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Aka accuses The Post of exaggerating Rupiah's sugar campaign

Aka accuses The Post of exaggerating Rupiah's sugar campaign
By Chibaula Silwamba
Saturday September 20, 2008 [04:00]

MMD founding member Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika has accused The Post of exaggerating MMD presidential candidate Rupiah Banda's well-intentioned distribution of sugar and mealie-meal to the people of Katete district last week. And Akashambatwa-Lewanika, commonly known as Aka, said his fellow commissioners of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) were free to openly declare their preferred presidential candidate contesting the October 30 elections.

Featuring on a phone-in programme on Lusaka's Radio QFM on Thursday night, Aka said The Post was reporting in a biased manner and carried a callous viewpoint against MMD's presidential candidate, who is also Republican Vice-President.

Aka was responding to callers who wondered why Aka seemed to now be supporting or condoning corruption as an ACC commissioner. Below are some callers' questions and Aka's answers.

Konoso: Aka is a good man. He even left the Chiluba government on corruption because he hates corruption and he is an Anti Corruption Commission commissioner.

But now Mr. Aka, there was a picture of Mr Rupiah Banda distributing sugar and was telling people that vote pa nkholoko vote MMD!. You being a commissioner, Mr. Aka, are you resigning because your candidate was distributing sugar?

If it were Hakainde Hichilema distributing sugar, right now he would have been locked up or imprisoned.

Are you resigning for supporting a candidate who is distributing sugar?
Aka: I think that it is important in elections that activities that can erode the confidence of the process should be avoided.

I think the way it was portrayed erodes that confidence. I do know that actually that is part of an on-going activity by the Ministry of Community Development. But I think that it was unfortunate, it coincided with elections and it was able to be misunderstood. I think all political actors; we owe it to our country to avoid such things.

I accept the Attorney General's statement on this and on the basis of that statement I am…I have nothing to resign from. I don't have a job but on October 30, I will have a choice between at least the three people candidates to choose from.

And among those three, I have no hesitation to say that I will cast my vote for Rupiah Bwezani Banda.

On the question of Eastern Province, I happened to have been there. I think what was reported in the newspaper was an exaggeration. And this is a newspaper that has been carrying on a crusade of biased and callous view point. But I think that the people of Zambia, I have confidence in them that we are mature enough to vote for a better candidate.

Interviewer (Nabwalya Bwalya): Okay, you say what was reported in the newspaper was an exaggeration?

Aka: No. Not even an exaggeration. It was a real distortion to the point of…
Another interviewer (Mumbi Kalima): Did the Acting President start campaigning after distributing sugar?

Aka: No. Well, I don't know what campaign is. I have acknowledged that the way it was perceived coincided with that. Of course, you had a lot of people there who started shouting party slogans to which the presidential candidate responded.

But the event itself was not a party event and the event itself was not a campaign. Within the vicinity of the Vice-President was followed by a crowd of people, they were singing praise to him, they were singing MMD slogans.

Mumba (in England. QFM is broadcast on the Internet www.coppernet.zm ): I am quite disappointed with what is going on. Why don't the MMD bring on the candidate Mr Rupiah Banda himself to come and talk about his policy direction and where he wants to take the country from where Mwanawasa left?

Why are they only allowing these people to come and promote their own interests because they are looking for jobs? Mr Lewanika there can say whatever he wants, but we know all these guys are just looking for jobs and we are not interested in hearing what they are saying. What we want to hear is what the candidate himself has to say about his policy vision.

Aka: I am sure the radio station is competent on how to bring people in. But there is no resistance from MMD. And there is no resistance that I know from any other candidate. But there is total freedom for the radio station to invite and make arrangements that they have. I should also indicate regarding policy, that there are perhaps four things that we have to look at.

There are policies which are like intentions, strategies and facilitating mechanism. Then beyond that we are looking for programmes that can utilise those policies to go beyond that to have results.

A caller: You are just looking for a job…
Aka: My fight against corruption did not come with being a commissioner. I resigned from ministerial position and fight corruption. I don't think to serve your nation you need a position. I will fight corruption whether I am a commissioner or not.

Nabwalya: Let us concentrate on those who have asked that Mr Lewanika, are you a job seeker because every politician is a job seeker?

Aka: I think that Zambian jobs are there for Zambians. So I agree with the caller that there is nothing wrong with a Zambian seeking jobs. What is wrong is to steal and bribe people to get those jobs.

What is wrong is to get jobs you can't do. What is wrong is for you to get jobs along tribal lines. What is wrong is for you to get jobs and then fail to perform.

Willy: Sometimes one wonders what is really wrong in our country. The MMD, I believe they have failed to address a number of critical issues affecting the majority of Zambians. The majority of Zambians don't afford three meals a day.

A Lusaka caller: I am a bit disappointed with the way he answered your question when you asked him about the time frame promoted for development. He answered that there is no time frame assigned to whatever the MMD has been doing.

How does he know whether they are achieving or not achieving because he is an economist and he understands that to do anything you have to have time frame within which to achieve it? Probably he is just looking for a job but he will be a really wrong person for the job.

He is a wrong person to support Rupiah Banda because he will be giving him wrong advice.

Imbuwa wa Imbuwa: I want to take you on leadership. I want you to give me a straight answer. MMD has really failed the people of Zambia just like the First Republic, we stagnant for almost 25 years, according to what you said. The MMD has really put us in a mess for 17 years. I am saying this because you have said of the three candidates the only suitable guy is…

Aka (interrupts): I did not say the only suitable, I said my choice.
Wa Imbuwa (continues): Yes. Your choice is Rupiah Bwezani Banda. Now I will tell you that this country, you and I and everybody else know that we have destroyed this country because we have no leadership.

What has happened in MMD happened in UNIP. Kaunda had no plan for succession, and it was disastrous and that is why UNIP today is finished.

Even MMD you are aware of the problems you have gone through and at one time you even resigned and formed your own party and you have come back to MMD. MMD under Chiluba had no plan of succession and it was disastrous. Even now MMD has a disaster.

The problem is that MMD has not looked at the issue of leadership and it will be nonsensical for me to look at other areas like health, education, road infrastructure. This problem of leadership is in all the political parties.

Lusaka caller: I would like to salute the MMD and I would like to salute the current government. The problem with us Zambians is that we forget where we come from. The MMD brought democracy and the economy has picked up. If you look at agriculture, it has improved. Let's give credit where it's due.

Chanda: I am disappointed with you (Aka) as a commissioner. Can other commissioners come out and be cadres the way you have come out?

Aka: I think it's preferable for people to come out in the open and state so that if people judge I would rather I tell you exactly what I stand for and it's up you to say we know Aka, we have heard him and we disagree with him rather than to keep quiet that because I am a commissioner…because ultimately on October 30, I have to cast my vote. I am afraid I am an incurable open person.

I believe there will be nothing wrong with any commissioners saying who they support. What will be wrong is if there was a commissioner who came on the air to support corruption because we are commissioners to fight corruption and corruption is everywhere.

We are not commissioners to curtail our other civil rights. I don't believe so and particularly if we are open about our preference, then everybody can judge. I will never hide my political opinion. I don't think it is a very good idea for people to be silent when we know privately that they support… I doubt very much if there are many Zambians who have no political opinion. I am more afraid of people with hidden political opinion and bias than those who tell you what their position is.

Aka (continues): There was a good question about leadership. The problem of leadership is everywhere in our country. It has not been solved and it will not be solved on October 30 because on October 30, we will only have three people to choose from, or four or five. Even beyond the elections, we must address the question of leadership.

There are parties like MMD that were founded on nationalist agenda to change the system and then there are other parties which were founded almost specifically for one individual to be president.

Mumbi: Which parties are those?
Aka: The only party in Zambia that was founded on a nationalist agenda today and the nationalist agenda is that once that agenda is achieved it benefits all Zambians.
It's clear that UPND and PF were not founded on a nationalist agenda.
Mumbi: What are they?

Aka: You are the one counseling me that I am here to only speak about MMD. I don't want to talk bad about other parties.

Caller: You said UPND and PF have no agenda. Can you tell us the agenda of the party that you and your sister Inonge Mbikusita Lewanika formed and contested elections in 2001? I used to hold you in high esteem but looking at you now, you are advocating that commissioners should openly declare their candidates of their choice. You are confusing Zambians.

Lusaka caller: Mr Aka, honestly speaking it's morally wrong for commissioners to come out in the open and state the candidate they are supporting.

Mark: We want answers. We don't want people to give us political rhetoric. Interviewers, please continue with your line of questions.

Aka: I should also say I have no quarrels with the line of questions. I am hard and tested. I have no problems. I have not failed any questions.

Caller: ZNBC should report truthfully about what transpired today Thursday at City Market. The Acting President was not given a thunderous welcome.

Jacqueline: The youths want jobs. The best the government can do is to put in place policies that will allow people have jobs. Youths are so immoral because they have nothing to do. Mr Aka, those are the issues that must be addressed. We have to improve education. Those are important issues.

Labels: AKASHAMBATWA MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA, CORRUPTION, ELECTIONS, RUPIAH BANDA, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 4:42 AM