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Rupiah is sleepy - HH

Rupiah is sleepy - HH
By Chibaula Silwamba
Friday October 10, 2008 [04:00]

Rupiah Banda is sleepy and cannot be Zambia's president, opposition UPND presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema observed yesterday. And Hichilema said Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe depends on handouts from politics because he is so poor despite having been a wealthy man in the past.

In an interview yesterday, and referring to Vice-President Rupiah Banda's attacks on him and persuasions that he should have just supported him instead of contesting the October 30 presidential elections on the UPND ticket, Hichilema said he could not work with Vice-President Banda because he liked sleeping and did not have a vision for Zambia.

“When you go in a meeting with Rupiah Banda, within 10 minutes he is sleeping,” Hichilema observed. “He went to Chililabombwe to watch football; I was there myself, he sat in the VIP but I sat with the people open wing and he was sleeping there. When Zambia scored, he had to be woken up. Now you want a person like that to be president? How will he be chairing Cabinet meetings?”

Hichilema said Vice-President Banda's calls for him to support him instead of contesting the election were misplaced.

“He Vice-President Banda has been complaining that I should have supported him. Why should I support him? What has he got to offer to the people of Zambia? Sleeping! Sleeping!” Hichilema said. “The country needs a strong and vibrant leadership and not leadership that is tired and sleeping.”

Hichilema said Vice-President Banda, if elected Republican president, would make mistakes in his decisions because he would be sleeping in Cabinet meetings.

Hichilema said Vice-President Banda during his campaign trail in Southern Province had said he Hichilema was looking for a job from him, as reported in the media.

“Rupiah Banda said I was looking for a job from him. I don't need a job from Rupiah Banda. Rupiah Banda took me to be one of the corrupt, brown envelope people…obviously he made a mistake,” Hichilema said. “At his age, he thinks that everybody else is corrupt. He thought he could bribe me with a brown envelope for an offer of a job. I don't need Rupiah Banda's job.”

Asked if Vice-President Banda had offered him a job, Hichilema responded: “No! That is what he is claiming. If you read the newspaper before you finish writing your story, he is claiming that I went to look for a job from him. You know what? He is a liar at his age. It's very, very sad.”

Further asked if he had met Vice-President Banda, Hichilema agreed but said the meeting was not about him looking for a job.

“I have met PF presidential candidate Michael Sata, I have met Heritage party presidential candidate Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda, I have met Rupiah Banda, I have come there at The Post to meet people, I have met Zambians and I will continue doing that,” Hichilema said. “In the country when you are seeking leadership, you need to consult.”

Hichilema also said Munkombwe had a phobia for him.
“Munkombwe has been attacking me because he is just afraid of me. He is an old man, now there is a new generation of politics.

He has always thought that he controls Southern Province, now he can't stand to see other people coming up who are younger, who are more educated,” Hichilema said. “So he has nightmares about Hakainde. He is just dreaming about Hakainde. Munkombwe has this phobia for Hakainde. All I can say to the old man is that don't be afraid, we will look after you.”

He said Munkombwe used to be a wealthy man but his wealth had finished.

“You must understand that Munkombwe used to be a wealthy man before but he is now so poor that he depends on handouts from politics,” Hichilema said. “But, Munkombwe, I can understand, having become poor he is in the camp that is promoting corruption.”
He said Munkombwe was a desperate old man who wants to cling to politics for survival.

“We have allowed the situation where now Rupiah Banda is surrounding himself with people who are literally hungry; they will not serve the people of Zambia, they will serve themselves,” observed Hichilema.

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:38 AM