Maravi

Rupiah has become an absolute ruler – Sata

Rupiah has become an absolute ruler – Sata
Written by George Chellah
Thursday, August 27, 2009 4:05:39 AM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday said President Rupiah Banda has become an absolute ruler. And Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) president Reuben Lifuka said it is now abundantly clear that President Banda's administration will do everything within its power to frustrate the possibility of an appeal against the court acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba.

Commenting on the firing of Task Force on Corruption chairman Max Nkole for appealing against Chiluba's acquittal, Sata said what had happened to Nkole would happen to many others.

"I have been vindicated. The whole of last year I told Zambians that Rupiah is going to be an absolute ruler. He has now become an absolute ruler and looking at the rate he is going, he will be worse than what KK [former president Dr Kenneth Kaunda] was. Although, it was a one-party state system, Kaunda had a resemblance of democracy and he respected state institutions. Not these ones," Sata said.

"For Rupiah anybody who wants to perform according to their terms of reference, they are fired. This is autocratic, worse than KK. The rate at which Rupiah is moving he is likely to surpass KK. Zambians haven't seen anything yet and the people of Zambia are quiet, they have become mute."

He urged Zambians to emulate their forefathers.

"Our forefathers were not educated but they rose against a highly equipped and educated white minority regime and conquered them, that's how we got our independence," Sata said.

"Zambians must rise up and be counted, they must talk. If they keep quiet by the time we are going to realise, it will be too late. This is autocratic!"

And Lifuka said TIZ finds Nkole's removal disturbing.

"It is now abundantly clear to all that the Rupiah Banda administration will do everything within their power to frustrate the possibility of an appeal against the court acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba. The firing of Mr Nkole is an apt political statement that this government is willing to short change public interests in this case for parochial political partisan interest. The Zambian government should realize that the court action was between the State (on behalf of the Zambian people) against Dr Chiluba and others," Lifuka said.

"In making a decision whether to appeal or not, the government through the Director of Public Prosecutions is obliged to consider public interests among other deciding factors. The removal of Mr Nkole from office is a failure by government to realise the growing disquiet in the manner that they have handled the aftermath of Chiluba's acquittal. What is disturbing is that the Banda administration, through various statements, would almost want to legislate for all Zambians to simply agree with a faulty judgment which even Dr Chiluba himself acknowledges in his public statements. It does not come as a surprise therefore that Banda administration will do all it can to silence all voices of dissent whether in government or outside government."

Lifuka noted that Nkole might not be the only one to face the chop.

"We expect that more people will be hounded out of government and even the MMD for the stance that they will take on Chiluba's acquittal. Is it any small wonder that the removal of Mr Nkole from office is quite similar to what happened to Mr Nixon Banda at the Anti-Corruption Commission? It is not long ago when President Banda informed the Zambian people that he was going to re-orgainse the Attorney General's chamber following the Dora Siliya tribunal. All these are acts of intimidation and it is evident that this government does not want independent minded persons in such positions but they are happy with stooges, vacillators or bootlickers," Lifuka said.

"Max Nkole's interview with Muvi TV was a demonstration of frustration at the passive stance taken by this government on corruption. We want to warn the Zambian people that this heavy-handed approach will become fashionable within the establishment especially now when the NGO Bill has been assented to - we will see government clamping down dissenting views in the NGO sector, the media and everywhere. We are drifting back to the days when only praise-singers could make it in life."

He said it was worrying that the government was now on a self-destructive path.

"The impact of this permissiveness of corruption and wrongdoing will not be seen immediately but we want to state categorically that the international community is fast losing its confidence in Zambia. Let us not be fooled by the glitter of a few investments coming into the country or the possible largesse from the IMF and others. This picture does not look good and this aftermath of the Chiluba case is simply taking us back into the dark years when Zambia was associated with corruption and bad governance," Lifuka said.

"It would seem as if our governors are willing to achieve short term political mileage from this case at the expense of long term economic development for the Zambian people. Our image as a country is in tatters - internationally our Judiciary slowly losing face, our governance and human rights record is attracting unnecessary attention and we simply are at the tipping point. The question that needs to be answered is - given this political statement made by removing Nkole from office and the hesitation in appealing against Chiluba's acquittal- why should the Attorney General waste more time and resources trying to register the London High Court judgment?

"Further, why should all the others who have been convicted in related cases continue to suffering the indignity of going through appeals processes? The President might as well pardon everyone because there is no real corruption fight but a charade. We want to warn our political leaders that power tends to illuminate a mirage of invincibility but they should not forget that they are peacocks today and feather dusters tomorrow."

President Banda on Tuesday fired Nkole following his appeal against Chiluba's acquittal and the lengthy interview he gave to Muvi TV on Monday night where he said no one should block the appeal in the former president's case.

Labels: MAXWELL NKOLE, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA, TIZ

posted by MrK @ 3:08 AM