Maravi

Sata gets marching orders in Chipata

Sata gets marching orders in Chipata
By Chibaula Silwamba and Christopher Miti in Chipata
Tuesday August 26, 2008 [04:00]

FIRST lady Maureen Mwanawasa yesterday chased away opposition Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata from the funeral procession at Chipata Airport and warned him against politicising President Levy Mwanawasa's funeral. And thousands of people from all parts of Eastern Province thronged Chipata Airport to pay their last respects to the late President. Meanwhile, Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) president Bishop George Lungu said Zambians would carry on with the fight that President Levy Mwanawasa started before his death.

Maureen asked Sata not to politicise President Mwanawasa's death around 09:00 hours soon after she arrived at the airport, accompanying President Mwanawasa's body.

Maureen was in the tent reserved for dignitaries when Sata went there to greet her but she advised him not to politicise the funeral.
Maureen angrily said: "Mr Sata, don't politicise the funeral."
When Sata tried to explain why he was there, Maureen told him to leave immediately.

"Mr Sata just go! Go! If you can leave me, then I will respect you," said Maureen but Sata still wanted to respond.

Maureen, while waving her arms as a sign of rejection of Sata's explanation, said: "Just go Mr. Sata! If you want to talk to me maybe later after the funeral."

MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga joined in demanding that Sata leave and called in police to escort him out. But Sata asked Mabenga if the airport personnel would allow his chartered plane to take off before the guard of honour for President Mwanawasa.

Sata said he just wanted to witness the guard of honour before leaving. But Mabenga told him that he would be allowed to take off. Mabenga then called the police to lead Sata away and tasked science and technology minister Peter Daka to ensure that the police escorted Sata out of the airport. Sata argued that he was there to mourn President Mwanawasa.

After a protracted argument and pleading from late President Mwanawasa's assistant for press and public relations John Musukuma that he leave, Sata agreed to do so.
"I am here to mourn my brother. This is a funeral but since you don't want me to be here, I will go," Sata said.

Sata later told his pilot that they should leave. As police escorted Sata to his chartered aircraft, some people chanted his name.
Asked as to what had transpired, Sata claimed nothing happened and that his programme would continue.

"I came here for Levy Mwanawasa because my reconciliation was with him and not anybody else. I have not followed the body, the body found me here. I came here earlier than anybody else. I was here by 07 o'clock," Sata said. "My programme is very honourable, more honourable than that of some people. Others are using this for campaign.

I haven't come here for campaign. I came here to see a person whom I reconciled with, the reconciliation is between two people and that's me and Levy Mwanawasa and when he was at the AMECEA plenary assembly he talked about Michael Sata and himself and not with the government, not with the wife not with the family. Those are the things we would have started talking about," Sata said. "It's me Michael Sata who reconciled with Levy Mwanawasa. If the first lady wants, she should reconcile with my wife," he said.

A defiant Sata declared as he boarded the aircraft that he was heading to the next destination where the funeral procession would take place but could not give the name of the destination.

When Sata arrived at the airport long before President Mwanawasa's body arrived, Eastern Province minister Charles Shawa queried him why he was in Chipata when he had already viewed President Mwanawasa's body in Lusaka. Shawa advised Sata to instead allow the PF provincial leadership to represent him at the funeral since he had already viewed President Mwanawasa's body.

But Sata responded: "I undertook to go to Paris and both government and hospital did not see it necessary. So now I am not going to chew that money. I am going to use that money to escort my brother wherever he goes until he is put to rest. That is part of our reconciliation because only him and me know what we talked about and none of you is going to know."
But Shawa demanded that Sata disclose what he discussed with President Mwanawasa now that he is dead.

However, Sata said: "I am not even coming to your viewing. As soon as you give him the guard of honour, then I will take off."
In Lusaka, chief government spokesperson Mike Mulongoti warned political leaders against taking advantage of President Mwanawasa's death to cause confusion in the country.

Mulongoti at a press briefing said the behaviour exhibited by Sata was uncalled for and that government would not entertain it. He said Sata, being one of the most senior citizens and also a leader of the largest opposition party, should conduct himself in a respectable and dignified manner.

Mulongoti wondered why Sata flew to Chipata when he had already paid his last respects to President Mwanawasa in Lusaka.
He said it was important for political leaders participating in the forth-coming presidential elections to start their campaigns after the burial of President Mwanawasa next week.
Mulongoti urged Sata and other politicians to give the late President as much dignity as possible.

"We have information that PF president Mr. Michael Sata confronted the first lady and that the first lady reacted thereafter. But the situation was restored immediately by the officers present. I want to appeal to those who want to play politics to wait until the burial is over," said Mulongoti.

Meanwhile, Chipata mayor Sinoya Mwale said Chipata Municipal Council had planned to name President Mwanawasa a free man of Chipata on September 3, 2008. He said in March this year, the council offered a free man of the city status to President Mwanawasa and had planned to have an official ceremony on 3rd September, 2008. "Now we are saying 3rd September that is when we will be burying President Mwanawasa," said Mwale. "He has been coming to Chipata frequently but today he has come in a casket. But as my council, we will go ahead to offer him a freeman of the city as planned."

Chipata Central member of parliament Lameck Mangani said the multitudes of people that gathered to pay their last respects showed that easterners loved President Mwanawasa.

"Levy has shown that even in his death he still has the strength. People loved him. That is why people have travelled to come and pay their last respects to him," Mangani said. "This is the first province to visit, you can imagine people started coming around 04:00 hours to come to the airport. That shows the commitment and love that people had for President Mwanawasa. It's a great loss for us. People are touched."

Former Chipata Central member of parliament Matthews Mwale said towards the end of his life, President Mwanawasa had started showing direction for Zambia.

A Zambia Air Force aircraft carrying President Mwanawasa's body arrived at Chipata Airport at 08:35 hours and body viewing started at about 09:50 hours. Paramount chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province, led the mourners in paying their last respects. Several chiefs, ministers, all members of parliament from the province, the clergy and ordinary people alike viewed the body of President Mwanawasa.

Several people talked to after viewing the body, praised the late President for his vision and developmental projects in the province.
Eastern Province health director Dr Kennedy Malama said President Mwanawasa's death was sad.

A Chipata resident, Florence Nyirenda said President Mwanawasa would be greatly missed.
Fewer people viewed the body compared to the number that was on the queue, when body viewing ended at 11:30 hours.
The ZAF plane carrying President Mwanawasa's body left Chipata airport at 12:11 hours after a military procession.

And during the interdenominational prayers for the late President at Chipata's St Anne's Cathedral on Sunday, Bishop Lungu said President Mwanawasa's works were there for people to see.
"This is the time for us all to pledge that the war that President Mwanawasa had started has not yet come to an end. Therefore we are going to fight on until the last drop of our blood..." Bishop Lungu said.

Bishop Lungu urged people in the area to ensure they reconciled with the President during the time they were paying their last respects.

And Shawa asked the people to continue praying for President Mwanawasa who he said was guided by God in his work of developing Zambia.

Labels: CHIPATA, MMD, PRESIDENCY, SATA

posted by MrK @ 3:50 AM