Maravi

Destruction of Zambian Airways is a political curse, says Fr Miha

Destruction of Zambian Airways is a political curse, says Fr Miha
Written by Mutuna Chanda in Ndola
Sunday, September 20, 2009 8:22:20 AM

MISSION Press director Fr Miha Drevensek has said the destruction of Zambian Airways is a political curse on the country.

Commenting on Kenya Airways' launch of two direct flights every week between Nairobi and Ndola on Thursday evening, Fr Miha said it was folly for the government to have kicked Zambian Airways when it was ailing instead of helping it to survive.

"Whoever had that idea of bringing two flights to Ndola must have been a person of courage, of vision. Now at the same time as I am thinking and thanking these people for such courage, such strength, such vision, I feel very, very sad that the Kenyans have to come here and tell us that it is worth to do something with an airline which connects the people with the world and in Zambia we are happy, we are dancing when we destroy somebody," Fr Miha said.

"We had Zambian Airways which went into problems. Instead of looking at what was wrong and try to correct, the people stamped on it and just kicking and they were enjoying. And this is disaster, this is a curse, a political curse in Zambia that we are happy when we destroy somebody."

He said other airlines such as Kenya Airways saw the future in the country.

"We ourselves we are enjoying when we are killing and torturing each other politically, economically, socially, medically... that is our mentality, a shameful mentality which will never take us beyond; we are all the time going to be slaves to somebody. Foreigners will come, they will make money out of us unless we change our mentality."

He said the Rupiah Banda government was afraid of its own shadow and wanted to suppress everybody.

"They want to suppress media, they want to regulate media, they want to regulate NGOs [non governmental organisations] and this is the mentality of the socialist, communist ideologies of 80s of [Dr Kenneth] Kaunda; control everything, every human being, every action, everything. I am a communist educated priest, I went to communist schools and so on. I resisted this mentality since I was four, five, six years old," Fr Miha said.

"That's why I am telling this to President Banda, please change. Freedom of expression, freedom of action, respect for anybody even with the most different opinion, respect him - we are going to prosper. As soon as we are going to start to suppress each other and insult each other, what we have now in our politics and everywhere, we are going to be slaving [for] anybody in the world who comes; very unfortunate. I praise Kenya Airways for having the courage of having two flights to have courage to get two flights from [a] god-forsaken place called Ndola."

He said information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha needed to control his brain a little bit because he could not control everybody.

"Let him control his brain a little bit if he can't control his thoughts, if he can't control his speaking out and so on when he wants to control everybody, you control nothing. You hardly control your own life, your own military life when you betray your own military honours and so on, how can you control the nation and the ideas of others?" said Fr Miha.

"And remember there is never any force greater and bigger and stronger than the idea and ideas when its time comes."

And officiating during the Kenya Airways cocktail, Copperbelt permanent secretary Villie Lombanya praised the airline for coming to Zambia's rescue by introducing direct flights into Ndola.

"There is no way we can foster tourism in this province even though we have very attractive sceneries without communication," said Lombanya. "So what has happened today is most welcome to us because as you know Zambia has no flag carrier. Since the demise of Zambia Airways many years ago we have been like orphans. We have been actually handicapped in terms of travel. Even though tourists will like to come to Zambia first of all they'll like to know how they are going to get there. What has happened today has answered the question and we thank you Kenya Airways for that support that you have given to us and we can now ask our missions abroad to market our products here, tourist products because we are sure that when they want to come to this region we shall be able to tell them 'yes! There is a reliable carrier that will take you into Ndola without problems'."

Kenya Airways chief executive officer Dr Titus Naikuni said the Ndola-Nairobi flights were helping Kenya Airways achieve its core purpose of creating sustainable development in Africa

Labels: MIHA DREVENSEK, ZAMBIAN AIRWAYS

posted by MrK @ 7:22 AM