Maravi

Prospect of impeachment proceedings against Banda cheer C/belt residents

Prospect of impeachment proceedings against Banda cheer C/belt residents
Written by Zumani Katasefa in Kitwe
Monday, May 04, 2009 12:23:36 AM

COPPERBELT residents yesterday cheered the prospect of commencing impeachment proceedings against President Rupiah Banda. And police officers in Kitwe disturbed the Patriotic Front (PF) peaceful demonstration, which was held to show displeasure at massive job losses in the mines and the increase in mealie-meal prices, after they prevented the crowd from passing through the city centre.

About 300 police officers were deployed in Kitwe to ensure order during the PF’s peaceful demonstration.

PF parliamentarians based on the Copperbelt and party vice-president Guy Scott led the protesters who were under strict guard by police officers in riot gear.

The protesters marched from Kitwe Fire Brigade offices to Freedom Park where PF leaders addressed them.

A horde of police officers blocked the demonstrators from proceeding to the town centre before going to Freedom Park.

At Freedom Park, PF president Michael Sata addressed the demonstrators, urging them to be united and not to be intimidated by police.

"We should continue working together, I heard that the police wanted to block you," said Sata through the phone.

He also condemned Kitwe district commissioner McDonald Mtine for trying to frustrate the peaceful demonstration.

When Kantanshi Constituency member of parliament Yamfwa Mukanga remarked that President Banda and his vice George Kunda should be impeached, the crowd at Freedom Park went in wild cheers.

He said when Parliament resumes sitting, the PF parliamentarians would begin the impeachment process of President Banda.

He demanded that President Banda and his Vice-President George Kunda must resign for supporting corruption.

Mukanga said those who died during the independence struggle would not accept to die again for Zambia if they came back to life because of the way things were being run in the country today.

Mukanga said Zambia needed credible investors to run the mines and not bogus investors who were just after making profits and not caring about their workers.

And Scott said Zambia was a very unfortunate country because it had no President.

"In our country, we are very unlucky; our friends in Zimbabwe, they are very lucky. They have three Presidents: President [Robert] Mugabe, [Prime Minister] Morgan [Tsvangirai] and President Banda," he said.

Scott condemned the police's behaviour to block the protesters who wanted to pass through the city centre and thereafter head to Freedom Park where they were to be addressed by their leaders.

"They think they can destroy PF, they can destroy Fr Bwalya... bacepa sana [they are too small]. They [police] came dressed like nyau dancers," he remarked.

Scott said the country had in the recent days heard a number of scandalous stories involving government leaders such as the Dora Siliya saga and now the US $53 million deal to procure mobile hospital units.

He said next week the nation would hear how some leaders in government gave their friends road maintenance contracts.

Scott urged the people of Copperbelt Province to remain strong.

"All we say to people of Copperbelt is be strong, we will reach there even with the gong’a [fake] Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), even with these police," Scott said.

And former Radio Icengelo station manager Fr Frank Bwalya, who was the guest of honour, said Zambia was contaminated.

He said the spirits of people who died from depression because they never got their benefits from companies such as United Bus Company of Zambia (UBZ) were haunting the nation.

"Because they died complaining, because they never got their money, their spirits are haunting us," he said.

Fr Bwalya, who asked people to observe a moment of silence in honour of those who died because of depression as they never got their benefits, urged people to help bring change in the country.

Fr Bwalya warned that the country risks going into chaos after the 2011 elections if the ECZ was not replaced with a more independent electoral commission.

"What happened in Kenya would not have happened if they had changed the electoral commission, people should not have been killed," he said.

"Ifi ndelanda fishinka ulefwaya ese anjikate [what I am saying is the truth, whoever wants, let him come and arrest me]," he dared.

Fr Bwalya said government leaders should have asked the mining companies to reveal the losses they were making due to the global financial crisis and the low copper prices on the international market before they could start retrenching workers.

And Roan member of parliament Chishimba Kambwili said government should not make a mistake to sell the Luanshya Copper mine to the Chinese investors.

Kamwbili wondered why President Banda fired Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) director David Kapitolo.

Nchanga Constituency member of parliament Wylbur Simuusa said there was no justification for job loses in the mines.

He observed that the price of copper had started going up.

Simuusa said as long as things continued going bad, PF would continue with its demonstrations.

Labels: IMPEACHMENT, PF, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 11:24 PM