Rupiah has set himself for failure, says Lubinda

Rupiah has set himself for failure, says Lubinda
Written by Patson Chilemba
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 8:32:42 AM

RUPIAH Banda has set himself for lamentable failure by attempting to cripple The Post, Patriotic Front (PF) spokesperson Given Lubinda charged yesterday. And Lubinda said it will be unacceptable for the government to issue a report on the investigations of Zambian Airways without allowing neutral institutions to also conduct their independent audits.

In an interview, Lubinda said the ideals of The Post shall live on.

He charged that President Banda desperately wanted to cripple The Post because he was allergic to the truth.

"Let it be said to Rupiah Bwezani ‘nkongole’ Banda that The Post has weathered many storms. We the Zambian leaders have not forgotten the kind of storms that The Post was subjected to right from inception. As for me, I can safely say that this is not the last of the upheavals The Post will suffer," Lubinda said. "It is expected in life that those who speak their mind, live by their word, those who wish to defend the truth, the suffering majority, shall always be enemies of those in power. Was Jesus Christ a friend of the Pharisees? He wasn't."

Lubinda said no amount of persecution and intimidation by President Banda and his friends would be enough to destroy The Post and its editor Fred M’membe. He said The Post represents ideals which could not be vanquished and shall transcend persecution.

"That feeling is the one that gives me confidence that this, our beloved country shall produce more Post newspapers, shall produce more and even better Fred M’membes," Lubinda said.

According to intelligence sources, the government planned to arrest M’membe and Zambian Airways chief executive officer Mutembo Nchito last weekend over the airline’s debt with National Airports Corporation (NAC). The sources said the planned arrest of M’membe was aimed at weakening The Post while Nchito’s arrest would enable President Banda to derail the prosecution of former president Frederick Chiluba.

But information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha last Friday said Zambian Airways was being investigated as a follow-up to observations made by members of parliament concerning its financial relationship with NAC.

Zambian Airways suspended operations due to high operational costs caused by the rise of fuel prices.

And Lubinda wondered why the financial difficulties of privately-owned Zambian Airways had attracted so much attention from the government.

He said many public and private companies had gone down without so much noise from the government.

Lubinda said naturally society was suspicious on the matter because of the euphoria created by President Banda and his friends.

"You recall that when the minister of communications and transport [Dora Siliya] issued a ministerial statement on Zambian Airways, she repeatedly stated that directors of Zambian Airways had brought problems upon themselves because they were making political decisions," Lubinda said. "Is it a political decision to invest in an airline that needs financial investment?"

Lubinda said investigations by the government over Zambian Airways were predetermined and therefore private investigators such as the civil society and trade unions should conduct their own investigations to ensure credibility to the process.

Lubinda said he did not advocate mismanagement of resources and disagreed with the notion that directors of companies who face financial problems should be criminalized.

Recently, justice deputy minister Todd Chilembo called on civil society and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to leave investigations on Zambian Airways to competent investigative agencies.