Maravi

Rupiah has lost the grip on MMD – Sata

Rupiah has lost the grip on MMD – Sata
Written by George Chellah and Patson Chilemba
Saturday, July 25, 2009 7:34:18 PM

RUPIAH has lost grip on the MMD, Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata said yesterday. In an interview, Sata said there were currently very few senior MMD members that were still loyal to President Banda.

"We have enough MMD members of parliament and officials who are eager to liberate themselves. I personally had discussions with some of them so I know what I am talking about. I really feel sorry for Rupiah because he has lost grip on MMD," Sata said.

"We are getting information on every move they make and other government information from his very own ministers. Let Rupiah continue depending on information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha, works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti and local government minister Benny Tetamashimba. On the rest he should keep his fingers crossed."

He said President Banda would soon get the message.

"If the Speaker of the National Assembly says no you can't impeach Rupiah, people will get the message. If the courts also say the same, people will listen as well. And when Zambians get the message they will decide just like they did with Kaunda in 1991," Sata said.

"Did you see how they decided against Kaunda's one party state? Kaunda's rigging and intimidation failed to save him and Rupiah knows that and the same will happen to him soon." Sata said if President Banda wanted to make shortcuts in his style of governance, he would not survive politically.

"Rupiah is hiding in useless people and when those useless elements like Tetamashimba, Mulongoti and Shikapwasha blow up they will take him down with them," Sata said. "Even the Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde is useless, he is using the police to be MMD vigilantes."

He said nobody could ever rely on Mulongoti for guidance because he lacked political muscle.

"What politics does Mulongoti know? The highest paying job Mulongoti has ever had was when he was general manager for the late Dawson Lupunga. Mulongoti has never fought any election," Sata said.

"Mulongoti just survives on people's goodwill. It's people like the late Levy Mwanawasa and now Rupiah who keep him going. No wonder he has a short memory, he easily forgets how he came to be where he is today."

He said it was sad that Mulongoti was busy harassing former defence minister George Mpombo.

"He has learnt vindictiveness from Rupiah," Sata said.

On the impeachment, Sata said he was certain that they would get more than the required threshold to impeach President Banda.

"We have 22 UPND members of parliament, 27 PF members of parliament and the difference will come from the MMD we are very set for that actually," he said.

Sata said Vice-President George Kunda was misleading President Banda.

"They have totally abandoned the principles of Mwanawasa and Kaunda. I understand that there is a Bill that they want to table in Parliament where they want to legalise internal spying... because we have a useless minister of justice they now want to get the little freedom Zambians have," Sata said.

"They want to table that bill so that the intelligence could be listening to whatever we are talking even in our bedrooms. They want to be taping our phones. Rupiah thinks whatever George Kunda tells him is correct and he is so desperate."

Meanwhile, in his letter dated July 22, 2009 to Malila, Sata stated: "I would like to acknowledge receipt of your letter reference no. MOJ/101/1/10 dated 20th July 2009 in respect of the above quoted matter. Although my letter was copied to the President Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda and he decided to refer it to you as chief legal advisor, I have to date not received a response to my letter from the secretary of the Judicial Service Commission on the role, if any, the commission did play in the appointments in question," Sata stated.

"I want to believe that your interpretation of Article 98(1) (b) of the constitution is now a subject of a High Court action by Messrs. Simeza Sangwa and Associates in which you are one of the defendants. However, I am amazed at the conclusion in your letter referred to above when you state that: "Accordingly the performance of duties by His Lordship the Chief Justice remains valid and lawful at all times." You make this conclusion despite the fact that the contracts in question constitute fresh appointments and the President has no vested powers under the constitution to waive ratification by the people's National Assembly."

Sata said Attorney General Mumba Malila and Kabonde should be removed from office because they had clearly demonstrated that they were MMD vigilantes.

Sata said the argument by Malila that the performance of the Chief Justice remained valid and lawful at all times even without ratification by Parliament, showed that Malila like Kabonde was another MMD vigilante.

Sata said the government positions even those for ambassadors would have to be ratified by Parliament once PF took control of government.

He said the current system where appointments were not ratified only allowed the President to appoint his relatives to several government positions.

Sata said government had forgotten its functions because all the state machinery had now found its way to Chitambo.

He said Vice-President George Kunda had forgotten how his office looked like because he was more preoccupied with the by-election in Chitambo.

"He will do everything in his position as Vice-President because losing Chitambo would mean losing the Vice-Presidency," Sata said.

Sata also charged that Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa had flouted parliamentary standing orders by travelling out of the country when the House is sitting.

In an interview, Sata said Speaker Mwanamwambwa had left the country in unexplained circumstances when the House was in session.

"The standing orders of Parliament are that the Speaker only travels when Parliament is on recess. But because there is no justice minister in this country people do as they like. The Speaker has flouted parliamentary standing orders and he should explain. This woman [deputy Speaker Mutale Nalumango] is the one who has been running business for two weeks," said Sata.

Labels: MIKE MULONGOTI, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 6:34 PM