Maravi

Police try but fail to stop Sata's Mbala rally

Police try but fail to stop Sata's Mbala rally
By Patson Chilemba in Mbala
Wednesday October 15, 2008 [04:00]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday refused to obey orders by police to cancel his planned rally in Mbala. And Sata has charged that Vice-President Rupiah Banda is still a boy in politics. Sata, who arrived in Mbala on Monday, was yesterday visited at Chila Lodge, where he was staying, by four police officers who included a senior officer a Mr. Mwila. During the meeting in Sata's room, Mwila told the PF leader to cancel the rally and leave Mbala in order to pave way for Vice-President Banda who was expected to hold a rally in the town yesterday afternoon.

But Sata said Vice-President Banda had no right to stop him from holding his meetings because the public order Act stipulated that people could have meetings in the same area as long as they were not at the same place. However, after a long argument, Sata finally agreed to adjust his programme from holding the rally at 15:00 hours to having it in the morning at 10:00 hours.

In an interview after the meeting with the police, Sata said it was sad that the government was trying desperately to disturb his campaign programme.
“Yesternight, they approached my pilot that he flew from Mpulungu to Mbala without clearance. He got clearance from Lusaka in the first place. Why should the question of clearance arise now? They are panicking,” Sata said. “He Mwila said he was working on orders from divisional commander Mr Ng'uni.”

However, Sata managed to organise a mammoth rally in less than 20 minutes.
And addressing a rally at Lucheche Basic School, Sata promised Mbala residents that PF would implement several developmental projects once elected into office. He promised to turn community schools into government schools. He further promised to encourage intensive coffee, rice and tea plantations in the area.

“You shall not pay anything on fertiliser and other farming inputs because we don't know if it will rain or not rain. We shall only talk after you have harvested,” Sata said. “There will be no fish levy.”

Sata said he would reduce the price of fuel by cutting down on taxes. He said this would in turn result in the reduction of prices for most essential goods.
And speaking to some Mbala residents on his arrival in town from Mpulungu where he had earlier addressed a mammoth rally on Monday, Sata said Vice-President Banda was trying to disturb his programmes in Northern Province because the game had become too hot for him.

“They told me that he will be coming to Mpika, I obeyed and left Mpika. Now I'm in Mbala and they are telling me to get off because he shall be coming here. It is because Rupiah Banda is running out of ideas. He doesn't know where to start from. He thought this was a game for boys. Us we have grown up in this game politics,” said Sata, whose tour of Northern Province has been characterised by huge rallies and overwhelming support.

Sata said Vice-President Banda could have served in several government positions but he was still a novice in politics. He said there was nothing Vice-President Banda could show for his “so-called experience”.

And addressing a rally earlier in Mpulungu, Sata said Vice-President Banda was too full of himself and that he would mortgage the country should Zambians make a mistake of voting for him.

“He didn't listen to Maureen over Mwanawasa's wish. If he refused to listen to Mwanawasa's wish, he will not listen to you too,” he said.
Sata said MMD were busy going round cheating people that he Sata would bring war if elected president. He said what the MMD had forgotten was that they had created the biggest war of poverty. He said it was him who told the people of Mandevu compound in Lusaka to stop the violence after the 2006 elections.

“What war is more than the war of hunger and unemployment? They have even gone flat out to buy voters' cards. Surely, do they need to buy cards if they have performed? It would have been pointless for me to stand here if they have performed,” Sata said. “They say I will bring war, but the war I will bring is to arrest them for abusing government resources.”


Sata said time to share national resources equally had come and that those who were in government should also feel how it was to be hungry.
“Insansa ku cinjana,” he said.
Sata bragged that the huge numbers that turned up for the rally had dispelled Northern Province minister Lameck Chibombamilimo's assertions that Mpulungu was a no-go area for PF.

On the Mpulungu harbour, Sata said the harbour was a God-given national asset, which should bring happiness to Zambians and not foreigners. He promised to share the port by giving 25 per cent shares to workers and 24 per cent would go to the people of Mpulungu.

Sata said he welcomed investors but that they should respect Zambians. He further said it was sad that people were complaining of water problems when what was needed was to connect pipes to the vast water resources in the town. Sata also said it was abnormal to increase annual licence fees for small scale fisheries from K100,000 to K2 million.
“Within 90 days, ZAWA and fisheries will know. They are stealing money through over-charging people on the fish,” Sata said to a loud applause. “They are giving women chitenge saying if I come, I will close shops. How can I close shops when my policy is lower taxes and more money in your pockets?”

Sata asked the police to arrest works and supply minister Kapembwa Simba for allegedly assaulting a PF cadre in Nondo. He warned that the divisional commander would have to explain in 16 days time should police fail to do anything over the matter.
Sata charged that MMD had received 443 cartons of Vice-President Banda's T-shirts which came through a Mr Sampa at Cabinet Office from China.
“Uncomfirmed reports say they were cleared by Chinese free of charge, and why should they be cleared by the Chinese?” asked Sata.

Labels: SATA

posted by MrK @ 5:16 AM