Maravi

Chiefs in S/Province shun Rupiah's meeting

Chiefs in S/Province shun Rupiah's meeting
By Mutale Kapekele, Edwin Mbulo and Bivan Saluseki in Livingsto
Tuesday October 07, 2008 [04:00]

SENIOR chief Mukuni of the Toka-Leya people of Kazungula has distanced himself from the decision by Southern Province chiefs to support Vice-President Rupiah Banda in the forthcoming presidential election.

And chiefs from Livingstone and Kazungula districts were conspicuously missing from a meeting they were scheduled to hold with Vice-President Banda on Sunday evening, even though the programme indicated so.

Meanwhile, some people that had been ferried to Livingstone International Airport to receive Vice-President Banda started trooping out of the airport immediately he arrived, to board hired buses, with some saying they merely wanted to see him, while others made catcalls of 'HH' under their breath.

Vice-President Banda's campaign team is using two Zambia Air Force planes and the presidential helicopter during its campaign in Southern Province.

According to Vice-President Banda's campaign programme for Southern Province, he was supposed to have a closed-door meeting with chiefs from Livingstone and surrounding areas but only chief Mukuni turned up.

Those who did not attend included chiefs Moomba, Sekute, Sipatunyana and a representative from Musokotwane where there is no chief yet.

There was panic among provincial administration officials as they tried to frantically organise some more chiefs.

Some were seen pacing back and forth the corridors of Protea Hotel Livingstone, the venue for the meeting, making frantic calls on their mobile phones.

The programme read: "18:00 hours: His Excellency the Acting President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Rupiah Banda departs Royal Livingstone for Protea to meet the chiefs and later business community."

Since chief Mukuni was alone, the meeting did not take too long before the Vice-President met the business community.

In an interview after the meeting, chief Mukuni - who was visibly upset - said the other chiefs were missing because he was representing them.

Chief Mukuni also said chiefs in Southern Province would support Vice-President Banda in the forthcoming presidential lection but distanced himself from the decision.

"Yes, it's true that the chiefs in the province are behind Rupiah Banda because the other two candidates Michael Sata and Hakainde Hichilema have not approached them," chief Mukuni said. "But that was the decision of most chiefs in the province, not mine.

And I must mention that the other candidates did not approach the chiefs for support.
That is why they settled for Rupiah Banda. But we would have loved a situation where no elections were held like it was done in South Africa because this election is a waste of resources."

And when asked what they had discussed in a closed-door meeting with Vice-President Banda, chief Mukuni said no politics were discussed but business issues affecting the business community.

"I raised issues of the visa fees and the need to expand Livingstone and we also discussed the Legacy Hotel project," chief Mukuni said.

Earlier at the airport, MMD provincial chairman Solomon Muzyamba said from the last one week, traditional leaders who were the 'stronghold of UPND' in Southern Province were instead going to support Vice-President Banda.

"The chiefs of this province that they UPND relied upon as their base have denied them their support. All that remains right now is to ensure that in the next three years, we reach every village so that we dislodge the UPND from this province," he said.

Muzyamba said other political parties PF and Heritage were non-existent in the area.
"The only cause for concern is UPND and UPND is on its way out," said Muzyamba.

Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe said Vice-President Banda was the common denominator that Zambia needed.

"After the demise of the last president, you are the next one. You were chosen by him. I know there can be other pretenders who are saying 'I was the chosen one', there are so many people who are saying so.

‘But he did not give me the vice-presidency’. If you were not given the vice-presidency, please do not come anywhere nearer," he said.

Munkombwe said boys like Cain Mweemba wanted to climb the ladder of leadership early but added that he was happy that he was supporting Vice-President Banda.

Munkombwe asked Vice-President Banda to have Mweemba in 'his box' to which the Vice-President replied: "Oh yes!"

Munkombwe said there should be nobody to label Tonga people as tribalists. He said all those giving Tongas a tribalism tag were enemies.

"If someone starts saying that, I react. I do not want that word. It stinks to me. It boils my back," said Munkombwe.

ULP president Sakwiba Sikota, who is travelling with Vice-President Banda, said his party and MMD were forming government.

And Vice-President Banda said most Zambians were poor because the citizens who had money did not care for them.

Addressing the business community in Livingstone, Vice-President Banda said Zambians were poor because the citizens who had money did not help them.

"When a Zambian starts up an orphanage, they will ask for foreigners to fund it when we have a lot of rich people in the country," Vice-President Banda said.

"The problem we have in this country is that those who make a bit of money want to buy the biggest houses and cars and they forget that they live in a country with very poor people. And most of those people feel that donating to charity is a waste of time."

He also said the government was very "uncomfortable" with the level of poverty in the country.

"Yes, poverty levels are very high and it makes us very uncomfortable to think that just a few minutes' drive from our towns, we have people who are in adverse poverty," Vice-President Banda said.

"The biggest problem we have is that most of our women are the poorest of the poor and I don't have an immediate answer of how to overcome that but the government is aware of this problem.

This was also a source of worry for our late president Levy Mwanawasa who wanted to see money in the pockets of the poor in our country."

He said the government had put up the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) because it was worried about the plight of the poor.

"We put money in that project (CEEC) to protect the vulnerable in society but we know that that is not enough," he said.

"But I would like to urge all Zambians to be outspoken and talk about this to ensure that politicians understand this problem. Ask those who want to be leaders what they have done for the poor and if they have worked without getting paid or if they have just amassed wealth for themselves."

Vice-President Banda said for poverty to be fought effectively, the government would increase funding to infrastructure development in the rural areas for more employment opportunities to be created.

He also said Zambians needed to change their work culture and ethics to contribute effectively to economic development.

"A Zambian is one of the most difficult worker you could ever hire. Even when you employ a maid, you have to lock up all the food in the house," Vice- President Banda said. "We have to change and respect our jobs as a people. How many of us are proud of what we are doing?"

And commenting on the multimillion-dollar Legacy Holdings hotel project in Livingstone, Vice-President Banda said the government had not rejected the project but that the project was halted by local politics.

"The Legacy project is still being considered by the government but we are happy that they did not follow the original plan because now concerns that were raised will be put into consideration and a better arrangement will be reached," said Vice-President Banda.

Labels: CHIEF MUKUNI, RUPIAH BANDA, SOUTHERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 3:21 AM