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I’m willing to talk, work with Hichilema – Sata

I’m willing to talk, work with Hichilema – Sata
Written by George Chellah
Friday, May 22, 2009 2:32:42 PM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday said he is willing to talk and work with UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to liberate Zambia. And Sata warned President Rupiah Banda to be careful because the Swedish government's decision to freeze funding to the Ministry of Health citing abuse of development money meant that the country's health sector is doomed.

Featuring on 5 FM Radio's Burning Issue programme yesterday, Sata, who was responding to several callers who urged him to work with Hichilema and prepare for the 2011 elections, said he was willing to engage the UPND leader.

"If UPND and PF are willing to work together am willing to talk to anybody who means well for the liberation of Zambia including HH," he said.

Sata dismissed insinuations that he might betray Hichilema afterwards.

"Ifyo ulelanda ifya ku muchinjisha amano... ine ndi mukote ena mwaice, elyo ninkwata abaice abengi sana abanchinjisha amano mu PF [what you are saying about betraying... I am old, he is young I actually have a number of young people that have betrayed me in PF). What I am trying to say is Michael Sata does not own PF, HH does not own UPND but UPND and PF if we can start now serious discussions, serious programmes together we will be in a position to remove some of the obstacles," Sata explained.

"... Because some of the obstacles which we had like when we went to Southern Province UPND was talking ill against me instead of talking against Rupiah Banda. Now when they are talking against me, those people who didn't hear anything against Rupiah Banda they voted for Rupiah Banda. We need honesty in politics if we have no honesty in politics we have these problems."

He explained that to have political parties merge or work together were two different things.

"ZANU-PF and MDC they have not merged, they are working together. UPND has a constitution, PF has a constitution, UPND has structures, and PF has structures. I believe that if we have to do anything to tamper with the constitution all these structures must know and must be involved," Sata said.

"I have never been an enemy of UPND and I will never be. If there is anything, if I find anybody attacking UPND I will go to help UPND. People in UPND are fighting for the silent majority who have no voice. We leaders might have weaknesses but I think the people who are in opposition mean well and we should listen to them."

He criticised President Banda for sitting with former communications minister Dora Siliya's at the Zambia International Business Advisory Council (ZIBAC) meeting in Livingstone.

"Our elegant madam Siliya is not a government minister. She is not member of parliament for Livingstone, she has just finished appearing before a tribunal. And the President sees it fit to exhibit himself in public with madam Siliya. When people start seeing things of that nature they lose hope and when they lose hope they do as they like," Sata said.

"How does she find herself ... with the President miles away from Lusaka? She is not minister of commerce or finance minister. She is not a government minister in any field. We know she is beautiful, she is elegant but that's not a qualification for her to sit with our President in Livingstone representing Zambia."

Sata said President Banda's daring actions were not helping to stop or reduce corruption. And Sata warned President Banda over Sweden's withdraw of funding from the Ministry of Health.

"Comrade Rupiah Banda unless he is very, very careful, Zambia is heading for doom, Zambia is doomed because our health in Zambia is run by Scandinavian countries. Majority of the Scandinavian countries they are the ones who are providing all the facilities," Sata said.

"The British and the Americans are providing to a very small extent. And when you want to pair them there is very little Chinese influence in our health system in Zambia."

He encouraged Zambians to speak out on the ills the government was committing.

"The more you talk...now the international community is coming to help you because for example today, you have seen the Swedish government is withdrawing aid to the Ministry of Health that is applying sanctions. When the Swedish government starts they are all in European Union and if they are in EU the Chinese will not fill the vacuum," he said.

On hearses, Sata said the procurement was corrupt.

"President Banda sends some person to China to go and bring hearses. The whole thing is corrupt. They say they are spending US$29,000 to buy one Chinese junk called a hearse. Those junks we have got a person here in Lusaka who bought four of them," Sata said.

"They will not cost more than US$ 8,000 so who is pocketing the US$ 21,000? They are not costing US$ 29,000 we have them here and if Rupiah Banda wants I can go and show him where those vehicles are, the same vehicle costing US$ 8,000."

Sata called on President Banda to subsidise mealie-meal.

"We have subsidized him and if we have subsidized him why can't he subsidise our mealie meal? If we bring down the price of fertilizer, immediately you bring down the price of fertiliser, the price of maize will automatically come down. If you bring down the price of fuel the price of fertiliser will come down," he said.

On presidential candidates being degrees holders, Sata said it was not the degrees that deliver but one's commitment to Zambians.

He said amending the Constitution to please one person was not right.

"These people who have degrees should say thank you to the poor people who built the university. [South Africa's] President [Jacob] Zuma is a freedom fighter he is presiding over a country with more universities and more money than [works and supply minister Mike] Mulongoti and [local government minister Benny] Tetamashimba," said Sata.

Labels: ELECTIONS, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, OPPOSITION, PF, SATA, UPND

posted by MrK @ 1:35 PM