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Rupiah is definitely corrupt - Hichilema

Rupiah is definitely corrupt - Hichilema
By Lambwe Kachali, Jack Zimba, Maluba Jere, Chiwoyu Sinyangwe a
Monday September 15, 2008 [04:00]

OPPOSITION UPND president Hakainde Hichilema yesterday said Vice-President Rupiah Banda is definitely corrupt. And Patriotic Front president Michael Sata has charged that Vice-President Banda is practicing naked political and electoral corruption. Meanwhile, Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) director Dan Kalale said any form of donation during campaign period amounts to electoral malpractice.

Commenting on yesterday's front page picture in The Post, showing Vice-President Banda - who is also MMD presidential candidate in the October 30 presidential election - distributing sugar and mealie-meal to women at Vulamukolo village in Katete district, Hichilema said there was no way Vice-President Banda would lead the fight against corruption if he himself was against the laws of Zambia.

“If the Acting President is engaging in corrupt activities, what do you expect his presidency to be like?” Hichilema asked. “Rupiah Banda is definitely corrupt and is exhibiting corruption by distributing food during a campaign.”

Hichilema said Vice-President Banda had no capacity to manage institutions such as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Task Force on Corruption because he himself was engaging in corrupt practices. He called on the ECZ to be proactive, rather than being mere observers in the electoral process.

"The ECZ are entrusted with the responsibility to manage free and fair elections and Rupiah Banda is leading the pack in corruption," Hichilema said.

He warned that if the MMD would use government vehicles in their campaigns, his members would institute citizens' arrest by impounding the vehicles. He said Zambia needed a change in leadership and that could only be done by having new people in office.

"I mean, look at the people that I will be standing against; they have been around since the 60s, 70s. If people have been around for 60 years, nabanaka (they are tired)," said Hichilema.

And Sata said he would vigorously deal with all sorts of corruption and the abuse of public office currently going on in the MMD government once his party forms government after the October 30 presidential election. Sata said he had been vindicated when he said that Vice-President Banda was politically corrupt.

Sata said the nation had now confirmed that there was no leadership in Vice-President Banda as his participation in the presidential election was to fatten his pockets.

He recalled that in 2006, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) persecuted him for alleged electoral malpractices, which they later failed to prove.

“Rupiah is engaging in open, naked corruption, and I want other opposition parties, NGOs Non-Governmental Organisations and all civil society organisations to condemn Rupiah and MMD. I urge the ECZ chairperson justice Florence Mumba to take prompt action against Rupiah.

There should be no explanation because every Zambian has seen this naked political corruption,” Sata said.

He said it was sad that Vice-President Banda was diverting food from the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to win votes from Zambians instead of distributing it to all hunger-stricken areas across the country.

“If Rupiah wants to claim that the donation came from his office Office of the Vice-President, why didn't he delegate the district commissioner or Eastern Province minister to hand over that donation on his behalf? ...because it is very easy to buy votes in rural areas as some of them have never had sugar for months. We will not condone such open corruption especially this time of elections,” Sata vowed. “Let the people of Zambia choose their leader freely.”

Sata also said Vice-President Banda was a political freelancer who had no vision for the country. He said it would be difficult for Zambia to achieve its economic vision if Vice-President Banda was elected as Republican president.

“Rupiah's vision is blurred because all he thinks is UNIP. His vision is outdated. And one thing people should know is that, on one hand Rupiah does not have allegiance to any party because he claims he left UNIP when in actual fact he is not MMD.

So to me, Rupiah is a political freelancer, he has no political party. I think Zambia is not ready to have a Republican president who is a political freelancer,” he said.

And addressing a rally in Luangwa district on Saturday, Sata accused MMD ministers of stealing public money because they knew that they would be out of government after October 30 presidential election. He warned that he would not leave any stone unturned in dealing with corruption once elected into office.

“They are now busy stealing, filling their pockets and bank accounts so that they can continue to live luxury life. But the law will catch up with them. No stone will be left unturned,” he said.

Sata also urged the people of Luangwa to vote wisely if they were to better their lives. He said only PF had policies that would make distribution of national resources equal, regardless of political affiliation.

“You people need a road that will link Luangwa to Kariba, you also need good schools, hospitals, good drinking water, and only PF can provide these services to you,” said Sata.

Meanwhile, ECZ director Kalale yesterday said any form of donation during election campaign period amounted to electoral malpractice.

In an interview, Kalale said the Electoral Code of Conduct prohibited all sorts of donations during election campaigns.

“The code of conduct is clear on that (donations) as it prohibits all sorts of donations from nomination day onwards,” Kalale said. “It's illegal and amounts to electoral malpractice. And if someone is found guilty, the code stipulates what measures to be taken.”

Kalale also said intentions of donations being made now were not clear, saying it was therefore imperative for politicians to desist from doing so.

"All manner of donations being made now are wrong, the intentions are not clear and its simply not right," said Kalale.

But information minister Mike Mulongoti yesterday said government programmes could not cease because of elections.

Asked whether Vice-President Banda's donation of sugar and mealie meal to elderly people in Katete's Vulamukoko area on Friday was a contravention of the Electoral Code of Conduct, Mulongoti said ECZ should be consulted on the matter.

“The question that I’m asking you is that: when does the candidate become officially a candidate? Is it after the filing in of nomination and he is approved as a candidate of his political party?

Or is it after declaring his intention in the political party?” Mulongoti asked. “So the electoral commission is the one that interprets the laws so we can ask them to help us whether we have made a mistake or not. If we have made a mistake, fine, all the same it's a government programme.”

Meanwhile, Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) urged the MMD to lead by example. TIZ executive director Goodwell Lungu said it was wrong for a leader vying for political office to bribe voters with items such as sugar.

“As TIZ, we are disturbed that His Honour the Vice-President in Katete was distributing such food items as sugar and mealie-meal. We feel this is very wrong and we condemn such actions during election campaign time.

We shall not restrict our condemnation to the ruling party only but also to any candidate even from the opposition whose conduct shall be in violation of the law,” said Lungu.

Zambia Youths Association in the Fight Against Corruption (ZYAFAC) urged the ACC to investigate the matter.

ZYAFAC executive director Rickson Kanema said Zambians should not pretend that they had not seen the issue but should instead condemn such practices.

“We also feel that this is immoral, especially where youths need to learn something from these political leaders. We feel these are very bad lessons and such people do not give any confidence to the young people,” said Kanema.

Meanwhile, former home affairs minister Edwin Hatembo yesterday joined MMD campaigns for Vice-President Banda in the October 30 presidential election.

In an interview from the campaign centre in Lusaka, Hatembo said although he supported finance minister Ng'andu Magande for the MMD presidency, he - together with all those that supported Magande - would now rally behind Vice-President Banda who is now candidate for the MMD.

“This is democracy. What happened, happened and we should move on as one party,” Hatembo said.

“That's why I came to this campaign centre and I am well received. We are soldiering on as one to campaign for RB. I know that all of us who supported Hon Magande are ready to campaign for RB and we will do it. We are members of one family and this is what democracy means. We just experienced MMD in-house democracy.”

And tourism deputy minister Todd Chilembo echoed Hatembo's statement. He said MMD was very united and would move as one to campaign for Vice-President Banda.
“Yes, there could be one or two people who are thinking and doing things differently but this does not mean we have a problem in MMD,” Chilembo said.

“It's only that people think differently but generally we are very united as a party. We are moving on as one in our campaigns for our presidential candidate. And victory is certain for the MMD. Let us all in MMD rally behind RB.”

Labels: ECZ, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 4:06 PM