Maravi

KK fired Rupiah over corruption - Sata

KK fired Rupiah over corruption - Sata
By Mutuna Chanda in Kitwe
Friday September 26, 2008 [04:00]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata on Wednesday charged that Dr Kenneth Kaunda fired Vice-President Rupiah Banda from his position as Lusaka governor on grounds of corruption.

In an interview, Sata said that Vice-President Banda was dismissed from his position as Lusaka governor in the Kaunda regime for instructing the release of funds from the local authority to pay his (Banda) company to deal with cholera.

"Rupiah Banda ordered Emmanuel Chenda, who was treasurer of the council at the time, to release K1.2 million which was supposed to deal with cholera at the time," Sata said. "Chenda refused to release the money and wrote a memo to Rupiah Banda and asked him to endorse that he had received that memo. That memo ended up with prime minister Malimba Masheke and it led to his dismissal by Dr Kaunda."

Sata explained that the K1.2 million was supposed to have been paid to one of Vice-President Banda's companies to deal with the cholera situation at the time.

"Even though that money never got to Rupiah Banda's company, it was still corruption," Sata said.

But Chenda declined to comment on the matter, saying he was not privy to the information that led to Vice-President Banda's dismissal, then.

"All I know is that I worked with Honourable Banda when he was governor and I was treasurer; then he was removed by Dr Kaunda but what led to his removal I don't know because I was not privy to the information," said Chenda.

Earlier, during a public rally at Kitwe's Freedom Park, Sata said it was the alert Chenda and Wynter Kabimba who caused the dismissal of Vice-President Banda as Lusaka governor. Sata also said he knew the secrets of both Vice-President Banda and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.

"I left MMD government in 2001 so I know all the secrets of the thieves,"

Sata said: "All those who stole money during privatisation, I know them and they need to pay back. The money they stole... Zambians are not supposed to suffer or look for food 44 years after independence. Today, young men are even afraid of marrying because they don't have jobs... I know the secrets of Rupiah Banda and Hakainde."

Sata said during the privatisation process, Hichilema was among the people that the government sent to negotiate but that some of the companies were sold at a give-away price.

Sata said had the government known that there would be corruption in privatisation, ZCCM would have been left untouched. He further asked mining companies to pay suppliers and contractors within 14 days.

"They are very few people and they need to send their children to school," Sata said. "I am also giving you up to October 30 to improve the conditions of service for workers."

Sata challenged Zambians to liberate themselves by voting him president next month.

"Lesa tapela muminwe apalamika fye God does not give in one's hands, he just brings something near," Sata said. "Lesa napalamika, ilubuleni, mulubule nabamunonko God has brought near, liberate yourselves and liberate your brothers and sisters."

Sata said he did not go to Kitwe to distribute sugar or mealie-meal but to teach people how to fend for themselves. He wondered what kind of a country Zambia was, which did not respect public service workers.

"Today a civil servant is like a slave. No one cares about the teacher or the police, what kind of country is that?" Sata wondered. "We want government to serve you. When we sold houses, we left the police, but are we going to leave them like that? When we sold houses, we left the army but are we going to leave them like that? When we sold houses, we left those working for Zambia National Service but are we going to leave them like that?"

Sata charged that some foreign investors on the Copperbelt Province were funding the MMD.
Sata asked Zambians to get the inducements from MMD but still vote against them.

PF spokesperson, Given Lubinda charged that Vice-President Banda was cheating Zambians that the recent fuel price reduction was a result of cutting import duty. He said oil prices on the international market had declined from US $160 per barrel to US $98 and that if the government was sincere, fuel prices were supposed to reduce by K4,000 and not the over K1,000 margins.

Lubinda also said people on the Copperbelt had turned out in large numbers to attend the rally on a working day because many of them had no jobs.

And PF deputy secretary general Dr Chileshe Mulenga warned that PF this time would not allow the election to be stolen.

PF national chairman Chitalu Sampa urged Zambians not to be fooled because they had seen what they had been subjected to. He said roads, among other infrastructure, on the Copperbelt were in a bad state hence the need for change.

Prior to the rally, Sata took time to pass through Chisokone market and caused traffic jams on most roads in the city.

Labels: CORRUPTION, KENNETH KAUNDA, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 5:20 PM