Maravi

Banda’s reckless decisions are killing people, says Sata

Banda’s reckless decisions are killing people, says Sata
Written by Patson Chilemba
Tuesday, September 08, 2009 3:36:33 PM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata has charged that President Rupiah Banda has the propensity of making decisions which suit his pocket. During a discussion forum organised by the Press Freedom Committee of The Post at Mulungushi International Conference Centre on Sunday, Sata tabulated the various daring decisions President Banda had made in the short time he had been President.
He said President Banda did not realise that he was killing many people because of the many reckless decisions he made.

Sata said some decisions President Banda had made included stopping the appeal against former president Frederick Chiluba's acquittal, the unbudgeted for extension of the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) mandate, instructing arrests of those who were critical of him and his government and the controversial signing of salary increments for senior government officials and constitutional office holders.

He said President Banda also influenced the outcome of the court action, which saw education minister Dora Siliya cleared on the finding of the Dennis Chirwa-chaired tribunal that she breached the Republican Constitution for disregarding the Attorney General's legal advice on the privatisation of Zamtel.

"Knowing him as I do, he can make decisions which will be for the good of the people of Zambia. Unfortunately, he has the propensity to make decisions, bold and daring decisions, which suits his pocket. We met at Kamwala protesting against salaries, Rupiah Banda pretended he was not going to sign. As soon as he was elected, that was the first decision he made. As we go on he is feeling the warmth of State House, he struck again, Rupiah Bwezani controversy. He hit us so hard with a smart girl and beautiful [Dora]," Sata said.

"Without budget approval, he makes another daring and bold decision, extend the NCC, and he approves expenditure of K97 billion. He doesn't see that we are dying. Our brother makes another daring bold decision, 'you can't appeal [against Chiluba's acquittal]'."

On some chiefs in Southern Province who criticised him for asking President Banda to remove Vice-President George Kunda and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chalwe Mchenga from their respective positions for frustrating justice in the nation, Sata said the chiefs' thinking would be different if some of Chiluba's US $28 billion was extended to them.

"I sympathise with them. That is freedom of expression. And then he [President Banda] makes another bold decision, everyone who criticises; arrest. It doesn't work. He can arrest all of us and in the end he will end up arresting himself, because there will be nobody to arrest," Sata said.

"What we want is a second opinion about comrade Chiluba. We want to assist comrade Chiluba to be free so that he is not looking behind. We want the Supreme Court to endorse his acquittal, the High Court endorse his acquittal, the London High Court endorses his acquittal. Then you will find he even changes his walking."

Sata said former intelligence-chief Xavier Chungu should come out and explain to the nation how the US $8.5 million dollars Chiluba claimed was his found itself in the Zamtrop account.

"We were told Farai Mchenga is studying. How long does it take for him to study the judgment? If they [lawyers] were going to study for four years, do you think they will be appealing successfully?" he asked.

Sata reminded Mchenga that what he did to others could also be done to him. He said Mchenga should realise that there were more high-ranking officials who were languishing in jail, with their names dented. Sata said President Banda was working with a bunch of opportunists, mercenaries who wanted to make money out of him.

"Rupiah Banda is not a young child, he is old like me. In seven to eight years, he won't be here. What are the people going to remember him for? Are they going to remember him of Dora, or remember him of Chiluba?" he asked.

He asked the people to continue speaking, saying Dr Kenneth Kaunda's one party state was more vicious than President Banda's regime. Sata said even late president Levy Mwanawasa was more powerful and more intelligent than President Banda. He said on his part, he had fought a good fight, but people were not speaking even after the electricity tariffs were hiked by the government.

"Speak out so that when Reggies Phiri goes to tell him in the morning he tells him the same thing. In the afternoon he tells him the same thing. You will find that those tunnels will be too long for him to run away," Sata said.

He said instead of bargaining for the people, Chiluba was busy bargaining for himself when he was in State House.

And Sata said Chiluba could not claim to be a Christian because he was breaking God's 10 Commandments by coveting another man's wife, Regina.

Sata said Chiluba should not even hide in Bible Gospel Church in Africa (BIGOCA) when he was going there with another man's wife.

"Christianity is led by the 10 Commandments. 'Do to others as you would like them to do to you'. Wilakumbwa mukamunobe [do not covet another man's wife], so each one of you can answer. Ba Chiluba is a Christian, 10 Commandments, has he obeyed all the 10 Commandments? Wilakumbwa ba mukabene [do not covet another man's wife]," Sata said. "So don't go at Matero and hide in BIGOCA, elyo muleya naba mukabene, ebaleya mukulanda ati Hallelujah [and you even go with another man's wife who says Hallelujah]'. What Hallelujah? How is my brother feeling, Mr Mwanza? He is comforted by Hallelujah?"

Sata said no one could claim to be Christian when they were stealing.

"You fail to answer a simple question. Very, very simple question, 'comrade Chiluba please tell us, where did you get US $2 million dollars?' he fails to answer that one," he said.

On the media, Sata said those who were tampering with the media were playing with their own destiny.

"People who have tried to kill freedom of expression, it has killed them," he said.

Sata thanked The Post for its courage.

"Can you imagine if The Post newspaper was cowardly like all these organisations? Do you think they would even be brave enough to bring this when they know there was going to be controversy? So we say thank you to The Post newspaper. And when they are harassing you, we are with you," Sata said. "The Post is scoring a second point. In 1991, The Post was very instrumental in bashing UNIP. It was very instrumental in exposing UNIP, because without The Post exposing UNIP, it would have been very difficult to change the opinion of the people. And The Post continues, they harass their leaders, they continue. So we are very grateful."

On the sustainability of the PF-UPND pact, Sata said he did not know that the pact was significant until he started hearing statements from Vice-President George Kunda and President Banda wherever they went.

He said the pact was just beginning and it had not yet gone into the second gear. Sata said the pact had minimised differences between PF and UPND as he [Sata] could now go to UPND's strongholds just like Hakainde Hichilema would go to PF strongholds without any problem.

"Someone phoned me that Hakainde is talking to people in Chimwemwe [Kitwe]. I said great!" he said.

Sata said the pact had now been nursed for some time and would be launched before the end of this month. He said they had also talked to Heritage Party president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda. On the same issue, comedian Ben Phiri said the pact should be sustained in the best interest of the Zambian people.

On whether PF and UPND had abandoned the planned impeachment of President Banda, Sata said the impeachment process had not been abandoned and the mistakes the President was committing were all adding to the issues that the members of parliament would use to justify the impeachment.

At the same forum, Siavonga UPND member of parliament Douglas Syakalima said opposition parliamentarians spoke for the people but were outwitted by the MMD's majority in Parliament.

Syakalima said nurses were on strike but no one wanted to go on the streets to demonstrate.

PF vice-president Guy Scott said most parliamentarians had been unable to speak because only a few people were allowed to do so.

"And also because it is the MMD Speaker, it is their Speaker. He was elected by the MMD," said Scott.

Scott said he was probably invisible to the Speaker. On the same issue, Sata accused Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa of being biased in favour of MMD and rebel PF members of parliament. Earlier before he addressed the people, Sata asked for a moment of silence in honour of late local government minister Benny Tetamashimba. Sata said the happenings over Tetamashimba should send a clear message on what President Banda should do to improve health facilities in the country.

"They have started chasing us in South Africa. In Congo, there is no road, in Mozambique we don't know the language," said Sata.

Labels: CHALWE MCHENGA, MULUNGUSHI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER, PF-UPND, PFC, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 2:39 PM