Sata accuses Rupiah of being provocative

Sata accuses Rupiah of being provocative
By Patson Chilemba in Mkushi
Saturday October 18, 2008 [04:00]

No bullet will stop us, declared Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday. Reacting to Vice-President Rupiah Banda's threats to deal with Sata or any other person who will not accept the results of the forthcoming presidential elections, Sata warned that the Vice-President was taking the most provocative and dangerous path.

He vowed that Zambians would not allow Vice-President Banda to rape the country through empty threats to deal with anyone who would dispute the October 30 presidential elections.

He said he was aware that there were manoeuvres by the government to rig elections. However, Sata said Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson justice Florence Mumba should be allowed to conduct a free and fair election.

Sata said Vice-President Banda could not have issued the threats if he were not assured of rigging.

"They lied about VJ. We have information," Sata said. "In 2006, I did not want to embarrass the incumbent. Rupiah Banda is not an incumbent. Rupiah Banda has been rejected by his own party.

This is evidenced wherever he has gone as Acting President, he's not accompanied by ministers."

Sata said the normal way of running government was that the president should be flanked by a deputy minister or one or two Cabinet ministers.
"But in Northern Province, he was flanked by Sakwiba Sikota and Nevers Mumba. Where was Lameck Chibombamilimo Northern Province minister?" Sata asked.


He maintained that he would not accept 'rigged' election results and that Vice-President Banda was using Dr Kenneth Kaunda's language of detaining people without trial.

He said Zambians would not be intimidated because time had come to stop rigging once and for all.

"Rupiah Banda can run to Zimbabwe where he was born. This is our country and we are not going to allow Rupiah Banda to rape this country," Sata said. "So they must take this warning seriously. No bullet will stop us.

On the last minute directive by Vice-President Banda to reduce the price of fertiliser from K200,000 to K50,000 per 50 kilogramme bag, Sata said this was the old UNIP gimmick of reducing prices during an election.

"We don't want ad hoc measures. Today he says he will reduce and after elections we will again pay more. They should wait for PF because fertiliser will be free," he said.

And Lusaka businessman Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba popularly known as GBM revealed that two of his buses were in the early hours of yesterday morning stoned by MMD cadres in Serenje area where PF had earlier held a mammoth rally on Thursday. He said desperation was creeping into the MMD.

And Sata said it was sad that political opportunism has blinded 'once upon a time' men of integrity like pastor Nevers Mumba, Sakwiba Sikota and Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika from condemning the blatant abuse of public resources by Vice-President Banda's campaign team.

He said it was sad to see people who were once hailed for their anti-corruption stance join hands with Vice-President Banda whose image was dented with corruption.

Sata said it was sad that pastor Mumba, Sikota, Aka and many others had thrown their principles to the wind. He said these people were part of the alarming abuse of public resources by Vice-President Banda.

"It is sad that people who are not even MMD members like Sakwiba Sikota and Ben Mwila are using public resources to campaign for Rupiah Banda. People like Jeff Kaande, even though it is immoral, can ask for a lift from Rupiah Banda but not Ben Mwila and Sakwiba Sikota. They belong to other parties...," Sata said.

"MMD can't prove if these people are being looked after using MMD money or government money. Sakwiba Sikota thinks going round with Rupiah Banda will help him for 2011, but it can't. In fact, he is not even making any impact and he will never make any impact."

Sata said pastor Mumba should consider resigning from the church because apart from embarrassing the church, he was a false pastor. He said pastor Mumba was holding the Bible in one hand while embracing corruption in the other.

"Nevers Mumba's presidential ambition is misplaced. And I understand why Levy Mwanawasa fired him. It was because he saw his naked ambition to be president," Sata said.

And addressing a huge rally in Samfya on Thursday, Sata pleaded with the people to forgive him for having adopted Joseph Kasongo. He said PF would in future adopt people who stayed in their constituencies and of high principles.

Sata promised that PF would be distributing fertiliser free of charge using chiefs and their headmen.

"And the ones charging fish levy, let them create their own river and put their fish there," said Sata to a loud applause.

In Serenje, Sata said PF would embark on massive construction of secondary schools. He said education should be for all people in the country.