Maravi

Rupiah loses support of S/Province chiefs

Rupiah loses support of S/Province chiefs
Written by George Zulu in Monze
Friday, August 07, 2009 2:59:52 PM

SENIOR chief Bright Nalubamba has said the Royal Foundation of Zambia Southern Province chapter regrets having supported President Rupiah Banda in last October's presidential election.And chief Nalubamba has charged that the recent remarks made by President Banda that second Republican president Frederick Chiluba was a good president was undermining the intelligence of the Zambian people.

In an interview, chief Nalubamba of Namwala district said chiefs in the province were saddened and disgusted at the wrong route President Banda had taken in the fight against corruption and governance of the country.

Chief Nalubamba said traditional leaders in the province were not happy with the way the head of state was handling issues of corruption, development, sincerity and unity of the people of Zambia.

He added that this had become a source of concern considering the rate of disintegration among the people.

"We regret having supported President Banda in the last Presidential by-election of 2008, our aspirations as traditional leaders have not been fulfilled. We supported him [President Banda] because he told us and we believed him that he was going to forge ahead with the late [president Levy] Mwanawasa's legacy but what he is doing is contrary to the things he promised us. Corruption has become rampant in his administration, violence against people with divergent views has been introduced and it has increased to alarming levels, harassment of journalists has been recorded under his leadership and failure to deliver development and to show leadership has been at the height of his leadership," chief Nalubamba said.

He said President Banda should rise from his current political and personal destruction by paying attention and listening to the demands of people who voted for him.

"A lot of things have gone wrong in our country and we challenge President Banda to rise to the accession and see things the way other people are seeing them than to hide in a collective agreement position which will leave a poor and bad precedence on the Office of the President," he said.

Chief Nalubamba said the current governance record for Zambia in the fight against corruption was worrying at both local and international levels, while that of abuse of human rights, infringement of press freedom was under threat by President Banda and the MMD.

And chief Nalubamba said a country where a head of state publicly embraced and commended a former president who has been found wanting of having stolen public resources by the courts was worrying.

Commenting on the recent remarks by President Banda in Mansa that Chiluba was a damn good president, chief Nalubamba said corruption had deeply eaten the fabric of the nation.

He said the country was headed for an economic disaster which would be difficult to recover from.

Chief Nalubamba said the open remarks by President Banda to the people of Zambia in support of Chiluba told a sad story of the governance of the country, adding that the judiciary was under serious self-scrutiny to do the right thing.

He said he had no respect for a thieving and corrupt president and that it was totally and morally unacceptable to shower praises and commendations to such people in society.

Chief Nalubamba further appealed to members of parliament to exercise their powers by making laws which would correct the country’s current political situation.

Labels: BRIGHT NAMULAMBA, CHIEFS, RUPIAH BANDA, SOUTHERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 2:00 PM