Rupiah’s problems are self-inflicted, says Sata

Rupiah’s problems are self-inflicted, says Sata
Written by Maluba Jere
Sunday, December 21, 2008 9:25:37 AM

RUPIAH Banda's problems are self-inflicted because he has appointed dull and ignorant ministers like Benny Tetamashimba, Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata charged yesterday.

And Sata said council officials refusing to hold mayoral elections have taken a partisan stance and have therefore asked for a showdown which they cannot contain.

Sata yesterday said he sympathised with President Banda, who last week complained that there was no president who had ever faced problems like him, because those problems were self-inflicted.

“I actually sympathise with him when he says that no president has ever faced problems like him because these are self-inflicted problems; because he appointed a dull, primitive and ignorant Tetamashimba who is ignorant of the local government Act,” Sata said. “Even if we went to Solwezi local court, we shall win. We will implement the law because that is what we are dealing with. Tetamashimba, as MMD spokesperson, can yap senselessly; he can't intimidate us, he can intimidate Katele Kalumba and Michael Mabenga, but not Michael Sata.”

And commenting on Lusaka town clerk Timothy Hakuyu's refusal to conduct any election without the approval of local government minister Benny Tetamashimba, Sata said such officials were risking their jobs by supporting Tetamashimba's wrong decisions.

“Town clerks are risking their jobs for taking a partisan stance over this issue of elections for mayors and council chairmen,” Sata said. “Council officials like Hakuyu and Sampa [Kitwe City Council spokesperson] have taken a partisan stance [despite] knowing the law. We know that they are MMD trying to support Tetamashimba. Kitwe town clerk Ali Simwinga is the most senior council official and architecture of the current local government Act who should be able to provide advice to his colleagues.”

Sata has since directed all PF councillors to dismiss all council officials that have taken a partisan stance. He said even if such officials were dismissed for having taken a partisan stance, there would be no shortage of people to operate the councils.

“They should take action now against partisan council officials and they can dismiss them without reference to anybody or the ministry,” Sata said. “Even if they decide to go to court, we will defeat them because we are following the law and the law is very clear. These council officials have wasted too much of our time by not doing anything there simply because most of them are MMD. Either they shut up… but if they want to be loud mouths, then they are asking for a showdown which they can not contain.”

Sata said in 2006 when late president Mwanawasa took oath as Republican president, he said he would run a government of laws and not men. Sata said PF would follow that legacy to the letter.

He wondered how President Banda, who he said throughout his campaigns was talking about continuity with Mwanawasa's legacy, had now abandoned it by not following the law.

Sata congratulated Mufulira Municipal Council for electing a mayor and deputy and urged them to get rid of anyone who refuses to cooperate with them.

And Sata has refuted media reports that PF will not go ahead with its planned countrywide demonstrations against high mealie-meal prices. He said what he had said about the demonstrations still stood adding that what he was calling for was coordination from all towns.