Maravi

Hichilema is jittery over Levy-Sata deal, says Mpombo

Hichilema is jittery over Levy-Sata deal, says Mpombo
By Patson Chilemba and Lambwe Kachali
Sunday June 15, 2008 [04:00]

HAKAINDE Hichilema is jittery over the reconciliation between Sata and President Levy Mwanawasa because it will swallow him politically," defence minister George Mpombo has said. And chief government spokesperson Mike Mulongoti said Hichilema's negative statement against President Mwanawasa and Sata's reconciliation was misguided.

Commenting on UPND leader Hichilema's statement in apparent reference to PF leader Michael Sata that he had been compromised by government after his evacuation to South Africa for medical treatment, Mpombo said the reconciliation between President Mwanawasa and Sata had left Hichilema in a desperate situation.
Mpombo said it was complete nonsense for Hichilema to suggest that Sata had been compromised.

He said both politically and intellectually, Hichilema was no match to Sata.
"Those allegations are completely hogwash and should be dismissed with the overwhelming contempt they deserve. I think Mr. Hichilema is jittery over the issue that this reconciliation will swallow him politically. He finds himself in a weak position. It seems everyone was depending on Sata to fire shots. Mr. Hichilema cannot stand in the shoes of Sata. Sata has got the aggressiveness which Hichilema doesn't have," Mpombo said. "You see, in politics the mistake Hichilema has is that there is no ordination but him he has been ordained. He must understand the circumstances under which he came into politics."

Mpombo said it was sad that Hichilema was practising double standards by going after Sata when he was the same person who advocated issue-based politics as opposed to personal ones.

He advised Hichilema to practise what he preached.
"I would call him a bundle of political contradictions. On one side he says issue-based politics but on the other hand demonstrating petty politics based on cheap pride," Mpombo said.
He said the reconciliation between President Mwanawasa and Sata was not circumstantial as Hichilema alleged.

Mpombo said people reconciled because they had differed in the past.
"That argument Hichilema's is intellectually severely wounded. You can't say I was insulted and you want to sustain that kind of situation. It shows very little understanding of human nature," said Mpombo. "President Mwanawasa is not stopping Mr. Sata to speak, what he is saying is 'let's put issues on the table and discuss'."
And Mulongoti said government had an obligation to help its citizens recover from their illness.

Mulongoti said Hichilema's political and negative statement was unacceptable because Sata's life was in danger at the time the government evacuated him to South Africa.
He said Sata was not the only person who had undergone specialized treatment abroad under government sponsorship.

Mulongoti said Hichilema should understand that someone's life was more important than the politics.
"Illness is a complicated issue and the government has an obligation to its citizens. When a citizen is affected by any illness or is in a condition that requires specialist treatment, whatever the state does to that person is because of the obligation it has with citizens. If government refused to evacuate Mr. Sata and something bad happened to him, was Mr. Hichilema going to be happy?" Mulongoti asked. "So the issue of compromise does not arise because there is a duty that we owe to each other."
He said Hichilema should not make political capital on Sata's illness as well as his reconciliation with President Mwanawasa.

Mulongoti said Hichilema's statement questioned the country's moto of 'One Zambia One Nation'.

"For Hichilema to begin to see something wrong questions with the relationship that the government has with its citizens, the state and its citizens co-exist. So I don't see anything wrong about helping Mr Sata. If the state does not help the citizens who are affected, who is going to do it?" Mulongoti asked.
He said Hichilema should not scare other citizens who might need government's help in future.

Mulongoti said government had not compromised Sata because he was free to criticize whenever it was necessary.
He said Sata should not be mocked because the decision for him to be evacuated came from medical doctors.

He said it was sad that Hichilema could not appreciate government's efforts in ensuring that every Zambia who required specialist attention was assisted.
Mulongoti said there were many Zambians in South Africa who were receiving medical attention under government sponsorship.

"The medical authorities at UTH have a committee and it's the committee that looks into cases that require specialist treatment and be flown out. All what HH needs to do is to go to South Africa and see how many ordinary Zambian citizens are under government's sponsorship. There are a lot of citizens who are there. HH's statement is wrong. It was not a question of compromising Mr Sata but to serve his life as a Zambian citizen," said Mulongoti. "So to begin to see faults in the leadership is extremely unfair.

The medical authorities in Zambia told Mr Sata that he needed to be evacuated because his case was a complicated matter. If Hichilema's statements persist, we will be tying the hands of the medical authorities on how they should render recommendations to persons who needed specialist attention. We need to respect the procedure of the medical authorities over the issue. There is no selection in giving specialist medical helps."

On Friday during a Radio Phoenix 'Let the People Talk Programme, Hichilema said some people that had been flown to South Africa for medical treatment by the government had been compromised.

Hichilema said specialist treatment abroad was given to people selectively and those who received it ended up being compromised.

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 3:10 AM