Don’t bluff today, Sata tells Rupiah

Don’t bluff today, Sata tells Rupiah
Written by George Chellah and Patson Chilemba
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:05:22 PM

RUPIAH Banda must not be defensive but should address the donors' concern on corruption at today's press conference, Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has said. And Sata revealed that President Banda has already embarked on damage control measures, which include donations to make education minister Dora Siliya, who has been widely rejected, acceptable to the public.

Giving his thoughts on today's planned press conference to be addressed by President Banda at State House, Sata said the head of state must not bluff or be defensive but that he should address the donors' concerns on graft.

Sata advised President Banda to handle matters facing the country with seriousness.

"Frankly, we don't expect anything from Rupiah apart from him being defensive. But I would advise him not to bluff or be defensive for once. Let him address the donors' concerns on corruption," Sata said. "He should come out strongly and show his commitment to the fight against corruption because that's the message the donors want to hear. Tell him that no bluffing, let him not talk about his knee operation."

Sata said the international community wanted to know President Banda's stand on corruption and that he should for once be seen to be serious on the matter.

He said Zambians generally had very low expectations from President Banda's address.

"He should cease this opportunity and prove us wrong that what we think about him is not correct," Sata said. "He should come out in the open and say something about the numerous problems facing the country such as industrial strikes."

He urged President Banda to suspend the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) and channel the funds to other needy sectors.

"If he suspended the NCC the problems of strikes could be a thing of the past because that money they are wasting on the NCC can be used to pay nurses, teachers and other civil servants' salaries," he said.

Sata advised President Banda to rescue the country's Judiciary, whose integrity had been destroyed following High Court judge Phillip Musonda's recent judgment on newly-appointed education minister Dora Siliya .

"He has to reinstate the integrity of the Judiciary, judge Musonda has punched holes in the supremacy of the Supreme Court," Sata said.

President Banda is today expected to hold a press conference at State House.

According to a statement issued by State House special assistant for press and public relations, Dickson Jere, the press conference would begin at 10:30 hours and members of the diplomatic corps and accredited journalists that wish to attend the conference would be expected to be seated by 10:00 hours.

And Sata revealed that President Banda had embarked on damage control measures to make Siliya acceptable to the public.

"As if the embarrassment he has caused to the Judiciary is not enough, we have information that Rupiah himself has embarked on some damage control on behalf of Dora to make her acceptable to the public since she is a reject," Sata said. "We hear that very soon they will be travelling with Dora for the installation of a chief in Eastern Province and that a number of books have been bought for Dora to donate as education minister that side. It's very sad that Rupiah keeps on embarrassing himself and his government just over Dora and they continue being together."

Meanwhile, Sata said President Banda and the MMD would this time around not succeed in intimidating chiefs.

Commenting on MMD national executive committee (NEC) member, Judith Kapijimpanga's caution to chief Muchinka of the Lala people of Central Province against engaging in partisan politics, Sata said the more MMD intimidated chiefs, the more they would speak against President Banda's mal-functional government.

He said when it suited MMD, the chiefs were their darlings but suddenly become villains when they spoke against government.

Sata said President Banda did not condemn chiefs nor did he caution them to stay away from politics when they were endorsing him for the presidency last year.

"Rupiah Banda sent her to go and intimidate the chief because Banda knows that Judith is Bisa and chief Muchinka forms a boundary with Chundaponde. So he thought since she is the nearest, he could send her to intimidate the chiefs," Sata said. "But this time, it's too late, they won't succeed in intimidating chiefs."

Sata said chiefs would this time around be speaking loudly because they were also victims of poverty and false promises.

He said chiefs would never be used as instruments for rigging elections anymore.

"Tell Kapijimpanga that in 2006, they promised the chief to build a bridge. In 2008, George Kunda promised the chief the same bridge, and today it has not been done," said Sata.

Recently, Kapijimpanga cautioned chief Muchinka against engaging in partisan politics and demanded a retraction of the statements attributed to the traditional leader in the Saturday Post.

Kapijimpanga said she had been forced to meet chief Muchinka after reading the story in the Saturday Post where the traditional leader was quoted as having said that the ruling party would not bribe their way to victory in the forthcoming Chitambo by-election.