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Be angry with Rupiah, Hichilema tells Zambians

Be angry with Rupiah, Hichilema tells Zambians
Written by Chibaula Silwamba in Livingstone
Monday, June 15, 2009 3:15:56 PM

PF/UPND pact co-leader Hakainde Hichilema has charged that Zambians must be angry with President Rupiah Banda and his MMD government because they are corrupt, greedy and extravagant while women were giving birth at bus stops because of nurses’ strike.

Addressing the first PF/UPND joint rally here on Saturday, Hichilema said the PF and UPND had come together to do the correct thing and run the country better than the incumbent MMD. Hichilema said that his analysis of the Ministry of Health financial scam indicated that about K1.2 trillion might have been stolen from 20 ministries.

"People of Livingstone, seven months ago I was standing here telling you that don't vote for Rupiah mubwezeni ku munzi Banda because he can't run a country. I came here to tell you that the civil servants, policemen, nurses, teachers and everybody else the MMD cannot look after you because they are greedy, selfish and corrupt. I am sure today, you can prove me right," Hichilema said.

"I want you people of Livingstone to be agitated. Here is what I mean; if you follow what is going on in the country, a pregnant woman goes to the clinic; she finds that the clinic is closed because nurses are on strike because Rupiah Banda has taken all the monies. Now the clinic is closed, the pregnant mother goes back because the clinic is closed and she gives birth at a bus stop, she gives birth in a minibus. Are you not angry? You must be angry!

"You should not be happy to see a mother delivering at a bus stop because somebody has failed to pay the nurses and doctors well because they pay themselves a lot of money. That is what we call greed."

Hichilema observed that civil servants were underpaid hence the countrywide strikes.

"Rupiah Banda is on holiday forever. If he can cut his travelling we can pay nurses and teachers better salaries and our hospitals will be open and our mothers will be attended to when they are delivering," Hichilema said.

"Sometimes I get arrogant but I don't ask people like [Southern Province minister Daniel] Munkombwe for anything. But today I am asking Munkombwe to invite Rupiah Banda to visit Zambia since he lives outside Zambia all the time. Can he visit Zambia so [that] he can see how we are suffering? So, Mr Munkombwe sir, tell your President to visit Zambia so that people of Zambia can be benefiting from his presence in the country he is supposed to run."

Hichilema said the close to eight months President Banda had been in office had been a disaster.

"I am sending a message to Rupiah Banda and Munkombwe, 24 months is too long, very soon PF and UPND will decide to ask you to leave office much earlier. That is the decision we are going to make very soon," Hichilema warned.

"When you see a political party like the MMD appointing a minister for you in the Southern Province like Munkombwe who has no teeth in the mouth, you know there is a problem. I told you that Munkombwe is not capable of looking after this province or looking after a village."

Hichilema said Zambia belonged to over 12 million Zambians and not governing MMD members alone.

"When you choose to go into public office, you are a servant of the people. Not this situation where the MMD think they are little masters. Little masters of what? Little masters of stupidity?" Hichilema asked.

"I am angry because people are suffering. If you will be normal human being and you have a heart, you will not allow people to suffer the way people are suffering and you are flying all over using their money instead of giving money to the nurses, teachers and policemen."

Hichilema expressed concern at the rampant theft of public funds in government ministries and institutions.

"The first time you heard of the corruption at the Ministry of Health, you were told that it was K10 billion but it wasn't K10 billion. When Auditor General, a lady I know, Anna Chifungula went to do an audit, she found that it was actually K27 billion which was stolen," Hichilema said.

"But let me tell you now, I am talking to you as a professional, not as a politician. Let me tell you the full story; when you do an audit you normally do what is called sampling, choosing a few sections of a particular situation to test whether there is something wrong or not.

"Now, if you carried out a full audit, 100 per cent audit, from my professional [analysis] I have estimated that in the Ministry of Health alone if you did a full audit you will find that K60 billion is missing, your money has been taken away by few greedy people. Now, if you multiply K60 billion by just 20 ministries you will find that K1.2 trillion has been stolen from your coffers."

Hichilema said K1.2 trillion was a lot of money.

"…which when PF and UPND form government earlier than 24 months from now, we can pay teachers and nurses well, send our children to school free of charge,' said Hichilema.

He said the PF/UPND pact was strong.

"Anybody who wishes this pact ill, I am sorry sir or madam you are wrong. This pact has come to stay; this pact has come to liberate Zambia economically and socially," Hichilema said.

Hichilema also expressed concern at the poor state of the Zimba-Livingstone road, local roads and other infrastructure.

He bemoaned the reduction of hotel and lodge occupancy in Livingstone.

"What we will do is that we want visa fees to be removed so that tourists can come here, so that more can occupy our lodges, so that we can keep you employed; you don't get redundant," Hichilema assured.

He also expressed concern at the closure of a local market here because of poor sanitation.

"Me who loves the people of Zambia, today publicly I am announcing that I am donating a borehole and four toilets at Potters market so that we can open that market," he said.

Hichilema also introduced his wife Mutinta and late UPND founder Anderson Mazoka's widow, Mutinta.

And PF vice-president Dr Guy Scott, who continually mesmerised the gathering with his dances, songs and broken Nyanja speech, said the PF/UPND pact was formed following numerous demands from Zambians across the country.

"People are attacking this pact that 'where is your mandate?' You are the mandate. You are more important than a convention. You were the ones who demanded for the formation of this pact. Everyone was saying, 'HH president and Sata president join hands, you two serious opposition parties'," Dr Scott said.

Dr Scott also said Livingstone Central member of parliament Sakwiba Sikota won the seat because of his ULP party's pact with the PF in 2006 but since he had opted to work with the MMD this time around, he would lose his seat.

"If Sakwiba Sikota called a meeting here, there would be very few people. Sakwiba Sikota is serving water to nyama soya on the plane. We will remove him from this constituency," said Dr Scott. "If rebel MP Peter Machungwa came to Livingstone to hold a rally I think there will not even be dogs here."

Dr Scott cheered the crowd with his trademark song: 'Inanthenda ze hour, inanthenda ze hour.'

PF Nchanga member of parliament Wylbur Simuusa dismissed assertions that Bembas and Tongas could not work together.

"I was voted as member of parliament in Nchanga by Bemba speaking people and they liked me. You go and tell [MMD Chisamba parliamentarian Moses] Muteteka, [President Rupiah] Banda, MMD and those who are saying Bembas and Tongas cannot work together…tell them to go to Nchanga constituency and they will find the answer," said Simuusa, a Tonga.

UPND vice-president Richard Kapita said the opposition had previously lost to the MMD in elections because they went to elections as separate parties.

Kapita urged Livingstone residents to acquire NRCs and register as voters ahead of the 2011 elections.

UPND Mapatizya member of parliament Ackson Sejani outlined eight corrupt deals that had taken place within the eight months President Banda had been in office.

PF Munali member of parliament Mumbi Phiri urged women and youths to register as voters to remove the MMD from power in 2011.

"Most of our husbands are loafers; they are out of the country looking for jobs. Is it normal for a young person like me to be living alone? How can we fight HIV/AIDS because I am very active, my husband is not around? Our children have no jobs and they are not going to school," said Phiri. "Rupiah was taken from the farm and has to go back to the farm."

UPND Namwala member of parliament Major Robbie Chizyuka said: "Let's get rid of the MMD and move forward with Hichilema.

Labels: ELECTIONS, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, HEALTHCARE, MUMBI PHIRI, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 2:20 PM