concentrate on working for Zambia as a torch bearer is now,” he said.

Tetamashimba said that the issues of Dr Kaunda’s sons Colonel Panji and Kaweche benefiting from his administration were issues that Chiluba should be telling the court during his plunder cases than create another court outside the courts of law.

“He should not take the attention from him to the Kaunda family,” Tetamashimba said.
“The statement by president Chiluba will soon be about chiefs who might have been given vehicles and money. Surely it will be unfair for president Chiluba who willingly gave vehicles to chiefs like Mr Xavier Chungu did to Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata to accuse these chiefs of having benefited from his dealings. President Chiluba should simply defend himself in the courts of law than bring issues outside when the opportunity about plunder is before the courts.”

Tetamashimba said Chiluba should not incite Zambians against President Mwanawasa’s government.

Tetamashimba also said that Chiluba’s government demolished Kansanshi Mines together with the mine hospital and the school, leaving over 2,000 school going children stranded.

“Our advice to president Chiluba is to humble himself and what he is. The second Republican president who will thank Zambians for paying his medical fees and not praising Mr Michael Sata when he comes from South Africa,” Tetamashimba said.
Chiluba’s spokeperson Emmanuel Mwamba dismissed Tetamashimba’s accusation as unfounded and careless.

“Tetamashimba’s allegations are unfounded. We want to advise opportunists like Tetamashimba to concentrate on issues that build their party and the country,” Mwamba said. “Tetamashimba is well known for raising weird accusations. Most of his statements are careless and always attempt to divert the country’s attention from serious issues.”
He said Chiluba was not ready to respond to Tetamashimba’s unproductive debates.
“Dr Chiluba will only respond to issues of national importance,” he said.

PF vice-president Guy Scott said it was not true that Chiluba was funding his party.
“I wish it were true because I know no person who is funding our party. As far as I know, the only people who are funding PF are the members of parliament,” he said.

Labels: BENNY TETAMASHIMBA, CHILUBA, PF

posted by MrK @ 7:03 AM