Maravi

HH condemns Mabenga’s appointment

HH condemns Mabenga’s appointment
Written by George Chellah and Patson Chilemba
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 5:34:38 PM

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema yesterday said President Rupiah Banda is corrupt and that the appointment of Michael Mabenga as deputy lands minister confirms the corrupt mannerisms of the whole government.

And FDD president Edith Nawakwi said appointments in government are now no longer based on service delivery but political appeasement.

Commenting on the appointment of MMD national chairman Mabenga, Hichilema described the appointment as a desperate move by a desperate President.

"It's a desperate move. It's totally out of desperation to try and appease the people of Western Zambia. I understand the MMD in Western Province gave some demands and that he wrote a strong letter to Simasiku Namakando (MMD Western Province chairman)," Hichilema said.

"But it's like Namakando stood his ground so as a desperate President he acted in desperation by appointing Mabenga."

Hichilema said Mabenga was basically a convict.

"He abused Constituency Development Fund. Everybody knows that and the High Court proved that. President Levy Mwanawasa couldn't appoint him because Mabenga had misused public funds. But he (President Banda) picks on Mabenga and ignores Mabenga's corrupt past. It's an act, which defies the fight against corruption," Hichilema said.

He said President Banda has never been committed to the fight against corruption and that the appointment of a person with a past like Mabenga's should not surprise Zambians.

"If the container is contaminated, will its contents be clean? The President is upholding corruption. He knows Mabenga's history. They are proving their corrupt mannerisms, they are contaminating the whole society. The whole government, including the President, is just proving their corrupt mannerisms and contamination society," he said.

Hichilema, who cited President Banda's recent meeting with the University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) said corruption was being peddled right in State House.

"Yes, he acted corruptly. He went to deal with UNZA problems with the union but he dished out brown envelopes publicly after they spoke against Dora Siliya. What can K10 million do? The corruption is being done right in State House. We don't want them to extend corruption to students. The appointment of Mabenga confirms the character, behaviour and mindset of the appointing authority...to have no embarrassment to force Dora on a government ministry," Hichilema said.

He said the demands by UNZA lecturers were genuine.

"Please, I make a request to this insensitive government to deal with UNZA problems so that the university doesn't close and not to corrupt students. It's irresponsible for the President to be corrupting students," Hichilema said. "If these students graduate and join the civil service, they will be corrupt. He is planting the seed at an early age. He is breeding corruption at UNZA, how does he hope to fight it in the civil service?"

Hichilema further urged President Banda not to provoke people.

"You heard at the Trade Fair, or is it in Ndola? We were being called names," Hichilema said. "You don't provoke people who are already angry. Anyway, I said last time that when a government is exiting, every move is wrong. That's why there was no protocol at Lwiindi. The situation was chaotic. The President himself was the protocol officer."

And Hichilema advised President Banda to withdraw the punishment he pronounced on health workers who went on strike.

"He must read the mood in the country. The mood is an angry one. He must withdraw that directive not to pay health workers salaries," he said.

He said President Banda's leadership has lost a grip on the country.

Hichilema also urged the police to be professional. He advised the government not to spend taxpayers' money by pursuing Post news editor Chansa Kabwela over 'labour' pictures.

And Nawakwi said appointments in government are now no longer based on service delivery but political appeasement. She said President Banda had appointed Mabenga in order to appease him.

"It is no longer about service delivery to the people but appeasement to the political cadres. You have heard the President when making appointments, say 'this one is a staunch member of the party'. So indeed Mr Mabenga is a chairman of the party," Nawakwi said. "This is strategic positioning of cadres in preparation for 2011."

Nawakwi said even if there was a court opinion against Mabenga, MMD has never been known to respect the courts. She said the ruling party also failed to respect a court ruling over the 72 vehicles.

Nawakwi said professionalism had been thrown to the winds because appointments were now based on nepotism, familiarity and political party connects.

"When professionalism is thrown to the wind, then you get cancerous effects of deep rooted corruption," she said.

Asked on what President Banda should do since most people had spoken against Mabenga's appointment, Nawakwi said she would not advise the President on anything because he always accused those who tried to advise him of insulting. However, Nawakwi said the Supreme Court ruling against Mabenga was the highest level of advice one could get.

Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MICHAEL MABENGA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 4:36 PM