Maravi

MMD cadres protest over control of bus stations, markets

MMD cadres protest over control of bus stations, markets
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Friday, January 30, 2009 3:09:16 AM

MMD cadres on Tuesday protested at the Lusaka International Airport demanding that the government leadership intervenes to ensure that the MMD takes control of bus stations and markets in Lusaka City from the opposition Patriotic Front (PF).

The incident happened when the cadres, mostly youths, were waiting to welcome President Rupiah Banda who was returning from Tswane in South Africa where he had gone to attend a Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit.

The cadres were only restrained by the police who ordered them to go somewhere else to protest and not make noise at the VIP car park, where they were threatening to beat up some party officials they suspected were sympathetic to the PF.

The cadres said they wanted to run the bus stations to recruit new members and generate revenue for themselves.

"We now want to benefit because we suffered during the campaigns. We also want to be fat. Rupiah Banda looks after people so even us youths, we want to benefit not just few people in leadership positions to be having fat bellies," the cadres shouted. "We don't want to be deceived."

Some MMD officials struggled to restrain the cadres from protesting.

After some officials managed to pacify the situation, Jim Gondwe addressed cadres, saying their complaint was genuine.

He told them that he would forward their complaint to local government minister Benny Tetamashimba and Lusaka Province minister Lameck Mangani to see how they could be helped to reclaim control of bus stations and markets.

Gondwe said former local government minister Sylvia Masebo was responsible for MMD cadres to lose control of bus stations and markets and now that Tetamashimba was the minister, he would rectify the situation.

"There is Teta, he is in charge and there is Mangani, he’s in charge of power. They are holding the power. You will have back these bus stations. I will talk to Mangani and Teta over this issue," assured Gondwe.

The police blocked the slogan-chanting cadres from passing through the check point to the runaway area, where the cadres and government officials receive the President.

The cadres were only allowed entrance after some youth officials negotiated and assured that the cadres would not cause confusion.

Labels: CADRES

posted by MrK @ 3:09 AM