HH hails easterners

HH hails easterners
By Christopher Miti in Chadiza and Mutale Kapekele in Sesheke
Tuesday October 07, 2008 [04:00]

UPND presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema has said he has been welcomed well in Eastern Province despite Vice-President Rupiah Banda’s instructions to the people to chase all candidates that do not hail from there.

And UPND Sesheke district chairman Alisinde Mutonga challenged Vice-president Banda to prove to the nation that he has abandoned UNIP socialist ideas.

Speaking when he paid a courtesy call on chief Zingalume of the Chewa people of Eastern Province on Sunday, Hichilema said he was very much at home in the province although the Vice-President told them to chase him.

“I want to tell you that I’m your child, Your Royal Highness. I know Rupiah Banda chased us all. He said he doesn’t want Hakainde to come here, he doesn’t want Sata to come here, but I don’t want to talk about Sata, but to me I feel this is my home.

I was born in a village therefore when I’m here I feel very much at home. I know our elder brother Rupiah said you should chase us. I don’t know whether you got this story?” Hichilema asked.

When chief Zingalume said he was not aware of the story, Hichilema said Vice-President Banda was quoted in the newspapers as having asked the people of Eastern Province to chase all presidential candidates that do not hail from there.

“So when we were coming we said we will see whether we will be chased away like what Rupiah said but I’m happy that you have received me. This is my home, I know you are my Royal Highness but you are my friend,” he said.

Hichilema said politics was tiring and that Rupiah and Sata were politically tired because they had been in politics from the 1950s to date.

“In fact, these people had retired from politics in the 80s. They had retired and went to the village but they went back to politics. Can’t they get tired even if they were fit before?” Hichilema asked as chief Zingalume broke into laughter.

Hichilema said UPND wanted to repair roads, rehabilitate chiefs’ palaces and bring about development in Zambia.

And chief Zingalume said Hichilema was welcome to Chadiza and that he would not chase him because he knows that every person comes from the village.

“We have no grudge against you. So to say ‘you have angered us so we are with Rupiah... no’. But what we know is that we are supposed to look for a person who can help us and this assistance should go to different people.

So in your leadership you will not only help your family but you will help many people including those in this village,” chief Zingalume said.

He said politicians should not include chiefs in their fights because chiefs welcomed everyone.

“I’m really sorry that you were stopping each other from visiting certain places because our old man Dr Kenneth Kaunda said ‘One Zambia One Nation.’ So I don’t know whether you have started changing rules. Anyway I can’t say much on this but the way you have explained your manifesto, it is very good.

So if it happens when somebody wins, I think we would have developed in villages. You can see the houses we are staying in but our children who kneel before us are the ones who live better lives,” chief Zingalume said.

He said the roads were bad and that it would be ideal for Hichilema to consider developing the area if he wins.

“We have a lot of people here so you should give your manifestoes to people so that they know what you stand for. You should also translate your manifesto into Chewa so that many people can read it and make informed decisions,” said chief Zingalume.

While Hichilema was with chief Zingalume, some villagers in the neighbouring areas gathered outside the palace to have a glimpse of him.

And addressing a well-attended rally at Kaunda Square, Hichilema urged the people of Chadiza to vote for the best candidate during the October 30 elections.

“... Vote for change. When you are voting for me then you are voting water, you are removing hunger, you are voting for free fertiliser.

From today onwards, I’m appointing all of you to be my campaign managers. You tell people to vote for me,” said Hichilema.
He assured people of good health facilities and good salaries for civil servants if they voted for UPND.

Later on at Government Rest House, Hichilema joined women who were singing songs against Vice-President Banda.

And in an interview in Sesheke on Friday, Mutonga said it was common knowledge that Vice-President Banda harboured UNIP socialist ideas that “could lead to disaster” for a liberalised nation.

“RB Rupiah Banda comes from a socialist background and believes in a commandist system of leadership,” Mutonga said. “That kind of system cannot work in a liberalised nation because the two don’t mix. So Banda should tell us if he has abandoned the UNIP ideology.”

He charged that the possibility of going back to nationalism should Banda be voted into power was very high.

“UNIP is supporting him Vice-President Banda because they know that the MMD has been hijacked and that we are going back to state control if Zambians make the mistake of voting him into power,” Mutonga charged.

“We need answers from Banda about this because we wouldn’t want to see our country going backwards to UNIP thinking and their way of dispensing national resources.”

Mutonga also charged that the MMD had failed to provide education and clean water to the people of Sesheke.