MMD has abused me – Siulapwa

MMD has abused me – Siulapwa
Written by Chibaula Silwamba in Livingstone
Monday, May 25, 2009 3:41:58 PM

NEW Generation Party president Humphrey Siulapwa yesterday said that the MMD has been abusing him and his colleagues for the last five years to campaign and defend government programmes without rewards. And Siulapwa said President Rupiah Banda would like to seek a second term of office because State House is magical.

Addressing the press at Hotel InterContinental Lusaka, Siulapwa, who last year vigorously campaigned for President Banda and the MMD, said he had not benefited a single thing from the MMD government, and threatened to de-campaign the governing party in 2011.

"Yes! Actually, they are using us and we are not prepared to be used forever, only a fool can be used forever. I, as president for the New Generation Party, am not going to accept to be abused or used forever," Siulapwa said.

"We want a portion of the national cake to come to the New Generation. Ici Bemba chitila ati, pakwakana ubunga tapabenshi? Tapaba insoni. Batupeleko na ifwekalya ka K40 billion [In Bemba they say: when sharing mealie meal you should not feel shy. They should also give us part of that K40 billion]."

He said he and his colleagues in the party had nothing to show that they had benefited from the MMD after campaigning for its candidates.

"There is too much selfishness in MMD. As the New Generation Party, as you all may be aware we have been supporting government and MMD for the last five years but we have got nothing to show for it. Me, in particular, I have put in everything to support government, I have been called all sorts of names as a person who has been bought by the MMD, people think that I chew with MMD, I don't and I have never chewed. They eat the national cake alone," Siulapwa said.

"I have even risked my life to ensure that President Banda is in State House today and the MMD continue as the ruling party but today the leadership of MMD - the ministers, the party leaders they can't even see me. During campaigns they were open 24-hours, we could call them even at 2am, and they would say, ‘young president come here,' and we do the programme and campaigned but today they are too busy. You phone them, outside coverage area."

He observed that it had become a culture of the MMD to abuse others and after the President wins the elections he becomes "too busy."

"When President Banda went to State House, I had an opportunity to meet him once on 4th December last year and we agreed that we have to meet again to discuss the issues especially pertaining to empowerment of the youths of this country," Siulapwa explained.

"But every time I phone requesting to meet the President they say, ‘no he is busy.’ I have even gone to the airport to see the President and he is willing, he said, 'Mr president I want to meet you.' But when you phone State House desk, it's another story. We are being denied access to our President and we are not happy. The President now has become a luxury. The MMD has failed to look after us as the New Generation, we need jobs but they have failed to create jobs for us."

Siulapwa said the MMD government had "killed" the jobs left by UNIP government.

"A youth must either be in school. If that youth is not in school that youth must be working. Unfortunately in our country today, the majority of the youths are not in school and they are not working. If you look at the learning institutions that we have; first of all they are not adequate, secondly when they are available they are expensive and beyond the reach of the majority of the young people," Siulapwa said.

"But the greatest need of a youth in Zambia today is a job. The majority of the young people who are supposed to be working are not working. Every morning when they wake up, they have no plans, they don't know where to go and what to do, day in day out."

He recalled that when the MMD came into power in 1991, in its manifesto it promised to create jobs but it had not done so to date.

"When the UNIP government was going out there were about one million formal jobs but today as we speak there are less than 500,000 formal jobs. In the last 18 years that the MMD government has been in power, they have killed more than 600,000 jobs," Siulapwa said.

Meanwhile, Siulapwa said it was clear that President Banda wanted a second term of office contrary to his promise last year.

"Mr President, you told me and you told Zambians that you only want to rule Zambia for three years. As president of the New Generation Party, I stood on the platform and I told the young people of this country ‘vote for President Banda, the man is now old he just wants three years and after three years you will take over.' Do you remember that? But it looks like things have changed. It is now very clear that President Banda is going for a second term," Siulapwa said.

"Mr President, we have no problems with you going for a second term, it's your legal right but Mr President you have to show reasons why we as the New Generation must support you in 2011. Mr President, you need to do something very drastic to win our support."

However, Siulapwa said he could not say that President Banda lied last year when he said he would only serve for three years.

"You know State House is magical. I have never been there but I have already heard that it is very magical. What you think before you go there is different from what you think when you go there," Siulapwa said.

"The most important thing is that, is he legally allowed? After all the Bible says, 'a wise man changes his mind'. He has changed his mind."

He demanded that the MMD justify why the New Generation Party should continue supporting it after being disappointed for five years.

"If things continue the way they are in the next two years, I wish to state categorically today that the MMD must forget about forming government in 2011. The same vigour we used to campaign for them, is the same vigour we will use to de-campaign them," Siulapwa warned.

"President Banda should take stock of the people around him both at State House and in government. Mr President, these people, if you don't check them out they will bring problems for you and they will bring you down."

Siulapwa accused ministers of accessing huge funds from the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) at the expense of ordinary Zambians.

"I am told there is a minister who got K1.5 billion, another prominent person who got K1 billion. Is that morally fair? No!" Siulapwa said.

He said the youths had not benefited from the Youth Empowerment Fund.

Siulapwa also demanded that the Electoral Commission (ECZ) start voter registration within three months, failure to which his party would take radical actions.

In September last year when he endorsed the candidacy of then Vice-President Banda, Siulapwa described the MMD candidate as a gift from God.

"We subjected each candidate to factors like the Constitution, prudent financial management, diplomacy, foreign policy and good governance, we feel Rupiah Banda is Zambia's gift from God," said Siulapwa adding: "We have seen what the MMD has done especially for the youths in the country. Mr Banda has promoted youth empowerment and a better manifesto than any other candidate."