Maravi

Party members free to aspire for PF presidency, says Sata

Party members free to aspire for PF presidency, says Sata
By Patson Chilemba and Lambwe Kachali
Wednesday August 06, 2008 [04:00]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday said he is not scared of facing anybody for the PF presidency because he does not own the party. And Sata said once salary and allowance increments are endorsed by Parliament, Cabinet ministers would 'wax' in K2.5 billion while their deputies would be entitled to K2 billion as gratuity.

Commenting on Kasama Central PF member of parliament Saviour Chishimba's statement that he was ready to challenge him for the party presidency at the forthcoming conference, Sata said the 2007 PF central committee resolution was clear that party members were free to aspire for any position including the presidency.

"In fact, it was me who brought up that resolution before the central committee that those who had intentions could aspire. I don't own PF and I am not scared of facing anybody. They should just be ready to face 6,500 people delegates," he said.

However, Sata said it was wishful thinking right now for Chishimba to claim that he would contest the presidency because he had not yet applied to the party secretary general Edward Mumbi.

He said Chishimba had not been to the party secretariat since last November.

"Chishimba is just a publicity seeker and I don't think he has even read that resolution,” Sata said. "So we will know how serious he is when he hands over the letter to the SG secretary general."

On Chishimba's statement that God would prevail over Sata and ensure that party members sitting on the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) were allowed to attend the conference, Sata said the central committee resolution did not include God.

On Chishimba's statement that he was ready to mobilise funds for the conference in 30 days, Sata said PF had a lot of well wishers and did not rely on the money from the 'rebels'.

"If Chishimba thinks we don't have money, those are his speculations. This boy Chishimba is sometimes confused because if he can withdraw a mere K300,000 monthly contribution, where is he going to mobilise the money for the conference? We don't need his money," he said. "The problem with this boy is that he always over praises himself."
And Sata said the timing by Cabinet to approve the salary and allowance increments for constitutional office holders and senior government officials was wrong.

Sata urged Zambians to campaign for 100 per cent salary and allowance increments for civil servants

"Up to now regarding the President we have not gotten any clear signs from the same government. They seem to have abandoned the President, now they are more concentrating on their salary increments.

They have abandoned the illness of the President, they are no longer talking about stability and anything else. Their pre-occupation right now is their pockets and their handbags," Sata said. "They know that if they implement this, come March next year ministers will be waxing in K2.5 billion gratuity from Parliament. Deputy ministers will be waxing K2 billion and these gong'a ( counterfeit) MPs K1.5 billion.

That's all they are fighting for because they know that if they don't implement this, they are only going to survive with a gratuity of K600 million. That's how greedy they are."

Sata said with the abnormal increments by Cabinet, civil servants should not accept 15 per cent salary increments because this was too little as compared to the same percentage increment for Cabinet ministers.

"What we need right now is for all the public service unions, they should ignore (Leonard) Hikaumba, Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president. Hikaumba is waxing in fats at NCC.

They should now also ask for a 100 percent salary increment, housing allowance, all allowances. They must ask now because government has money," said Sata. "By the time the President comes back, Zambia will be as bankrupt as NAMBOARD was when former president Frederick Chiluba took over Zambia."

Labels: PF, SATA

posted by MrK @ 4:40 AM