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Rupiah has taught Katele a lesson – Sata

Rupiah has taught Katele a lesson – Sata
Written by Patson Chilemba and George Chellah
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 11:38:47 PM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday said President Rupiah Banda has taught Katele Kalumba and other MMD presidential hopefuls a lesson by saying he will be willing to recontest the Republican presidency in 2011. And former works and supply minister Dr Ludwig Sondashi yesterday said it was not strange that
President Banda has U-turned on contesting the 2011 Republican presidency.

Commenting on President Banda's U-turn that he was happy with calls for him to stand in 2011 contrary to his earlier statement last year that he would only rule for three years, Sata said President Banda had taught those who took him for his word a lesson.

He said President Banda was not a man one could trust because he had never been faithful to his word.

"Tell [MMD national secretary] Mr Katele Kalumba, if they want to believe Rupiah Banda, they are wasting their time because last time they campaigned on continuity and as soon as he was elected, he doesn't even mention the name of Mwanawasa. If he can abandon the person who brought him to the presidency, what about these novices like secretary general and national chairman?" Sata asked. "He [Kalumba] has been deceived and taught a lesson. If he is not careful, those MMD thugs are going to descend on him. You know he was told by [MMD spokesperson] Benny Tetamashimba to step down and he is more of a loner. My rebels are even more popular with Rupiah Banda and his fellows than Katele Kalumba."

Sata said those in MMD had now begun to learn the true colours of President Banda.

He said they supported a person they did not know but now he had shown them who he really was.

"There was no way Rupiah Banda was going to serve for only three years, and the way he is over-enjoying office without any plan, how do you expect him to step down? They [other MMD presidential hopefuls] need to be taught a lesson, that's when they are going to listen to Ludwig Sondashi that 'don't trust him [President Banda]'," Sata said. "He was their vice-president but they did not know him politically. He's teaching them a lesson."

Sata said the best thing the MMD presidential hopefuls who thought they had support could do was to get to the grassroots and start speaking the truth.

He said those who believed President Banda were just wasting their time and living in a fools paradise.

And Sondashi said it was not strange that President Banda had U-turned on contesting the 2011 Republican presidency.

"I knew that MMD will sponsor President Rupiah Banda for 2011 that's why I had to leave. If I stayed there, they intended to block me because the same people when I was there were saying that President Rupiah Banda will not stand in 2011 and now they have come out to support him," Dr Sondashi said. "I knew that they where going to endorse him so this is not strange to me. It's not strange that President Rupiah Banda has U-turned. I knew that he was going to U-turn, that's how he operates."

Addressing MMD cadres and civil servants who welcomed him at Livingstone International Airport on Tuesday, President Banda said he was happy with the MMD in Southern Province for endorsing him as the person they want to be the candidate for the party in 2011 presidential elections.

However, when the MMD adopted him as its presidential candidate in last year's elections, President Banda said he would only govern for three years.

On the appointment of four Cabinet ministers to be part of a seven-member petroleum committee, which would be responsible for formulating policies relating to the exploration, development and production of petroleum in Zambia, Sata said President Banda was talking about fighting corruption while promoting the vice on the other hand.

He said President Banda was creating the same mistake former president Frederick Chiluba made when he included Cabinet ministers in the privatisation process.

"There is a lot of money and contracts in this oil exploration. How do you include ministers in this exploration nonsense? And that's why ministers are following him, today Tetamashimba can say I don't know about the payments for hearses but tomorrow say he knows," said Sata.

The ministers appointed to sit on the petroleum committee include mines minister Maxwell Mwale [chairperson], energy minister Kenneth Konga [vice-chairperson], finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane and commerce minister Felix Mutati. Others are Bank of Zambia [BoZ] governor Dr Caleb Fundanga, energy consultant Andrew Kamanga and Guy Phiri from Engen Petroleum Zambia Limited.

Labels: ELECTIONS, KATELE KALUMBA, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 10:41 PM