Maravi

Rupiah is dishonest - Sata

Rupiah is dishonest - Sata
By Lambwe Kachali in Chongwe
Monday September 22, 2008 [04:00]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata has charged that Vice-President Rupiah Banda wants to run a criminal government because he is dishonest. And Sata said Vice-President Banda is feeling the weight from PF and is now using politics of fertiliser to win support from the Zambian people.

Meanwhile, party vice-president Dr Guy Scott urged Zambians not to make a mistake by voting Vice-President Banda for president because he has the potential of bankrupting the nation.

Addressing a rally at Chongwe Basic School on Saturday, Sata said Zambians should not be blindfolded with what he called ‘empty and fake’ promises from Vice-President Banda.

Sata cited last week’s announcement by the government to increase the allocation for the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP), Vice-President Banda’s pronouncement to reduce fuel prices and his refusal to assent to the three Bills which seek to increase salary and allowances for constitutional office holders and senior government officials, which he described as political desperation to woo support in the October 30 election.

He said it was now clear that Vice-President Banda was being dishonest to the country.
Sata said Vice-President Banda’s failure to deal with such important issues was meant to rob Zambians of their money; hence his new position amounted to criminality.

“Where was this government to increase FSP allocation this time of election? Where was Rupiah when the Bills were passing through parliament undebated? Where was Rupiah when Zambians were crying over high fuel prices? And also the budget has already passed, farmers cried over high price of fertiliser but Bwezani Banda was silent.

Why didn’t Rupiah respond to people’s cries at that time?” Sata asked. “This is all corruption by Rupiah Bwezani. Rupiah wants to run a criminal government, a government of criminals that will steal from the people of Zambia. You see how corrupt and ‘gong’a’ (counterfeit) Rupiah is, now that election is hot and he knows will be out of office, he wants to blindfold you by making appeasing statement; I want to challenge him, if Bwezani is indeed a genuine leader, why didn’t he come out and tell Zambians that he opposed to those hefty salary Bills?

This means he wanted to steal from Zambians. Bwezani’s fake monkey tricks won’t work; he will not succeed this time.”

He said once PF formed the government, he would engage chiefs in the distribution of fertiliser because they are the ones who know the problems of their people.

Sata urged Zambians to be alert because Vice-President Banda was jittery and would use all sorts of lies to convince them in order to win the election.

He said Vice-President Banda was untrustworthy and a political vulture who had no direction to take the country.

Sata said despite 17 years of MMD in power, most Zambians’ standard of living was worse than refugees.

He said Chongwe district was faced with many problems such poverty, hunger, unemployment among others.

“Most of you here have not even eaten the whole day, not that it’s deliberate but because you have nothing to eat. Young men nowadays don’t even want to marry because they have no source of income to look after a wife, because they are unemployed.

MMD has made your lives miserable, and I know some of you look after many orphans than Rupiah Banda, who only cares for his tummy,” Sata said. “MMD and Rupiah are taking us for granted and time has come to remove this uncaring government.”

Sata said it was sad that the MMD government had neglected a district like Chongwe which should have been one of the tourist destinations in the country.

He cited Chinyunyu Kalungula hot spring that if properly managed by the government, could have created employment for many residents in the area.

“Also look at roads such as this one going to Palabana, Kasisi and Chalimbana; these roads will soon be impassable. These are the problems which will soon be a thing of the past once PF comes to power,” he said.

Sata said he was a man of action and promised the residents to vote for him if their lives were to improve.

“It is very sad that we have young men and women who look old because their lives haven’t improved. This is why you should vote for me so that we change the governance system. Don’t say I did not tell you. I have told you the dangers of voting for MMD and if you don’t listen it’s up to you. But don’t say I did not warn you.

You have seen today, this rally was supposed to be live on QFM so that other people out there can hear our message, but this information minister Mike Mulongoti boy is intimidating private radio station. Anyway, don’t worry because after October 30, Mulongoti will be out of office and PF will take proper care of the private media institutions,” said Sata.

And Dr Scott warned that should Zambians make a mistake by voting for MMD, the future of the country would be doomed.
Dr Scott said the current crop in MMD was a threat to democracy, and especially the national treasury.

Kabwata member of parliament Given Lubinda said only commercial farmers, and FRA executives would benefit from the newly increased maize floor price.

Lubinda said the lives of small scale farmers in the country would never improve if MMD is not removed out of power.

Chongwe district PF chairman Charles Mwambi assured Sata of victory this election.

Mwambi said underdevelopment in the area had taught residents a lesson and that they were prepared to change government.

Meanwhile reacting to reports suggesting that the Bemba Royal Establishment had thrown its weight behind Vice-President Banda, PF general secretary Edward Mumbi said there was no chief worth his sort who could take partisan sides.

Mumbi said PF was not threatened by reports that chief Chitimukulu had endorsed Vice-President Banda.

Labels: RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 5:07 PM