Rupiah’s speech is just a skeleton which needs meat, says Shakas

Monday, January 19, 2009

Rupiah’s speech is just a skeleton which needs meat, says Shakas

Rupiah’s speech is just a skeleton which needs meat, says Shakas
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Monday, January 19, 2009 7:20:04 AM

SCIENCE and technology deputy minister Jonas Shakafuswa yesterday said President Rupiah Banda's speech to Parliament last Friday is just a skeleton which needs meat to be put on it through the budget. And local government and housing minister Benny Tetamashimba said opposition Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata criticised President Banda's speech to Parliament because he is a very bitter man.

Commenting on President Banda's speech to Parliament on Friday and Sata's criticism of the presidential speech as a hollow and worst speech since Zambia's independence, Shakafuswa argued that the speech gave direction to the country.

“People can say anything about that speech. That speech is a direction; that speech made as an accumulation of all ministries and agencies, what they want to do. For someone to say it was hollow and it was nothing, it shows how hollow they are themselves,” Shakafuswa said.

“This thing of Zambians all the time trying to show that they are the best just shows how childish and immature our politics are, because of thinking of moving this country forward…okay let him give an alternative speech,” Shakafuswa said.

“To me that speech has brought direction. It's a skeleton; we need to put some beef on it. If there is a point which they find that it is empty, let them say this point is empty because of this and this, then we will be able to debate.”

Shakafuswa said opposition political party leaders were just making noise like little children who did not understand issues.

“They are talking like very small little kids; there is a lot of work to be done. Instead of guys all the times opening their empty mouths, I think the best thing is to concentrate and see how we can take this country forward,” Shakafuswa said.

“[UPND president Hakainde] Hichilema has made a statement that the government should put money in the mines…that is rubbish. Let him put forward the agenda in writing so that we can also criticise it. Let them put in an alternative speech. We had in UPND, when Bob Sichinga was vice-president, he had put up an alternative budget. Not this kind of politics we have got of just making noise without bringing forward something of substance.”

And Tetamashimba said whatever Sata says about President Banda emanates from bitterness after losing presidential elections three times.

“What he is doing is just sour grapes; he is just a bitter man. When he sees his friend [President Banda] speaking to the country and all the cameras focusing on him, he feels very bad. He is even going to be sick because he is thinking too much about that position. All he is saying is emanating from bitterness. He has failed to win elections three times,” Tetamashimba said.

He urged Sata to wait for the budget speech by finance and national planning minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane before he could say the government was taking the country in right or wrong direction.

Tetamashimba said problems caused by the global economic crunch could not be blamed on President Banda and his government.

“This economic crunch is coming from the US. There is no country on earth that can say they can't have that problem. Even if it was any other leader other than Rupiah Banda as President, this thing would have come the same way it has come. Zambia is not an island,” said Tetamashimba.

Labels: BENNY TETAMASHIMBA, JONAS SHAKAFUSWA, RUPIAH BANDA