Maravi

Rupiah is being dubious like Chiluba, says Sata

Rupiah is being dubious like Chiluba, says Sata
Written by Mwala Kalaluka and Lambwe Kachali
Saturday, January 10, 2009 7:45:24 PM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday accused President Rupiah Banda of engaging in dubious tendencies similar to those of former president Frederick Chiluba in his bid to subsidise maize through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).

And Sata charged that President Banda and finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane have nodded a K26.4 billion funding to procure new vehicles for ministers even before the 2009 budget is approved.

Featuring on Radio Yatsani's MISA-Zambia sponsored Good Governance programme, Sata said President Banda was hoodwinking Zambians on the issue of maize subsidies.

He likened President Banda's decision to subsidise maize to Chiluba's dealings with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Katanga governor Moses Katumbi and Paul Steele over the provision of cheap maize to Zambians during his tenure of office.

Sata said the characteristics of the current government's maize subsidy pledges were a repeat of what happened in Chiluba's administration.

"Last year, 2008, this government spent K50 billion on the NCC. Can you give me what justification? If that K50 billion was not spent on the NCC, they could have subsidised maize," Sata said. "Today they are saying that they are subsidising maize, they are lying. It is a repeat of what happened to Frederick Chiluba. Frederick Chiluba brought Moses Katumbi and Paul Steele. When he brought Moses Katumbi and Paul Steele to bring cheap food to hoodwink the people, they brought cheap food."

He said by the time late president Levy Mwanawasa came into power and probed the plunder of national resources during the Chiluba administration, Steele and Katumbi had become powerful and prominent people in their own right than was the case with Chiluba who was dealing with them.

Sata said the government had disclosed a few weeks ago that the FRA had no maize and that there was need to import maize stocks.

"We were told they are going to import maize. We were told how much they were going to spend on importing maize," he said. "The President goes for a ten-day holiday and maize starts flowing from Chipata. Where is the maize in Chipata? There is no maize in Chipata."

Sata said he was speaking on things that transpired during Chiluba's presidential tenure and relating them to what was happening in the current leadership, from experience and not mere speculation because he was part of it.

Sata also said even if the issue of the PF 'rebel' members of parliament takes years to resolve, the affected individuals should consider themselves one-time parliamentarians.

He said the PF was not seeking favours from anybody but the people of Zambia on the above issue.

"These by-elections are long overdue," Sata said. "There is no order that is stopping us from disciplining them."

And Sata said a lot of money that was being spent on procuring motor vehicles for 66 ministers were a permanent cost than the temporary costs that could arise from having by-elections in 17 constituencies.

"Comrade Rupiah Banda and his [Dr Situmbeko] Musokotwane he has been able to spend, even before the budget has been released, K26.4 billion to buy 66 land cruisers for ministers," Sata said.

Reliable sources in the Ministry of Works and Supply also confirmed that plans were underway by the government to procure new vehicles for all ministers in President Banda's administration.

Ministry of Works and Supply permanent secretary Lieutenant Colonel Bizwayo Nkunika, who is on leave, referred all queries on the matter to the acting permanent secretary Bupe Kaonga, who however could not be reached.

"I do not know, because the acting PS is dealing with the matter," said Lt Col Nkunika.

But works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti said there were no plans to procure new motor vehicles.

"We have just re-allocation. All those who were deputy ministers, who have become Cabinet ministers, it means they have taken over from those who were Cabinet ministers," he said. "What we have done is to reallocate the vehicles from those that have left."

Mulongoti said there would be no procurement of new vehicles unless where there was a shortage.

When reached for comment on the matter, finance deputy minister Chileshe Kapwepwe, who could neither deny nor confirm the issue, said the question was not ordinary, saying required the submission of a press query before she could respond to it.

Finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane would not answer his mobile phone.

Meanwhile, Sata disclosed that he had instructed his councillors at Lusaka City Council to get back and discuss the council budget, which they recently refused to discuss.

However, Sata, who described local government minister Benny Tetamashimba as somebody who was practical at destruction and ignorant, said even if the councillors discuss the budget it would only be approved after the national budget had been approved.

On the PF's expectations from the 2009 budget, Sata said there was nothing that would take the people of Zambia forward in this year's budget because all the issues were concentrated on consumption.

Sata also said President Banda had deviated from the norm by allowing about 41 senior army officers to unnecessarily remain on contract at the expense of junior officers that crave for promotions.

Labels: KATUMBI, PAUL STEELE, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA, SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE

posted by MrK @ 7:46 PM