Maravi

Sata dismisses calls for dialogue

Sata dismisses calls for dialogue
Written by Lambwe Kachali
Sunday, December 14, 2008 10:13:38 AM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday said he will not be hoodwinked by President Rupiah Banda's calls for dialogue. And Sata disclosed that PF is drafting proposals to be given to President Banda on how high prices of mealie-meal affecting Zambians can be addressed.

In an interview, Sata charged that President Banda was not genuine in his calls for dialogue with the opposition and other stakeholders, saying if President Banda was serious, he would have put it in writing.

He said so far, the opposition and other stakeholders had no idea on what President Banda wanted to dialogue with them, taking into account the numerous problems Zambians were facing.

Sata accused President Banda of buying time in the name of dialogue because he knew that his government had no capacity to tackle the challenges Zambia was facing.

"Rupiah Banda's calls for dialogue with the opposition are not genuine. It is mere politicking because you see, we Zambians are not new to some of these manoeuvres. You remember when PF put the late president [Levy Mwanawasa] under pressure, what did he do? That time PF and serious NGOs like NGOCC, Women for Change, Oasis Forum and others, when we put Levy under pressure, he called an Indaba. But what has been implemented from the Indaba?" Sata asked.

"Because that Indaba was merely to hoodwink the public. That man was willing to dialogue. Now this man called Rupiah Banda, he is trying to buy time. He will find that every chief he goes to visit is actually going to tell him that 'we worked very hard for you'. Since Rupiah Banda formed government he has never proposed anything, which we are supposed to talk about. We don't want to go there and start admiring each other."

Sata said it was for that reason that PF had started drafting proposals that could help President Banda tackle high prices of mealie-meal in the country.

"Since Rupiah's government is dosing, PF will do it. We have already started working on something but I promise you, it will be presented to him before his budget because at the moment, he is finding difficulties even to put the budget for next year. Our proposal is not an Indaba, our proposal is to help him out. How we can reduce the prices of mealie-meal," Sata said. "I know why the cost of mealie-meal is very high in Zambia. It is because the cost of production is very high. We will make these proposals to him how to reduce the cost of production across the board because if we reduce the cost of production across the board, then the price of mealie-meal will be reduced. At the moment this man, he has no plans to reduce the cost of production and we want to show him how he can reduce the cost of production. And if he agrees to reduce the cost of production, the situation will be completely different."

Sata further said the statement by Zambia Centre for Inter-Party Dialogue spokesperson Langton Sichone had no basis. He said PF only respected Heritage Party president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda, saying the rest were President Banda's puppets.

"All other political parties campaigned with Rupiah Banda and they are still with Rupiah Banda," said Sata.

On Friday, President Banda reiterated his call to dialogue with the opposition and other stakeholders over high prices of mealie-meal and opposed planned demonstrations by PF.

Labels: RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 10:13 AM