Sata asks Rupiah to stop defending Kunda, Mchenga’s misconduct

Sata asks Rupiah to stop defending Kunda, Mchenga’s misconduct
Written by Patson Chilemba
Sunday, September 06, 2009 7:11:24 PM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has asked President Rupiah Banda to stop defending Vice-President George Kunda and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chalwe Mchenga's misconduct.

Sata said President Banda recently asked him to accept that he lost last year's presidential elections, and should therefore avoid making false accusations regarding the acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba.

However, Sata asked President Banda to stop defending Vice-President Kunda and Mchenga because their misconduct over Chiluba was clear for all to see.

He charged that President Banda, Vice-President Kunda and Mchenga had shown high levels of misconduct in the manner they handled Chiluba's acquittal by the magistrates court.

Sata said he had asked for the removal of Vice-President Kunda and Mchenga from their positions because the two were public officials who had failed to uphold the interests of the public by siding with injustice over the acquittal of Chiluba and subsequent withdrawal of the appeal from the High Court.

He said the misconduct on Vice-President Kunda and Mchenga would make even lesser beings like rats to protest for their removal from office.

"George Kunda is not an MMD vice-president, he is a national Vice-President. And I didn't know that the Director of Public Prosecutions had become an MMD official. Because why should Rupiah Banda tell me not to call for their removal because I am not MMD?" Sata asked in an interview last Thursday. "Even a rat has got the right to call for Kunda and Mchenga's removal."

Sata reminded President Banda that he did not win the 2008 election, but was merely favoured by the Supreme Court who refused a recount.

"His Supreme Court said no recount," he said.

And Sata apologised to the nation for having blindly supported Chiluba.

Responding to a question on why he had changed his position on Chiluba when he appeared on a QFM Radio programme last Tuesday, Sata said his support for Chiluba in the 2006 elections was based on total ignorance.

He said although he served in Chiluba's government, he exhibited blind loyalty towards the former president until May 14, 2008 when late president Levy Mwanawasa showed him documents revealing Chiluba's plunder.

Sata said his support for Chiluba cost him the 2006 elections.

"I was not aware of the US $8 million in Zamtrop. I was not aware of a contract of a US$100 million [Katebe Katoto arms deal], US $20 million which they paid in advance. When my brother gave me [documents], I said 'I'm very, very sorry because I thought you [president Mwanawasa] were using selective methods of prosecuting corruption'. And from that day, if you have seen, I have and I am still apologising," Sata said. "But my support for Frederick Chiluba cost me 2006 elections because the people who had more information, they went for me, where even you the media were saying 'corrupt people are regrouping'. But I am very sorry to the people of Zambia, because if I would not have met Levy Mwanawasa, I would not have known that comrade Chiluba is involved in US$28 million cash, or K140 billion, and he can't deny it."

Asked on President Banda's government's performance in the fight against corruption, Sata said the fight against corruption was gone.

He said the nation had put a final nail on the fight against corruption by encouraging the corruption of President Banda and Mchenga over Chiluba's acquittal.

"We would like Frederick Chiluba to be a free person, not under dubious circumstances... for example I won my case in the High Court yesterday but I am not going to stand in anybody's way if they want to appeal. They are very free to appeal to the Supreme Court. And what comrade Mchenga did, what Rupiah Banda is doing, what comrade [Vice-President] George Kunda is doing, it is not helping the democracy of this country," Sata said.

He said President Banda had exhibited naked bias over Chiluba's acquittal and that he was surrounded by a bunch of dubious characters.

Sata said Mchenga had no leg to stand on.

He said justice had been dented in Zambia.

"That is leaving Frederick Chiluba naked because if they wanted, they could have used the same influence. They used it during Dora Siliya. The Supreme Court judges say, Dora Siliya there is breach. It went for a judicial review; one single judge says 'no, the Supreme Court was wrong'. But this is what we are getting in Zambia today, we are learning," Sata said. "We have seen what happened in Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe there is political leadership for them to survive even where they are. But I don't see any political leadership in this country to survive even one hour's problems which Zimbabwe had."

On Vice-President Kunda's statement that the 2011 elections would be held under a new constitution, Sata said a bunch of ignorant, selfish and corrupt people wanted to include the degree holder clause in the Republican Constitution for one to be President.

He said those who were advocating for the degree holder clause should also ask only degree holders to vote for them.

Sata said it was sangwapo at the National Constitutional Conference (NCC), saying those who were at the Conference were not there to enact a constitution.

"They are just scared of one man. So, if I surprise them, I bring them a degree; probably tomorrow, they might bring height. Probably it is only Mr [Ken] Ngondo or Mr Chiluba who will qualify," he said.

On the plans by the government to regulate the media, Sata said President Banda's government was bound to fail because this had also been tried in the colonial government but failed.

He said the aim for statutory regulation was to stifle The Post and radio stations like Sky FM.

Sata said President Banda's government would just be creating enemies because instead of fighting him and UPND president Hakainde Hichilema, they would also be fighting with the media.

He said the question on whether he would be adopted to contest the presidency on the PF-UPND pact should be asked to him in 2011.

Sata also disclosed that some directors at Zesco were recently fired for refusing to release money for the MMD campaigns in Kasama.