Rupiah deserves best liar medal – Sata

Rupiah deserves best liar medal – Sata
Written by Patson Chilemba and Chibaula Silwamba
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 4:34:52 PM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday charged that President Rupiah Banda is lying over the mobile hospitals and deserves a medal for being the best liar the country has ever had for President.

And Chinese government special representative on African affairs Ambassador Liu Guijin in May said the "Chinese government did not play a role in this [US $53 million mobile hospital] deal, and it might be a business dealing between the Zambian government and a private Chinese company."

Commenting on President Rupiah Banda's statement that the US $53 million for the mobile hospitals was an offer from a foreign country to the Republic of Zambia, Sata said the President lied because it was the Zambian government, which planned to contract a loan from a Chinese bank [Exim Bank] to procure mobile hospitals.

He said Chinese government officials had in fact expressed ignorance over the move by the government to procure mobile hospitals.

Sata said President Banda's lies over the mobile hospitals deal were an indication of his interest in the matter so that he could personally benefit from the purchase.

"Rupiah Banda is lying. Let that government which is giving us mobile hospitals tell us and not the Zambian government telling us. Normally when a foreign country is helping, the ambassadors will tell us what they intend to do. Rupiah Banda is benefiting, that is why he is lying. Liars have a bad memory or no memory at all. When the issue of mobile hospitals became public knowledge, government confirmed that they were supposed to contract a loan to bring those mobile hospitals. Surprisingly when one of the Chinese officials came from Chinese foreign affairs in China, the Chinaman did not know anything," Sata said. "Today, Rupiah Banda is telling us that a friendly government is giving us. Can His Excellency Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda be kind enough to tell us who is this foreign government which is giving us mobile hospitals and nurses and everything? Where is it going to get the language? He is just bluffing and that is why he is praising [Frederick] Chiluba. Let him tell that government of his to give us money to refurbish and build extra hospitals rather than those wheels."

Sata said it was very sad to have a liar for President who was only interested in himself and not the people he was elected to serve.

He said President Banda did not care for Zambians because he knew that he would soon vacate the Republican presidency.

Sata said President Banda wanted to leave the country in problems.

"We have had four presidents. We had Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Mr Frederick Chiluba in his mischief, he did not make it public. Levy Mwanawasa was busy fighting corruption. With nine months in office, our President should get a medal for bluffing and being the best performer in lying," Sata said. "He definitely lied by saying it is free of charge. And these same friendly countries, we need to know their involvement in the health sector. Where have they emerged from because we have not seen them in the last 45 years?"

Sata said President Banda should also clear the air if it was true as he said in Mansa that the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) and Sweden as partners had resumed funding and that the European Union (EU) was committed to helping the country financially.

Sata said in contrast, Netherlands Ambassador to Zambia Harry Molenaar recently said donors that had withdrawn funding to the Ministry of Health following revelations of corruption were still waiting for some conditions to be fulfilled before funding could be resumed.

UPND president Hakainde Hichilema described as surprising President Banda's contradictions over the mobile hospitals.

He said listening to President Banda's lies, one would end up saying "God forgive us" because the nation was really being misgoverned.

"They told us that they were setting a tender process when the matter broke up. But would you tender for a donation? I have never seen a government which is so insensitive to the public. This government is a revelation of everything that is bad," Hichilema said.

Featuring on a special programme on Radio Yangeni in Mansa last Friday, President Banda said mobile hospitals were offered by a foreign country to Zambia.

"The US $53 million we are referring to, that is an offer from a foreign country to the Republic of Zambia and that includes medicines and doctors, nurses, equipment, fuel, water and all that is required in a mobile hospital is provided by them. If you were in my position, I am sure you would accept that and that is side by side we will continue with our programme of mobile hospitals," said President Banda. "These hospitals will not be funded from the budget. If we are taking money from the budget in order to introduce the mobile hospitals, then the arguments that the opposition are raising would be valid. But this is a programme for which a foreign government is prepared to fund. It is their suggestion. They are prepared to give us in excess of US $50 million in order to provide these facilities to us. Surely, who am I to say to the people who are giving us the money which will go directly to the rural areas... and these hospitals are not for the cities, these hospitals are for the most rural. Where there is a road where these hospitals can go, it will go. If they can't go, then of course, they can't go. We will send an aircraft or a four wheel-drive."

But on May 4, 2009, during his visit to Zambia, Chinese government special representative on African affairs Ambassador Liu Guijin said the Chinese government did not play any role in the US$53 million mobile hospitals deal.

"As the Chinese government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs we are totally not aware about the deal. The Chinese government did not play a role in this deal," Ambassador Liu said. "Actually I am not aware about the US $53 million deal you are talking about. I have not been briefed about that before I departed from Beijing. But anyhow it might be a business dealing, I am not personally aware about that. The [Zambian] government will make judgment on that but anyhow business is business. There is nothing on government to government level. That is a 100 per cent pure commercial business, maybe from one of the Chinese companies who wish to sell that equipment to you."

Chinese Embassy charge d'affaires in Lusaka, Wang Ni also said: "This is definitely a business."

However, he said the Chinese firm that wants to supply the equipment to Zambia was a big company.

"They [CATIC] approached your government, your Ministry of Health to promote a kind of advanced equipment and it's up to your ministry or your government to assess whether this equipment is suitable to your needs. This is a commercial interaction," Wang said.

In April this year, some donors supporting the Ministry of Health in various ways had questioned the Zambian government's intention to purchase a mobile hospital for each of the nine provinces in the country to a tune of US $53 million [about K301 billion].

Sources within the donor community told The Post that the Zambian government was in the process of acquiring a US $53 million loan from EX-IM Bank of China to facilitate the acquisition of the mobile hospitals from a Chinese firm called China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC).

"It's surprising because government officials are saying, 'there is no deal which has been sealed concerning mobile hospitals'. They are saying, 'what is going on at the moment is consultation over the same matter.' They say that this issue is in its infancy," one of the donors said. "But we know that this is not correct because we are aware that the PS [permanent secretary] of the Ministry of Health Dr Velepi Mtonga had sometime back written a letter to the tender board [now Zambia Public Procurement Authority], asking for a waiver for them to single source these mobile hospitals. We are also aware that the tender board granted them the authority to single-source and as we speak, these documents are on their way to the Attorney General's office for approval as per procedure. From what we hear, even the tender board was reluctant to give them [Ministry of Health] authority for single-sourcing."

According to a proposal letter signed by CATIC project marketing and development division managing director Zhang Yan to Ministry of Health permanent secretary Dr Velepi Mtonga, nine mobile hospitals would be required to cater for all the nine provinces in Zambia.

Zhang stated that CATIC thinks that the concessional loan from EX-IM bank of China was still a good financing method that the Ministry of Health could consider applying for, for the funding of this project.

According to CATIC's commercial proposal for mobile hospital dated January 6, 2009 and signed by Zhang, the final payment terms shall be approved by the Chinese government and the EX-IM bank of China.

When contacted for comment, health minister Kapembwa Simbao said: "I have no comment right now."

But Dr Velepi Mtonga said she and other officials from her ministry were scheduled to meet the donors but could not disclose whether the meeting was on the mobile hospitals or other issues.

Asked if the Ministry of Health would go ahead to get a US $53 million loan and proceed with the mobile hospitals project, Dr Mtonga had responded: "Which programme? I can't give a comment right now. Or maybe you talk to the spokesperson [of the Ministry of Health] he will be able to give you the information."

Reminded that there was information that technocrats in the Ministry of Health were opposed to the mobile hospitals projects, Dr Mtonga responded: "I am not aware of that. Thank you. Bye."

On May 2, 2009, President Banda said the concept of mobile hospitals is a "damn good idea."

"It was the Chinese who offered. We haven't even discussed it, we have not even approved it. So I don't know where they got the idea that...I didn't say we are against it because I think they are a damn good idea but the proposal came from them, from the Chinese, yes," President Banda had said.

But in a letter dated April 28, 2009 and addressed to DFID head in Zambia Joy Hutcheon, Dr Mtonga stated that the concept to procure mobile hospitals from a friendly country was highlighted by President Banda during this year's official opening of the third session of the tenth National Assembly.

However, Dr Mtonga stated that in the case of the mobile hospitals, the Ministry of Health had not yet firmed up its decision to acquire the facilities as stated in the proposal from CATIC.

She stated that the ministry was still looking at whether it was feasible and cost-effective to undertake such an investment in the health sector or a modified version that would suit Zambia's needs.

She stated that as things stood now, the Zambian government had not signed any contract, agreement or loan towards implementing the mobile hospital concept.

Dr Mtonga stated that government was still consulting with the Ministry of Finance and National Planning on the feasibility to set up mobile hospitals.