Maravi

Rupiah fears he might call Sata ‘Satan’

Rupiah fears he might call Sata ‘Satan’
Written by Chibaula Silwamba in Siavonga
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:13:30 AM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda on Friday told Siavonga residents that he does not like to mention Patriotic Front (PF) leader Micheal Sata's name because he might make a mistake to change it to Satan. And Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe said political parties criticising and shouting at President Banda will be put to sleep and by the time they wake up in 2011 it will be too late for them to win the elections.

Addressing MMD cadres that welcomed him at Siavonga High School, President Banda in apparent reference to Sata said he did not want to mention the name of the opposition leader because he might add the letter ‘N’ at the end of his name which would turn out to be Satan.

"I am here for the first time after you elected me to become the President of Zambia; you deserve my deep felt thanks for the support that you gave me and my party. I know some of you are saying, 'no! But we didn't vote for you'! You voted for someone else. You voted for me. That is what democracy is all about, in an election every Zambian has got a choice, they decide who they themselves personally will vote for but at the end of the day the one that gets the majority is the one that becomes the President and all of us become his responsibility to look after and to pay attention to their needs," President Banda said. "As for the Southern Province, you gave me enough votes to make me President; I was number two at all the stations where the voting was taking place in the whole of the Southern Province. In the valley alone, from the tallying that we were able to establish, I received over 27,000 votes from you people alone, that is enough, that is more than the difference between myself and that other gentleman whose name I don't like to mention otherwise I will make a mistake and add an ‘N’ at the end of his name."

He said he hoped that during the next election, Southern Province would give more votes to the MMD.

"It's up to us now to perform and prove to you that we are worthy of your support," he said.

And when he saw Siavonga High School pupils, who came out of their classes to see him in the football ground where his helicopter landed, President Banda said he would like to build more schools and universities to enable young people become educated and competitive in the world.

"I can see the students at this school a lot of them beautifully clad in their uniforms. That is what I like to see," said President Banda as the pupils cheered. "I would like to see more schools being built in our country and more and more of our young people getting the opportunity to learn from there to the next stage so that they become effective competitors in this competitive world."

He said that he hoped to open more companies during his tenure.

"I hope that within the next three years when I am President, I can open 100 more new companies, more new development schemes in our country so that we can be able to build more hospitals, more clinics, more schools, more universities and everything developmental that our country requires," said President Banda.

And Munkombwe urged opposition political party leaders not to just criticise the government and President Banda but join hands with the ruling party to improve the welfare of Zambians.

"I know that many people are floating above, criticising us but let them continue floating, we are coming in bringing development to the door steps of the people, to individual households and we are not worried about their shouts, let them shout and be put to sleep, by the time they realise it will be 2011 and they will see that they are nowhere near us," Munkombwe said.

He also said the government had taken development to all corners of Southern Province including Siavonga district.

"We are striving to grade roads with the equipment which your late dear young brother negotiated for in China, we have six graders and we have started in Livingstone, we will end up here," said Munkombwe.

MMD Southern Province chairperson Solomon Muzyamba said people in the province had woken up and started to support the ruling party as evidenced in last year's presidential election results.

"The province is calm; the party is doing very well. You may have notice the big difference it made in terms of votes, what the province garnered in your favour as opposed to past election, a clear sign that the province is waking up, the province has decided to join the bandwagon in supporting the MMD and its leadership," said Muzyamba."It is also gratifying that your first visit to the province should be to interpret the manifesto of the party that says that the party stands for development of the country and your Excellency you are coming to commission a development project [that] makes me and the province very happy."

Labels: CADRES, DANIEL MUNKOMBWE, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 9:12 AM