Minister reveals secret meetings over Levy's illness

Minister reveals secret meetings over Levy's illness
By Kelvin Tembo
Monday August 18, 2008 [04:00]

NORTHERN Province minister Lameck Chibombamilimo has revealed that some government leaders are holding ‘dark corner’ meetings where they are openly making disparaging remarks about President Mwanawasa’s illness. And Chibombamilimo described as hypocritical and shameless statements that the just approved salaries for ministers, MPs and other constitutional offices were immoral.

In a press statement yesterday, Chibombamilimo accused some government leaders of giving grim pictures about President Mwanawasa’s illness.

“An unfortunate spirit has also found its way among senior leaders who have continued to give grim pictures of the condition of the President while holding dark corner meetings where they are openly making disparaging remarks about the President, claiming that they are the ones in charge,” Chibombalimo stated.

Chibombamilimo stated that these leaders had become extremely arrogant, especially that some of them had pending matters they needed to provide answers on to President Mwanawasa.

He said the same leaders have now seen President Mwanawasa’s illness as an escape route and an opportunity to gather their political fortunes and realign their allegiances for the sole purpose of political survival and continuity.

Chibombamilimo stated that such behaviour had the potential to destabilise tranquility in the nation. He warned that these shameful adventures would soon become matters for public knowledge.

And Chibombamilimo said the comments by Patriotic Front president Michael Sata and UPND president Hakainde Hichilema were hypocritical and shameless because the two leaders had both undertaken public functions before and were paid for their work.

He asked Hichilema to justify the fees he collected from RAMCOZ at a great expense to many families in Luanshya who he now claims to speak for.

Chibombamilimo said as a result of monies accumulated from such public works, Hichilema could today afford to leave his profession and pretend to dedicate the rest of his life to serving the Zambian people.

He said Sata had worked most of his life in political offices and knew how costly it was to carry out functions in political offices.

Chibombamilimo said both Sata and Hichilema were sufficiently knowledgeable regarding operations of the government and therefore could not stand up and say what they were saying.

He said it was a deliberate ploy intended to constantly talk about President Mwanawasa’s condition in an uncaring and insensitive way for Sata to turn the matter of salary increments into a political agenda and ask that it awaits the President’s return.

“This is extremely cheap and highly immoral,” Chibombamilimo said. “How could individuals of Sata’s social standing in society be so desperate for power that they are prepared to trample even on a patients bed as long as that route leads to the seat of power.

They have been joined by people like Dr Francis Manda who has seen in the President’s illness an opportunity to revive his ailing and fragile attempts at a political career.”