There would be a vacuum in PF without me - Sata
There would be a vacuum in PF without me - SataBy Patson Chilemba
Saturday July 19, 2008 [04:00]
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday said there would be a leadership vacuum in the party without him. In an interview, Sata said the illness of President Levy Mwanawasa had exposed the leadership vacuum in the MMD and that PF was no exception.
“PF is no exception. Any other organisation is no exception. But it is up to people of Zambia...leaders through these organisations. If today Hichilema Hakainde was not in UPND, Tilyenji Kaunda in UNIP and all other leaders....or if Mr Sata was not in PF. People should not rely on Sata as a voice of the voiceless. People in PF should speak for the voiceless," Sata said.
"Everybody in PF should not be scared of going to prison for speaking the truth and should not look for greener pastures like NCC National Constitutional Conference.
"When asked what he was doing to ensure that there was no leadership vacuum without him in his party, Sata responded: "You can take a horse to a river but you can't force it to drink water."
Sata said the vacuum in the MMD could apply to other organisations. Sata said just like in other organisations, PF members should be aggressive and sacrificial enough to assume higher offices such as the presidency of the party.
Sata said true leaders should mould themselves and not wait to be moulded.
"So you find in every field, anything trusted upon you which you have not worked for becomes very difficult. I have told my colleagues, first of all, they must know why they are leaders whether in the Parliament or outside Parliament," Sata said.
"When I started talking to Levy, people were saying the voice has gone. Where are the other voices? Why can't they fill the vacuum? Let them be aggressive."
Sata said the PF and the nation in general would not be the same if leaders learnt to be selfless and sacrificed enough. He urged party members of parliament to do more for the nation than what they were currently doing. He said if PF parliamentarians were as aggressive as member of parliament for Munali, Mumbi Phiri, checks and balances could be much more effective.
"Some people are more educated than Mumbi Phiri but she is very aggressive. She is always with the people. People of Munali have no shortage of representation," Sata said.
"Because it's not a question of if you are representing a rural constituency to go in a boma and stay in a guest house and say 'I have been to a constituency'. Go and see, what type of water do your people drink?"
On UPND president Hichilema's statement that he was an opportunist following his proposal that President Mwanawasa be subjected to a medical board examination to ascertain his fitness to remain Republican President, Sata said he was honest when he urged government to either allow doctors attending to President Mwanawasa to brief the nation or set up a medical board to ascertain his health.
Sata said people were speculating over the President's condition.
He said Hichilema had misunderstood the whole issue.
Sata said he loved President Mwanawasa more than Hichilema and his wish was for the President to return home safely.
He said the problem with Hichilema was that he was petty and had little understanding of politics.
"When we are trying to teach Hichilema governance, but the boy is twisting the story like as if he is privatising Zambezi Sun," he said.
Sata also said MMD national secretary, Katele Kalumba, should be given a benefit of doubt because he was innocent until proven guilty.
"You can't judge him. He is innocent until proved guilty," said Sata.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, LEADERSHIP, PF, POLITICS, PRESIDENCY, SATA, UPND
posted by MrK @ 3:58 AM
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