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Rupiah, dora havea special bond – HH

Rupiah, dora havea special bond – HH
Written by George Chellah, Margaret Habbuno and Patson Chilemba
Sunday, June 21, 2009 3:26:08 PM

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema yesterday said it is clear that there is a special bond between President Rupiah Banda and education minister Dora Siliya. And Mission Press director Fr Miha Drevensek said the re-appointment of Siliya to Cabinet is a mockery to the justice of the country.

Meanwhile, chief Chikwanda of the Bemba people of Mpika district charged that President Banda's re-appointment of Siliya is not normal and straightforward.

Reacting to chief government spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha's challenge to him to prove his statement that President Banda and Siliya were inseparable following her recent appointment, Hichilema said President Banda likes Siliya so much more than the 12 million Zambians.

"It's clear that the President will always protect Dora. He came out to protect

Dora so much against public interest. He went ahead to defend her. It's clear that there is a special bondage between the President and Dora. What I mean is it's either Dora is a relative or she is involved in the shoddy deals in government so there is a special bondage. How can you appoint somebody within hours after the judgment?" Hichilema asked.

"What is so special about Dora that the public will cry that she is wrong and he goes ahead to protect her? Is Dora the only person who is fit to be minister? Shikapwasha's understanding is so raw so he can't follow debate easily."

Hichilema said Siliya had no moral and sane right to return to Cabinet.

"Dora is embarrassing herself and the people of Zambia. Whatever [High Court] judge [Phillip] Musonda said, the facts remain that she was wrong. Zambians will have the last laugh on this issue of Dora because they are bright and Dora and Rupiah will regret this action. Rupiah has slapped Zambians in the face by re-appointing Dora," Hichilema said. "The decision to re-appoint Dora is pure poor judgment and vested interest in the whole RP Capital Partners deal."

On revelations that most documents linked to the corruption scam at the Ministry of Health had gone missing, Hichilema said the ruling MMD and government officials involved in the K27 billion scam had destroyed evidence to kill the audit trail and exonerate themselves.

Hichilema described the revelation by Auditor General Anna Chifungula that the forensic audit at the Ministry of Health had delayed because most of the documents were missing as unfortunate.

"But it's not surprising. The question one should ask themselves is why are they hiding documents? It's because the scam is bigger than we think it is. The stealing is much larger or it's colossal than what has been reported. There is a lot more money missing than what has been reported," Hichilema said.

"The people involved know that things are catching up with them. They are hiding and destroying evidence so that the full extent of the stealing is not known. This confirms what we have been saying that the figure is much higher."

He said like every other scam the 'big fish' involved were the corrupt MMD politicians and government officials.

"They would deliberately find delaying tactics so that the trail is killed or covered up, so that they hide and they don't get discovered and eventually they continue stealing. There are people trying to cover up the trail and the amount of money is colossal so they want to conceal the evidence," Hichilema said.

"The big fish is the MMD politician so they are covering up the trail. They are urging the people in the ministry to destroy the documents so that they exonerate themselves. I have confidence in madam Chifungula and her team but her job will be made difficult by this systematic manipulation."

Hichilema said a responsible government should have acted quickly and earlier.

"They should have done more work to seal the loopholes. We have been vindicated, our figures have not been wrong but Shikapwasha has been arguing. Now what can this government do? Their capacity to do a good job has been impaired. They are the culprits so they would do everything to cover up," Hichilema said.

"Zambians are tired of this corrupt regime. They are busy talking about Rupiah Banda for 2011 and yet the chap has not even performed. MMD is on its way out."

And Fr Miha said the re-appointment of Siliya was a clear indication of something that was going on in the government adding that people needed an explanation.

"There is something fishy going on in the government that they need to explain to the nation. The people in government are so corrupt. What is so special about Siliya from these other ministers that we have in the country that she should be re-appointed even when the people of Zambia do not need her services?" he asked.

Fr Miha said the people who advised the President should endeavour to give him advice that would be beneficial to the country.

"Condoning corruption in the country will not help in the attainment of social and economic development. The judicial system should be independent. In this country there is a lot of government interference," Fr Miha said.

Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) president Reuben Lifuka said President Banda was slowly becoming an island because he were not moved by public opinion.

Lifuka said it was sad that President Banda had never told the Zambian people about the findings of the judge Dennis Chirwa-chaired tribunal which found Siliya to have breached the Constitution when she engaged RP Capital Partners to valuate Zamtel assets before partial privatisation.

"The President has not told the Zambian people what his analysis was on the tribunal that was set up. All he did was to tell the nation that he welcomed Siliya's resignation which is unfortunate. He should have explained to the nation what his findings as a President were on the tribunal as it had comprised a lot of issues," Lifuka said.

He wondered how the President expected Siliya to work with people who were annoyed with her.

"President Rupiah Banda is slowly becoming an island because he is not moved by the public opinion. He is forgetting that the people are the ones who will decide on whether he should continue ruling them," Lifuka said. "The judicial system in our country has failed and needs to redeem itself."

Patriotic Front (PF) youth wing national secretary Eric Chanda said President Banda had insulted the teachers, students and the MMD leadership.

Chanda said the re-appointing of Siliya as education minister was sad.

"It is not a hidden fact that Dora Siliya is arrogant and a failure who cannot manage university and college students, teachers and lecturers. She has got no agenda," Chanda said.

Meanwhile, chief Chikwanda charged that it appeared that the President re-appointed Siliya even before she was cleared by High Court judge Musonda.

He said President Banda's mind was already made up, and whichever way the case went, Siliya would still have been appointed minister.

"It is like he appointed her in advance, which is not good. He should have waited, 'is what Siliya is being alleged for true'? He wasn't supposed to do that [reappointing Siliya]. He was supposed to listen to people's views," chief Chikwanda said. "Is that how we are going about to be doing things? That is not straightforward."

President Banda appointed Siliya as education minister after judge Musonda cleared her of breaching the Constitution as found by the tribunal in the RP Capital Partners deal.

Earlier when some PF leaders paid a courtesy call on him, chief Chikwanda said President Banda's government had started to strategise on how to steal votes by starting the mobile registration of national registration cards (NRCs) in areas perceived to be the President's strongholds.

He said logic demanded that registration be commenced in areas with larger populations.

Chief Chikwanda said President Banda's government was cruel.

"Nibumambala sana sanafye [it is crookedness of the highest order]. The way of stealing," chief Chikwanda said of the ongoing mobile registration of NRCs. "They should have at least started the exercise in all the parts of the country."

Recently, home affairs minister Dr Kalombo Mwansa announced that the government would commence with the mobile registration of NRCs in North Western, Western and Eastern provinces.

Chief Chikwanda said he had failed to travel to Ndola for a due hernia operation because of the ongoing strikes by health workers.

Labels: CHIEF CHIKWANDA, CORRUPTION, DORA SILIYA, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MIHA DREVENSEK, RUEBEN LIFUKA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 2:26 PM