Maravi

Rupiah, Shikapwasha are instigating violence - Hichilema

Rupiah, Shikapwasha are instigating violence - Hichilema
Written by Ernest Chanda
Thursday, June 18, 2009 10:56:51 PM

UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakaine Hichilema has charged that President Rupiah Banda and chief government spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha were the ones instigating violence in the country.

Addressing UPND and PF cadres who gathered at the UPND secretariat in Lusaka’s Rhodes Park area to show solidarity to him, Hichilema said he could not be cowed into silence when there were many problems in the country.

“Nurses and other civil servants are old enough to feel the impact of the problems they face every day. It does not require Michael Sata or Hakainde to ask them to go on strike. These are people who have families to look after and when their income is not enough they have a right to go on a strike,” Hichilema said.

“Rupiah Banda instigated strikes when he increased salaries for all his ministers immediately he came into office after stealing the vote. And now he wants to blame it on other people. We asked him to cut government expenditure and cabinet as away of dealing with the economic recession but he refused. We have also told him [President Banda] to stop being Mr Holiday but he doesn’t want to listen.”

Hichilema said he was not scared by threats of treason from government.

“I’m absolutely not scared of Shikapwasha’s threats of treason. I’ve warned him twice and this is the third time I’m warning him. Let me also ask God; ‘my God please remove Reverend Shikapwasha from your Kingdom because he has failed to perform’. The MMD is simply taking away attention from the pact which has sent shivers in their camp,” charged Hichilema.

Labels: RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 9:56 PM