M’membe, Nchito must not be intimidated – Sata

M’membe, Nchito must not be intimidated – Sata
Written by Chibaula Silwamba in Lusaka, Mutuna Chanda and Zumani Katasefa in Kitwe
Monday, March 30, 2009 7:10:56 AM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday charged that the summoning of Post editor Fred M'membe and Zambian Airways chief executive officer Mutembo Nchito by law enforcement agencies is President Rupiah Banda's ploy to divert the attention of the public from rampant corruption in his government.

And Radio Icengelo station manager Father Frank Bwalya yesterday said President Banda has again made a mistake over the summoning of M'membe on allegations of stealing over US $1.7 million from National Airports Corporation.

In an interview after he attended a Nyanja church service at St Peter's Catholic Church in Lusaka's Garden compound yesterday, Sata said M'membe, Nchito and other Zambians must not be intimidated by President Banda.

“Rupiah Banda is just diverting attention from the so much corruption in the country and his government so that the whole radio, TV, the whole government media will all be full of M'membe and Nchito when they are stealing money. They are diverting attention. You look this side the money is gone,” Sata said.

“I have challenged this government before; they should not use intimidation. If they have done a warn and caution statement, let them effect an arrest. Unless they can effect the arrest, they are just using government money and government agencies to intimidate people.”

Sata said the police, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) were being used by President Banda and his government to intimidate people perceived to be critical because the heads of those law enforcement agencies were on contracts and had no security of tenure.

“[Police inspector general Francis] Kabonde knows that if he doesn't do as he is told by Rupiah Banda, he is going to be fired. The man at DEC and the woman at ACC, it's the same thing. That is the problem we have,” Sata said. “This is just the beginning. The more frustrated Rupiah Banda becomes, the more brutal he is going to be. He will even start killing people because some of the things he is doing are unheard of. Just know that I warned you during campaigns [last year] and you didn't believe me.”

Sata said Zambians must never allow themselves to be silenced and intimidated again.

“Kenneth Kaunda managed in silencing the people of Zambia, in intimidating the people of Zambia beyond repair. As you heard the sermon of the priest in church, people were scared because you didn't know who was next to you. People were scared that somebody is going to report them and this is the regime that Rupiah Banda is creating,” Sata said.

He said Zambians did not shed their blood during the independence struggle for them to be suppressed by black rulers.

“What M'membe and Mutembo Nchito are going through, I have been through. To use government money to intimidate and silence people - that is not what people died for. That is not what we want. That is not what people fought independence,” Sata said. “The reason why Rupiah Banda is creating this regime [is] because he hasn't got any programme whatsoever. Because if he had a programme, he wouldn't mind what people are doing and what they are saying? When they criticise him, he should find out why they are criticising him.”

Sata said President Banda was too sensitive to criticism, even constructive criticism.

“Anybody who says Mr Banda to him he has been insulted. He is going to expel everybody from the MMD. After all he doesn't care. What he would love to do is to destroy MMD because he is not MMD. The people who are supporting him in destroying MMD are not MMD. So because he is not MMD if he can destroy MMD probably he is going to bring UNIP.”

And Fr Bwalya said President Banda was fond of misunderstanding situations.

“The way I look at this whole thing is that it's part of Rupiah's plan to defuse the tension that is building around him,” Fr Bwalya said. “Unfortunately, Rupiah is fond of misreading situations and so again he has made a mistake because the people of Zambia know that he appointed himself the judge of this case a long time ago. He passed judgment and announced the judgment to the whole world. So what is happening now is a formality and this has been their tactic; even for the elections he announced that he had won before the people voted. So our going to the polling stations was in vain; a formality but he should know that when his friend (Frederick) Chiluba was in power, he did not realise that he was going to pay for the sins of abusing the judicial process.”

Meanwhile, Roan Patriotic Front member of parliament Kambwili Chishimba has accused President Banda's government of trying to victimise M'membe because he was telling the truth about the current government.

“They are trying to silence The Post by victimising M'membe. But they should know that M'membe is not The Post and The Post is not M'membe; that is being stupid,” Kambwili said. “To arrest M'membe would be very stupid.”

Kambwili said President Banda's government would be short-lived because of the way it had started to fight the press.

“Any government that fights the press does not last long; this government is short-lived. Rupiah should know that his government would extinct like the white Rhino,” said Kambwili.

And Fr Bwalya warned President Banda not to take Zambians for granted and described as foolish the reasons advanced by police to cancel his scheduled press briefing at Kitwe's Buchi Hall yesterday.

Fr Bwalya said he decided to comply with police directives to cancel his press briefing because he was not a fool.

In a letter to Fr Bwalya dated March 28, 2009, Danwell Kasonde, on behalf of the commanding officer, informed the priest of the cancellation of the briefing.

“With reference to your notification to hold a public function dated 24th March, 2009 and Post Newspapers advert of 27th March and 28th March 2009, you are hereby informed that the same is cancelled,” stated Kasonde. “The reasons for cancellation being that the newspaper advert is contrary to reasons given in your notice and secondly, the Buchi Hall, the venue cannot accommodate the people you have invited to the function. You are therefore advised to make fresh application which will take into consideration the concerns raised above. Kindly inform your would-be audience accordingly.”

But Fr Bwalya in response gave the proverbial saying of 'handing a fool enough rope for him to hang himself'.

“There's a saying that ‘give a fool enough rope and he'll hang himself’. The reasons the police have given are foolish and because I am not a fool, I know what I am doing and I am doing it for millions of people in Zambia, far beyond the few Zambians that voted for Rupiah. I have decided to comply. So I'm not going ahead with the press conference today [yesterday] but the press conference is not the agenda,” Fr Bwalya said. “The press conference is not the cause, it's not the commitment to change or we die and I also need to emphasise that there is a new liberation struggle that has been born in Zambia and this new liberation struggle has been hatched in the hearts of the ordinary people of Zambia. The MMD cannot enter the hearts of people; the police cannot break the door to the hearts of people so that they can go and tear the initial letter giving people the go-ahead to do what they want. So essentially the police have torn the agenda but the meeting goes on because the agenda was already adopted at the beginning. So tomorrow morning (today), I'm going to the police first thing to notify them about my meeting now that I have addressed the issues they raised in the letter informing me about the cancellation of the press conference.”

Fr Bwalya said the police knew very well that he did not need their permission to hold a briefing.

“So if they are going to do anything funny to stop the people, then they will realise that power belongs to the people and that together we own Zambia,” Fr Bwalya said. “I therefore wish to warn Mr Rupiah Banda to stop manipulating the police. He needs to know that this is not UNIP culture even though he may be UNIP himself. I spent a lot of money, time, spiritual and moral effort and he has spoiled my 'wedding' and as my food goes to waste because people can't come to the 'wedding' reception, Rupiah Banda is happy but he should know that he has made people shed tears; he has made people to mourn because they wanted to come and listen to me and since people have actually been mourning since the death of president Levy Mwanawasa, I warn him not to take the people of Zambia for granted; his days in State House are numbered and afterwards there will be judgment and it will be Rupiah Banda versus the people of Zambia.”

Fr Bwalya urged the good people under President Banda's leadership to leave.

“I therefore call upon good men and women who are still in the sinking and corrupt ship of Rupiah to jump out to safety and comfort because Rupiah Banda has shown that he's not the kind of captain that will stay when things go bad,” said Fr Bwalya. “So we'll go ahead with our planned meeting; it will be better, more effective and powerful now that the MMD, by abusing the police, have given us time to do more work. Finally, I call upon all the people in Zambia whose cause I champion to remain calm and not allow themselves to react in the manner this corrupt government of Rupiah wants us to react. Let them know that we are non-violent, we respect the Constitution of Zambia and that we'll do everything democratically and legally so they should wait for further instructions.”