Maravi

‘Kunda should apologise for fooling people of W/Province’

‘Kunda should apologise for fooling people of W/Province’
Written by Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Saturday, April 04, 2009 4:05:26 PM

A LIVINGSTONE veteran politician George Akufuna has asked Vice-President George Kunda to apologise to the people of Western Province for fooling them.

In an interview, Akufuna said Vice-President Kunda's statement in Mongu on Wednesday that the people of Western Province were special because they saved the MMD from Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata's wrath in the last elections was made on fools' day and uncalled for.

“The MMD has been fooling the people of the Western Province for two terms now. It is not true that Kunda went to thank the people of the province for having voted for the MMD during the Presidential by-elections following the death of president Levy Mwanawasa. He just went there to try and kill UPND president Hakainde Hichilema's visit to the area recently,” he said.

Akufuna, who is former Livingstone UPND district chairman and founder member of the MMD in the tourist capital, said history had shown that the province despite propelling the MMD into office had not been fully rewarded.

“It is an insult to the people of the Western Province and I want him to answer me on this. Since 2001 people believed that Mwanawasa won due to the influence of Luapula and Northern provinces hence the removal of Enock Kavindele as [then] Vice-President to allow Nevers Mumba in as a reward for the votes,” Akufuna said. “In 2006 we all know that Michael Sata could have been President had it not been the Western Province which retained Mwanawasa and also during the last by-elections Sata nearly won again until we changed the outcome. But we have not been rewarded by the MMD for the post of Vice-President. Now Kunda goes there to fool us.”

Last Wednesday, Vice-President Kunda said the Western Province was a special place because its people helped the MMD survive Sata's wrath during the last presidential elections.

“The votes we got from here were key to ensure that we survive the last Presidential elections…When we were neck to neck with one of the opposition candidates Mr Sata, we were frightened but when the results from here came we were saved,” Vice-President Kunda said in Mongu when he paid a courtesy call on the Litunga.

Labels: GEORGE AFUKUNA, GEORGE KUNDA, UPND, WESTERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 3:05 PM