Banda’s anger is fertile ground for anarchy, says Lubinda

Banda’s anger is fertile ground for anarchy, says Lubinda
Written by Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone and George Chellah in Lusaka

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) spokesperson Given Lubinda has said President Rupiah Banda's anger is fertile ground for anarchy in the country. And PF president Michael Sata warned that violence breeds violence and Zambians will now start protecting themselves since the government and the police can longer guarantee them safety from MMD cadres.

In an interview, Lubinda said the violence of MMD cadres was a well-orchestrated scheme initiated on President Banda's table.

"You may recall the venom he vented out against The Post when dismissing Jonas Shakafuswa [Katuba member of parliament] and Lameck Chibombamilimo [Mpulungu member of parliament]. He threatened The Post. The projected type of anger when he said that he would follow people against him into their constituency and finish them is a wonder that cadres are doing what they are doing because he has set the stage for Post attacks. Anger by Rupiah Banda is fertile ground for anarchy because cadres think that is the way he wants to govern the country," Lubinda said.

"Most of you young journalists are too young to remember the era of UNIP vigilantism. This was spearheaded not by vigilantes but by people occupying high posts in UNIP, the party and its government, the PIG. And people like William Banda and Rupiah Banda were leaders of the strategy so they know how to organise vigilantism. It is not surprising that those old tactics are coming back. However, that must be condemned by all peace loving Zambians."

Lubinda said history had many cases of how dictators started by killing the independence of the media in pursuit of total control of power.

"It is therefore our God given duty to defend our democracy and protect our country from relapsing into any form of tyranny," Lubinda said.

He said unlike late Levy Mwanawasa, President Banda's ascendancy to the presidency was a fluke because he had retired from politics for a long time.

Lubinda also said the fight against corruption was extremely dampened by President Banda's loud silence.

"Ever since Rupiah Banda became President, he has not spoken against corruption. We have not heard him speak against corruption except for once when he went to visit the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) during the campaigns for the presidential elections. Over and above that his stand over the Dora Siliya tribunal was an indication that he is not going to fight corruption if the ones who are in it are amongst his kin and kith and amongst his loyalists," he said.

He said Vice-President Kunda's stance on corruption was equally not firm.

"What is even worse is that his [President Banda's] deputy the Vice-President George Kunda has never been known to be firm on the fight against corruption. George Kunda is even prepared to fight against any laws that are meant to enhance the fight against corruption," Lubinda said. "You will recall that George Kunda went and shot down my proposal to amend the judicial code of conduct to compel members of the Judiciary to make declaration of assets, liabilities and incomes. George Kunda went to Parliament and called that amendment draconian.

"He also shot down my proposed amendment to the ACC Act, where I wanted that all civil servants, starting from permanent secretaries, accountants and all others, who handle public funds to be compelled to make annual declarations of assets, liabilities and incomes. We are being governed by people who have not shown that they are serious in the fight against corruption."

He said those working with President Banda and Vice-President Kunda feel protected because of the duo's relaxed approach towards corruption.

"I fear that there will be much more corruption now because of the open support that Rupiah Banda and George Kunda are wiling to give to people just because they happen to be their friends or they happen to be their loyalists," Lubinda said. "The country should brace itself for increased levels of corruption and should also brace yourself for government attacks against people who want to fight corruption. We should all brace ourselves for harder times because the Rupiah Banda regime is determined to protect their friends and punish those who are willing to expose the stinking face of corruption."

And Sata said the nation must not expect President Banda to stop the violent attacks on Post journalists by MMD cadres because the head of state condones violence.

"You don't expect State House under Rupiah Banda to do anything against the MMD violence and attacks on the media and other political parties because Rupiah Banda was there when the late leader Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe was beaten at Luburma market when he formed UPP. So don't expect Rupiah Banda to stop this violence," Sata said. "Even from the speech he gave in Katete where he said 'you should chase those that don't come from here'. If he himself can instruct people to chase other tribes, how do you expect him to stop this violence? If Rupiah has even identified foreigners within the Zambian community and he wants them to be chased from those areas, how he is going to stop this violence?"

He condemned information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha's justification of violence against The Post.

"He must be told that violence breeds violence. He is just a disgraced general. When he encourages violence like this and the police are not doing anything, we are all going to start protecting ourselves now," he said.

Sata said President Banda was condoning corruption in the country.

"Rupiah Banda wants to survive through bribes and corruption. Even the money they spent on the Indaba was not budgeted for. Wasting money through the National Constitutional Conference (NCC), wasting money on the indaba and wasting money by going to Kafue National Park, everything, it's plunder," Sata said. "We don't even know how much these labour leaders got from his handshake at Kafue National Park after they met him. Even these issues of unretired imprest by [North Western Province Minister Joseph] Mulyata and others, that imprest can never be recovered. So there is no way they will recover that money and that is corruption too."

He also questioned the logic behind President Banda's decision to host a meeting with labour leaders in Kafue National Park.

"The levels of unemployment are high on the Copperbelt. The mines are being closed on the Copperbelt, how does the President take the discussions to Kafue National Park?" Sata asked. "It would have been much easier for him to go to the Copperbelt and meet those unions there. He is misusing the money which is supposed to subsidize and create employment for the people of the Copperbelt through his unnecessary expenditure in Kafue National Park meeting these people."

He accused the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) of having been compromised.

"At the moment there is no labour movement, the labour movement is led by Leonard Hikaumba, who has gone to meet Rupiah at Kafue National Park while the problems are on the Copperbelt and workers are suffering. ZCTU has passed its usefulness and has been heavily compromised because some things they are doing are unacceptable, very unacceptable," said Sata.