Sata challenges KK over Rupiah

Sata challenges KK over Rupiah
By Patson Chilemba in Kasama
Monday October 06, 2008 [04:00]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata has asked Dr Kenneth Kaunda to reveal to the nation why he fired his relative Vice-President Rupiah Banda from NAMBOARD. Reacting to Dr Kaunda's statement yesterday that he would be a good minister and not Republican president, Sata said Dr Kaunda was trying to cheat people into believing what was not right.

"Dr Kaunda should keep quiet to maintain his dignity because if he provokes us, then he brings himself in the firing range," Sata warned. "He is destroying where he is sleeping because instead of coming out in the open that he is supporting Rupiah Banda, he is making some irresponsible actions which will bring negative consequences."

Sata said it was good that Dr Kaunda admitted that he Sata was a good minister and governor. He said Dr Kaunda should equally reveal to the nation why he fired Vice-President Banda from NAMBOARD.

"You don't need Dr Kaunda to tell you who to vote for. We have waited 44 years to clean the country, people have suffered including chiefs," he said.

Recently, Sata said Dr Kaunda fired Vice-President Banda from Lusaka City Council as governor for corruption. He said Lusaka lawyer Wynter Kabimba and former Ndola town clerk Emmanuel Chenda, who at the time worked for Lusaka City Council, stopped Vice-President Banda's corruption due to their alertness.
And speaking at the Kasama Saturday rally, Sata said Zambians have not forgotten Dr Kaunda's cruelty.

"Dr Kaunda is a cruel person because in this country we have pensioners but only Frederick Chiluba and Dr Kaunda are looked after," he said.
Sata said Dr Kaunda was not even ashamed that Chinsali district, where he hails from, had remained underdeveloped.

"Otherwise, we should have told late president Levy Mwanawasa to build him Dr Kaunda a retirement house in Chinsali," he said.

Sata also said he paid the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) television licence fees but that he was denied media coverage.
He also said people like retired politician Vernon Mwaanga had joined Vice-President Banda's campaign team because of poverty.

Sata asked Inspector General of Police Ephraim Mateyo to ensure that police exercised professionalism. He said recently, some MMD cadres shot at PF cadres in Lusaka and police did not do anything about the matter.

Sata told Kasama residents that time to share national resources equally had come. He said the PF government would establish a hydroelectric power station in Kasama and Mbala to mitigate the problem of power loadshedding by Zesco.
Sata further said the PF government would manage the Citizens Economic Empowerment Fund through banks, which had branches in almost all the districts so that people could access funds.

At the same rally, MMD Lusaka district chairman Paul Moonga resigned from the party to join PF. Moonga said he had resigned from MMD because Vice-President Banda could not guarantee Zambia's future.

Earlier, before he addressed the rally, Sata was welcomed into Kasama by a huge motorcade, which eventually led him to the President's Park where a massive crowd awaited to address them.

In Mpika on Friday, Sata said he was the only one remaining in his family because God had set him to deliver Zambians from their suffering.
Addressing a campaign rally at Chinamanongo, Sata said he was the best among the four presidential candidates, with a better vision for Zambia. He said his achievements and experience set him apart from other candidates.

Sata said he would have died before late president Mwanawasa but God refused to allow this to happen. He said even attempts by Kasama Central member of parliament Saviour Chishimba to stop him from contesting the presidency failed because God wanted it so.
"God doesn't give, he just brings near. God knows, in my family I have only remained alone. My parents and siblings have passed away. Why I have not gone with my friends, only God knows," he said.

Sata said it was sad to see opposition leaders like United Liberal Party president Sakwiba Sikota, FDD member Newton Ng'uni and Chishimba make a public shame of themselves by campaigning for Vice-President Banda because of desperation for ministerial jobs.
He said the three, including other opposition leaders backing Vice-President Banda, were doing so for their own selfish interests and not because they were interested in campaigning for the MMD.

Sata said Zambia was experiencing one of the worst taboos where some individuals were paying chiefs to earn their endorsement for the presidency.
However, Sata said once elected president, he would freely give chiefs the vehicles that were given to them by the government on loan.
"You won't pay anything, and what they have already cut from your pay, I will return back to you," he said.

Earlier, before he addressed the rally, Sata warmly hugged PF member of parliament and National Constitutional Conference (NCC) member Alfridah Mwamba who made a surprise appearance at the rally.

Mwamba arrived uninvited at the rally just minutes before Sata addressed the gathering.
A seemingly surprised but elated Sata hugged and warmly guided Mwamba to one of the VIP seats.

Mwamba was also given opportunity to address the people. In her address, Mwamba advised the crowd not allow themselves to be cheated the way they were cheated by MMD in 2006.

At the same rally, Sata introduced PF candidate for Kanchibiya parliamentary by-election, Davies Mwango.
Sata told Mwango to put service to the people first.