Maravi

Sata asks PF MPs to forego gratuities

Sata asks PF MPs to forego gratuities
Written by Patson Chilemba
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 6:33:44 PM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday asked PF members of parliament not to get their mid-term gratuity.In an interview, Sata said the members of parliament should instead defer the collection of gratuity so that the money could be channelled towards resolving other pressing issues in the nation.
He said it was baseless for members of parliament to claim that they should obey the law by getting their gratuity.

"There is no law which says that members of parliament should receive gratuity. I am asking my members of parliament to defer the gratuity and resolve some of the existing problems. We want all the three [major] parties in Parliament [MMD, PF and UPND] to agree not to collect the gratuity," Sata said.

However, Sata said he knew already that 'mercenaries' like Luapula PF 'rebel' member of parliament Peter Machunga and group would oppose his view, saying they were only interested in enriching their pockets at the expense of the people.

"Already we have lost because rebels will go for the gratuity because they are mercenaries. You can see already, Machungwa is saying they are not going to support the impeachment of Rupiah Banda because they are mercenaries. The only slogan they have gotten from PF is 'more money in your pockets'," Sata said. "In fact that is one of the grounds on which Rupiah Banda must be impeached because he has instructed judges and the Speaker of the National Assembly not to declare Machungwa's seat vacant."

Sata asked President Banda to show leadership by ordering finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane not to pay members of parliament their mid-term gratuity. He said President Banda had in fact more members of parliament.

On President Rupiah Banda's tribute to King Mswati III of Swaziland that it was befitting for Zambia to pay tribute to the King and the people of his kingdom for the exemplary leadership he had continued to display, Sata said the President always believed in creating controversy over straightforward issues.

"Every day he prefers controversy because what he is doing, he is just paying lip service. Rupiah Banda does not believe in anything. He always wants the opposite because all the things that he said, I don't think I would say them," said Sata. "King Mswati cannot be compared to the United Kingdom because they have a monarchy and a functioning democracy which is not the case in Swaziland. He [Rupiah Banda] doesn't know what he is saying. He speaks and starts thinking later. That is his problem."

During King Mswati's recent state visit to Zambia, President Banda said: "It is befitting that we, in Zambia today, should pay tribute to you and the people of Swaziland for the exemplary leadership you have continued to display. Zambia has been following with keen interest the social and economic developments, which have been taking place in your beautiful kingdom. We congratulate you on your wise leadership that had successfully blended traditional and democratic governance."

Labels: GRATUITIES, MPs, SATA

posted by MrK @ 5:33 PM