Maravi

I’m the most cheated person, says Rupiah

I’m the most cheated person, says Rupiah
Written by Mutuna Chanda in Solwezi
Saturday, April 18, 2009 4:40:14 PM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda on Thursday evening told MMD members that he is the most cheated person in the country. And President Banda revealed that some people gave him three bags full of money to kick-start his campaigns for the presidency last year.

Meanwhile, North Western Province minister Joseph Mulyata assured President Banda that people in the area would vote for him as head of state and the MMD in 2011.

Addressing MMD members at Royal Solwezi Hotel at a party officials' meeting that comprised members mainly from North Western Province and a few from Copperbelt Province, President Banda said people who wanted to get favours from him spoke ill of each other and went to report to him.

Sources who were in the meeting said President Banda said he was able to tell who was lying to him by virtue of being experienced.

"The President made reference to one civil servant who used to ignore him before he was Republican President but that after he became President he said 'you fit in well as a President, unlike [late president Levy] Mwanawasa; he was very bad'," the sources disclosed. "Then he also said there are people who have some sort of a register; it's like they mark that whoever goes on a trip with the President and those people who are usually with the President on a trip become a target of ill talk. He even gave an example that some people would even go to the extent of concocting lies about a person whom he was probably with at the time, that that person was reportedly holding dark corner meetings with the opposition. But he said he was able to tell that those were just lies."

The sources disclosed that the MMD members demanded before President Banda that they be helped in accessing Citizens Economic Empowerment (CEE) funds.

The sources said President Banda directed commerce minister Felix Mutati to explain to them how they could access the CEE funds.

"President Banda told us that since not everyone can access these funds, they should choose capable people who can access these funds and do business that would succeed such that when cadres are in need of help they could access it from these people," the source disclosed. "He also urged us not to find extra wives when we access CEE funds."

The sources said the MMD members also petitioned President Banda that they be recognised at official government functions.

"Rupiah told us that it's not possible that all of us in our large numbers could attend a government function but he advised that whenever there was a government function, they could choose say at least 10 people to represent the party and this could be done on a rotational basis to allow as many people attend government functions," the sources disclosed. "The President told us that we should feel free to attend these functions because they belong to the ruling party."

The sources said President Banda said when he was adopted as MMD presidential candidate during the 2008 by-election, the party did not have sufficient campaign funds such that he even wondered why he accepted to be adopted as candidate.

"He said of the K400 million which the MMD had in its ZANACO account, K200 million was supposed to be payment for work that some people had done for the party, so only K200 million was remaining," the sources disclosed. "So he said that he conferred with his wife [Thandiwe Banda] and wondered why he had accepted to be adopted as candidate because there was no money for campaigns. He explained that the wife said 'don't worry, God will bless'. He then said the following day some people brought to him three bags full of money and that that's how they kicked off for the campaigns. He then said that they would go for campaigns for maybe four days and when the money finished, he would call off the campaigns but that he would be surprised that whenever they got back to Lusaka the following day, more money would be given to them in bags by wellwishers who were encouraging him that 'go and do the campaign so that when you win you would look after us well'."

The sources said President Banda said people could only give money to a party that had a following.

"The President said that even if some papers were portraying pictures as if a certain party had a lot of people and he said that he couldn't even mention this paper because the MMD cadres knew it but that it was good enough because business people knew where to take the money; they were taking money to a party which had a following which was MMD," the sources said.

Another source disclosed that President Banda told MMD cadres to know the programmes of the party if they wanted to perpetuate the MMD's rule in power.

The source said President Banda urged the MMD cadres to learn from the Communist Party of China and UNIP whose cadres knew the programmes of the parties, hence their respective long stays in power.

"He said the Communist Party in China would continue ruling the 1.4 billion people of China because the members understand the party's programmes," the source disclosed. "He also said that UNIP was able to rule for a long time because the members knew the programmes of the party which they were able to explain to people. So if the MMD wanted to rule many years beyond 2011, the members also need to know the programmes of the party and explain them to the people."

The source disclosed that President Banda also said this year's MMD card renewal exercise would be held and that when party elections were held, all members were free to contest any position.

"On elections for the MMD presidency, he said anyone was free to contest but that people should be careful not to say nasty things when campaigning because if they lost, they would still be needed to work together with the President and the party," the source said.

The source disclosed that President Banda also made the Copperbelt MMD choir repeat a song which was denouncing PF leader Michael Sata that he would never rule Zambia.

"The President made the choir sing the song that was sang at the airport again and even danced to it together with the women. The song was saying that Sata would never rule Zambia," the source disclosed.

According to the source, President Banda repeatedly referred to Sata as a serpent.

The source disclosed that President Banda turned down an invitation to officiate at an MMD fundraising dinner dance, which was scheduled for Friday evening in Solwezi.

The source said President Banda explained that his doctors could not allow that as he would be strained due to his tight schedule.

The source said President Banda also said the teeth he had were not only for eating and laughing but for biting.

The source said President Banda said he could bite to instil discipline in the party.

"The President also said when he appointed [former science deputy minister Jonas] Shakafuswa some people said 'how can you reappoint Shakafuswa?' Then I said 'azapunzila ni mwana' [translated he will learn, he is still young], then he continued misbehaving'," the source said. "He also said [former energy deputy minister Lameck] Chibombamilimo was quarrelling with civil servants and threatening them that they would feel his weight. He said he expected Shakafuswa and Chibombamilimo to be remorseful but that they were not."

And sources disclosed that local government minister Benny Tetamshimba assured the MMD cadres that their financial empowerment was being addressed.

The sources said Tetamashimba bragged that President Banda's leadership had done more and was the only one that had managed to deliver 10 bales of MMD chitenge materials in each of all the 150 constituencies, 30 days after the 2008 presidential election.

Meanwhile, addressing MMD cadres who had gone to welcome him at Solwezi Airport on Thursday afternoon, President Banda said the purpose of democracy was not to fight or insult each other.

"We the Zambian people opted for democracy; we decided that we'll have democracy where everybody can express their political views by joining the parties of their choice," President Banda said. "We did not change that the purpose of this democracy should be to insult each other or to fight each other or to call each other bad names. That's why I myself, as the President I understand why those others are very much pained by the victory that I acquired. They don't like it; they wish it was them, unfortunately it is you who decides who is going to be your next President."

In an apparent reference to Sata, President Banda said the opposition leader "fell so badly" that he was targeting him through criticisim.

He said this in response to a song that the MMD Copperbelt women's choir sang which was asking detractors to let President Banda work and rule the country.

"Mulekeni Banda abombe mwamutenya tenya eh! Mwamutenya tenya eh! Mwamutenya tenya mwefipuba! [Translated let Banda work; you fools have disturbed him!]," the women sang as President Banda sang along briefly through the chorus, though in a low tone that was barely audible.

President Banda also praised Lumwana and Kansanshi mines as well as Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) for being the only copper mining companies that were operating fully despite the economic downturn.

He said though the government was a target of criticism that it had not done anything, it had only been in power for a few months with a national budget that was approved in Parliament in the last few weeks.

President Banda said no one could perform magic in implementing things immediately because it took time to implement some of the projects.

However, he promised to deliver within the means of the government and that his administration would work.

He said his administration was mandated by Zambians to work for them and that he would ensure delivery.

He urged Zambians to work with civil servants on the ground in delivering development projects.

He also called for investors to exploit mineral extraction in North Western Province.

He said the province was endowed with so many minerals.

President Banda thanked the people of North Western Province for having voted for him and that his administration would work to deliver as mandated.

And Mulyata assured President Banda that people in the districts of North Western Province had told him that they would vote for the MMD and President Banda in 2011.

He said North Western Province was peaceful and that the people only desired development.

President Banda was accompanied by mines minister Maxwell Mwale, Felix Mutati [commerce], Dr Brian Chituwo [agriculture], Peter Daka [lands], Sarah Sayifwanda [gender], Tetamashimba [local government], aides and other top government officials.

Meanwhile, a group of drunk Solwezi youths mobbed President Banda's motorcade at Solwezi market as he was being driven from the airport to Royal Solwezi Hotel where he was due to meet MMD cadres.

This happened as President Banda's Toyota Landcruiser VX, which was among the vehicles in the entourage slowed down at the humps at the market.

The youths, many of whom flocked from nearby bars lifted their bottles of beer and mobbed President Banda's vehicle.

President Banda waved at the youths while they blocked the vehicle for close to three minutes.

Police and other security officers panicked as they jumped out of their vehicles trying to keep the drunk youths away from President Banda's vehicle.

Labels: JOSEPH MULYATA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:41 PM