Maravi

'Pabwato' greets Rupiah at Lusaka City Market

'Pabwato' greets Rupiah at Lusaka City Market
By Patson Chilemba
Friday September 19, 2008 [04:00]

VICE-President Rupiah Banda was yesterday greeted with the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) symbols and shouts of pabwato during his familiarisation tour of Lusaka City Market. And PF president Michael Sata will be the first presidential candidate to file his nomination papers next Tuesday. Vice-President Banda - who launched his campaign for the presidency yesterday - first visited Lusaka's Kanyama Clinic before visiting City Market.

During the visit to Kanyama Clinic, Vice-President Banda was received with complaints from people over the erratic electricity supply, more so that there was no power at the time of the Vice-President's visit.
One of the patients, Mirriam Banda, complained that sick people were often sent back home because of electricity problems.

"Electricity here is difficult. We can come here for one week continuously and we are being referred back because of electricity. So right now, there is no electricity. We came here in the morning but we have not been attended to up to now at 11:00 hours," complained Banda.

When Vice-President Banda proceeded into the children's ward, another woman brought to his attention the same electricity problem. After leaving the ward, Vice-President Banda told some clinic officials that he had been informed that the Ministry of Health had acquired some generators. He hoped that Kanyama Clinic would be remembered when the generators were finally in.

Former University Teaching Hospital (UTH) managing director Dr Tuckson Lambart was in Vice-President Banda's entourage.

As Vice-President Banda's motorcade made its way from the clinic premises, people chanted and sang songs denouncing the government over the electricity problems.

"No power, no votes," chanted the Kanyama residents.
Asked over the Kanyama residents' concerns, MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba said the essence of the familiarisation tour was to learn about problems people were facing.

From Kanyama Clinic, Vice-President Banda proceeded to City Market where he was greeted with PF symbols. Whilst at the market, Vice-President Banda was welcomed with more PF symbols as other PF supporters were honking their cars. However, a handful of MMD supporters raised their party symbol. As Vice-President Banda made his way into the market, PF cadres hooted and raised their party symbol.
"Pabwato, pabwato," shouted the PF cadres, as others chanted: "Lelo, lelo, Sata abwela."

Vice-President Banda spent just a few minutes at the market before he left.
Asked why Vice-President Banda spent just a few minutes at City Market as compared to Kanyama Clinic where people complained of electricity problems but did not raise PF symbols, MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande said this was so because of the meeting party members were going to have.

After Vice-President Banda left the market, PF cadres remained singing praise songs for Sata. It took police officers on horse back to control the cadres, who were almost ceiling off the road.

Some MMD and government officials who were in Vice-President Banda's entourage included home affairs minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha, information minister Mike Mulongoti, MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga, Kalumba and Dr Lambart.

And Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has set 09:00 hours next Tuesday as the time Sata will file his presidential nomination papers.
"I refer to your letter dated 15th September 2008 and hereby confirm that your party's presidential candidate will file his nomination on Tuesday, 23rd September 2008 at 09.00 hours," stated ECZ director Danny Kalale's letter to PF secretary general.

Labels: LUSAKA CITY MARKET, PF, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 4:30 AM