Maravi

Rupiah doesn’t control Eastern Province – Sata

Rupiah doesn’t control Eastern Province – Sata
Written by Patson Chilemba in Chipata
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 3:34:37 PM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday said his rallies in Katete, Petauke, Chipata and Eastern Province in general showed that Vice-President Rupiah Banda does not control the province.

And Sata said he is confident he will be the fourth Republican president and was just making final touches to achieving that.

Meanwhile, Sata has rejected an appeal by Police Inspector General Ephraim Mateyo to cancel his final rally planned for Lusaka's Freedom Statue today.

Addressing a mammoth rally in Chipata yesterday, Sata said Vice-President Banda's tribal politics had bounced badly.

“Look at my rallies in Katete, Petauke, Chipata and other districts,” Sata said. “It's clear that Rupiah doesn't control Eastern Province as his claims.”

Sata said he had received overwhelming support in Eastern Province as opposed to threats by Vice-President Banda that people who did not hail from there should be chased. He said he wanted to show former presidents - Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Frederick Chiluba - how to work and develop the nation.

Former UNIP Chipangali member of parliament Lucas Phiri said Zambia was one nation and the people of Eastern Province had refused tribalism.

"We don't want people who doze, who sleep. We want people who work," said Phiri.

And in an interview earlier yesterday, Sata said Ephraim Mateyo had called PF lawyers and asked them to convince him to cancel the planned rally to leave room for Vice-President Banda to address a rally at the same venue.

"I am not moving because they moved me from Mandevu first. I had applied to have my last rally in Mandevu but they replaced me with Rupiah Banda. Now that I have gone to Freedom Statue, Rupiah Banda wants to replace me there again. It is police which moved me from Mandevu. I spoke to [Greenwell] Ng'uni and he said 'Ok, it is alright'," Sata said. "If it is clashing, we will clash. If they want they can have their rally in the morning and I will have my scheduled rally at 14:30 hours."

However, the PF later stated that the final rally would be held at Lusaka's Woodlands Stadium at 14:00 hours today.

And addressing a rally in Chama on Monday, Sata said PF would eradicate MMD's programmes of unemployment, laziness, corruption and poverty.

"In Chama, animals have got a better airport than human beings. It is up to you, if you want animals to remain important than human beings, vote ‘pa nkoloko’," he said.

Sata urged the people of Chama to vote for him in order to

Labels: EASTERN PROVINCE, ELECTIONS, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 3:35 PM