Maravi

Even a sleepy person can beat HH - Rupiah

Even a sleepy person can beat HH - Rupiah
By Lambwe Kachali and Chibaula Silwamba in Northern Province
Thursday October 16, 2008 [04:00]

MMD presidential candidate Rupiah Banda has admitted being sleepy but warned that he will defeat his rivals in the October 30 presidential elections. And United Liberal Party (ULP) leader Sakwiba Sikota said Patriotic Front (PF) presidential candidate Michael Sata is deceiving himself that he will win the elections because certain sections of the media are lying that he is popular. And Vice-President Banda's image builders are being transported using government vehicles.

Addressing a rally at Muzabwela ground in Mpulungu on Tuesday, Vice-President Banda said he would show UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema that even a sleepy person could beat him in this month's elections. He claimed that he had more support than Hichilema, who he said only existed in Southern Province.

"He Hichilema was quoted in the newspaper last time that he cannot be under me because I sleep all the time. So, I want to show him on the 30th October that even a sleepy person can beat him...that a sleepy person can beat someone who does not sleep. I think all of you know that he has no support in any part of our country, other than Southern Province where he comes from," Vice-President Banda said.

"As for Mikaili referring to Sata, will be forced to retire after losing this election so that he can go to the farm. I will make sure that Sata gets another zero vote in Eastern Province and other provinces and ensure that he does not get the presidency because we cannot have a leader who is insulting others."

Vice-President Banda said he was aware that people in Mpulungu were being heavily levied by the Fisheries Department on their fish business, which was their major source of income.

"I know that people have to pay taxes but those taxes have to be fair. They must not take away the little profits that you have," he said.

Vice-President Banda said he had instructed the Department of Fisheries to reduce the levy so that people could benefit from the activity.

"I know that electricity is very important for you. This morning, I met with the business people and they raised this issue and I picked up a phone and I phoned the managing director of Zesco and he told me that they are working.

The generator had a problem but yesterday Monday, they managed to fix everything so that electricity should improve. So, starting today, you should start seeing some improvement," Vice-President Banda said.

He also said the government would ensure increased investments in Mpulungu to boost the tourism industry and increase employment.

"In agriculture, we will continue to ensure that fertiliser is distributed at a subsidised rate to farmers," Vice-President Banda said. "I am aware that D-compound has not arrived here but I promise you that I will push so that the D-compound is delivered to you before the rainy season. I will also ensure that there is a market to buy the crop and that FRA should ensure that they buy all crops in Mpulungu."

Throughout his campaign trail, Vice-President Banda continued likening himself to a cook called Banda in a popular television advert by Superior Milling Company.

"On the 30th of October, Aza phika Nsima nindani?" asked Vice-President Banda, as the crowd responded: "Ni Banda!"

He chanted the slogan over and over: "Azaphika Nsima ni ndani pa 30 October?"
The crowd responded: "Ni Banda!"

Vice-President Banda told the people that they should always remember that a cook was a servant of the people for whom they cooked.

"Whether it's a mother who is cooking for the husband or children, she has to make sure that they are happy with the Nsima," he said.

"So I accept that after 30 October, I shall hold the pot and muthiko cooking stick and cook Nsima without mambumbu lamps."
Addressing a rally at President's Park in Mbala on Tuesday, Vice-President Banda bragged that he was the only presidential candidate who had received the highest number of endorsements from various parts of the country.

"I believe I am the only candidate who has had the endorsement of most of the political leaders, most of their royal establishments, the chiefs, most of the churches in our country have said we support the candidature of Mr Rupiah Banda and I am grateful for that," Vice-President Banda said.

"I believe that the reason for endorsing me is that we now know each other, as you know I have been Vice-President to the late president, my leader and friend Dr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, who left us a few months ago."

Vice-President Banda observed that Sata would lose the election the way he did in 2006.
"In the case of the Patriotic Front and Mr Sata, their members of parliament are only from one small section of our country," Vice-President Banda observed. "Let us go through the statistics arising from the 2006 elections.

We start with the biggest province, the Northern Province - 21 members of parliament come from this province. Mr Sata got nine members of parliament from the Northern Province while the MMD got 11 members of parliament and the other was independent."

Vice-President Banda said although Sata got the majority of members of parliament in Luapula Province, the ruling MMD also got some parliamentary seats.
"In North Western Province, the PF and Mr Sata got zero member of parliament, not even one member of the council and he himself got zero vote for his presidential candidature. In Western Province, Mr Sata and PF got zero.

They didn't get any member of parliament and zero vote for his presidential bid. The majority was gotten by the MMD and seconded by the United Liberal Party and some independents," Vice-President Banda said. "In Southern Province Mr Sata got zero. He did not get one MP from Southern Province."
He said in Central Province, Sata got no member of parliament but very few councillors.


"For the Eastern Province where I came from, where I campaigned for the MMD and president Mwanawasa, we made sure he Sata got zero from his own tribal cousins. Not one member of parliament for PF," Vice-President Banda said. "The members of parliament he got were on the Copperbelt and Lusaka, on the line of rail."
He said Sata and his PF only won urban votes.

"The rural part of Copperbelt Province and rural part of Lusaka Province all voted for MMD," he said. "So how can he claim to be a national leader? How can he come here and ask you to vote for him to be the President of the Republic of Zambia when he is only a tiny loser?"

He urged the voters not to waste their vote by voting for Sata.
"There are many educated people here; nurses, teachers, police officers, doctors, who understand what I am talking about. I hope I have made it very clear why Mr Sata should not even be considered for the presidential bid. He will not be able to run this country," said Vice-President Banda in his 30-minute address to the crowd, which comprised children, youths and elderly people alike.

"As for Mr Hakainde, I think anybody will understand. Hakainde has not been accepted by the rest of this country. Most of his members of parliament come from Southern Province. We shouldn't spend much time talking about a finished person."

Vice-President Banda said he worked closely with the late president Mwanawasa, hence he understood his passion to develop the country.

"I know what his vision was for all of you here; he wanted more schools to be built, he wanted old schools to be replaced with new ones, he wanted health centres, he wanted roads to be re-serviced, he wanted all the good things for the Zambian people," Vice-President Banda said. "When you elect me as president on 30th October, I promise you that I shall continue with the programmes and projects that were started by the late president and MMD."

Vice-President Banda since president Mwanawasa died, he had continued with the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP) for the benefit of farmers. He promised to use his vast experience and support of Cabinet and other government departments to improve the lives of Zambians.

Meanwhile, Vice-President Banda's hired image builders, who are in his entourage, were seen disembarking from a government vehicle registration number GRZ 371 CA belonging to Mbala District Health Office.

And the renowned music group, Amayenge Cultural Ensemble, who have composed campaign songs for Vice-President Banda, have been performing live shows at the MMD presidential candidate's rallies to attract people.

Meanwhile, in an apparent reference to The Post, Sakwiba Sikota said some sections of the media were liars.

"Everywhere we have gone we have had huge crowds but there are certain sections of the media who want to present an impression that there are very few people attending these meetings," Sikota said.

"See how they will report this rally and you will know that they are liars and they have a hidden message."

Sikota said the MMD was having brilliant rallies that attracted so many people.

"I challenge all those interested in the truth to publish a picture of the number of people who are here. It is because the press are not giving the correct position that Mr Michael Sata believes he can win," said Sikota, an ally of Sata during the 2006 presidential elections.

"That is why Mr. Michael Sata says he will not be able to accept the results of these elections. But if we brought Mr. Michael Sata here, and he saw how many you are, I am sure he would throw in a towel today and withdraw from the race because it is obvious he is losing."

Sikota said when he was passing-by a certain place, he found a group of children gathered and he was told it was an attempted rally by Sata.

He also said that Sata knew very well that he could not form government.
"...he doesn't have the people to form government, so he is just being naughty, irresponsible, impervious and cantankerous by standing in this election," charged Sikota.

In Mbala, MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga said Sata lived in a world of fantasy and was a dreamer.

"So are you going to accept him here?" asked Mabenga.

Former Republican vice-president pastor Nevers Mumba, who hails from Chinsali district in Northern Province, said he rushed to the province to campaign for Vice-President Banda to avoid the province being embarrassed by Sata's behaviour.

"People of God, we have our old man bashi Chilufya Sata who wants to contest the presidential elections. He comes from here in Northern Province. That is why I have hurriedly come here to avoid him from embarrassing us," pastor Mumba said.

"Surely can we have a president who is full of insults in his mouth? Zambia is a Christian nation, so the president should respect the people he is leading, not every day he is insulting them. He insults women, he insults men, he insults children, he insults everyone..."

He said Sata always lost elections because of his insults.

"He has failed to unite his PF, how is he going to unite the whole country?" asked pastor Mumba.

Community development minister Catherine Namugala also observed that Sata liked insults hence people should not vote for him.

Former UPND national chairperson Frank Tayali said Sata was just talkative.
"Being talkative is not leadership," said Tayali.

MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande said Sata had been deceiving people that he met the late president Mwanawasa for a reconciliatory talk for two hours when in fact the meeting only lasted 30 minutes.

"It's a lie. Sata is lying," said Kaande.

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:50 PM