Maravi

It’s sad for Siliya to rejoice over Zambian Airways closure – Sata

It’s sad for Siliya to rejoice over Zambian Airways closure – Sata
Written by Lambwe Kachali
Monday, January 19, 2009 7:12:38 AM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday said it is sad for communications and transport minister Dora Siliya to rejoice over the fall of Zambian Airways.
And Sata has asked President Rupiah Banda to immediately write off or defer debt payment that Zambian Airways owes Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and National Airports Corporation as a means of rescuing the company from collapse.

Commenting on Siliya's statement that Zambia did not have US $30 million to help Zambian Airways pay off the debt it owes ZRA and National Airports Corporation, Sata said it was wrong for the minister to rejoice over the airline’s suspension of operations when the government had the capacity to bail it out and save jobs for hundreds of Zambian citizens.

Sata reminded Siliya that the government had given foreign investors 15-year tax holidays at the expense of local investors.

And Sata advised President Banda not to allow himself to be wrongly advised by what he termed “political bootlickers” such as Siliya and others


“Mr Banda was there when people were flattering Kenneth Kaunda. Dr Kaunda had more bootlickers than genuine people. In 1991, all the bootlickers were telling him, ‘sir you are very popular and you will win' and Dr Kaunda thought he would win indeed,” Sata said. “Now Rupiah Banda has started in the same direction. Rupiah Banda should know how similar bootlickers ditched him when he was fired from NAMBOARD, how they ditched him when he lost the job as governor in Lusaka. It's too early with these bootlickers in his government among them Dora Siliya, Peter Daka [science and technology minister], Catherine Namugala [tourism minister], George Kunda [Vice-President], Benny Tetamashimba [local government minister] and George Mpombo [defence minister] among others. If he is not very careful with these people, they are going to make him so unpopular that he will become irrelevant very soon to this country. Dora is cheating Rupiah saying, ‘sir, we don't have US $30 million. In fact, there is Zambezi Airline, so why should government help Zambian Airways. No! Dora is misleading Rupiah. Most foreign investors are enjoying tax holidays of up 15 years, contributing nothing to our national treasury. For example, KCM doesn't pay tax on petroleum products. So, why can't this government either write off the debt or defer the payment because ZRA and National Airports are government institutions? Why can't they rescue Zambian Airways? Why can't this government also give Zambian investors tax holidays the way they have done to foreigners in order to encourage our local investors?”
Sata wondered why the government was tolerant with foreign investors and not local entrepreneurs. He said the aviation industry in Zambia would not be the same without Zambian Airways because the company made the country proud across borders as it carried the national flag.
“The problem is that Rupiah and his bootlickers want puppet Zambian investors. America is strong today because it supports indigenous business community. South Africa is strong because of supporting its local business community. But here, we prefer foreign investors because foreign investors are easy to be manipulated when it comes to corruption. These ministers can easily threaten them to say, ‘we are going to withdraw your work permit if you don't give us money'. That's what this government is doing. Let them show me any Zambian investors the country can rely on. Is it Superior Milling with three bags of mealie-meal, GBM with two busses, Willy Nsanda with two busses, Euro Africa with two busses? No!” Sata said. “Anyway, I sympathise with Dora because she is ignorant, she is very dull, and she is full of jealous of others. Dora was just a newscaster at ZNBC and she doesn't even know how tough it is to run an airline.”
Sata urged President Banda to stand on his feet and assist the airline from collapsing because the repercussions would be unbearable on the national economy.
“Rupiah should stop listening to these political bootlickers because they will tarnish his name. If he really wants this economy to grow, Mr Rupiah Banda should bail out Zambian Airways without fail. He should not remain silent because this is a national matter, it will affect the lives of many people and will definitely affect our economy,” said Sata.

Labels: DORA SILIYA, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA, ZAMBIAN AIRWAYS

posted by MrK @ 7:14 AM