Maravi

Miko Chiluba defends his father’s ‘integrity’

Miko Chiluba defends his father’s ‘integrity’
By Chibaula Silwamba
Wed 28 Oct. 2009, 04:00 CAT

FORMER president Frederick Chiluba's son Miko yesterday said Patrick Mwanawasa's remarks against his father were disrespectful and a direct betrayal to the former head of state. But Patrick said he had not shown any ingratitude to Chiluba though he had concerns about his party, the MMD.

Reacting to late president Levy Mwanawasa's son, Patrick's statement that Chiluba is a spent force in active politics and his contribution to the ruling MMD is destructive rather than constructive, Miko said Patrick was in a hurry to be famous but he was doing it the wrong way.

“For some reason or the other he decides to pick on a man that has had some influence on his life. His father was not elected to the position of president; he was handpicked by my father. So whatever Patrick has gained, he still remains a direct beneficiary to my father's goodwill. In that case I expect him to just keep his peace and be respectful.

You know what I mean? This is just a way of advising my young brother,” said 40-year-old Miko in an interview at The Post offices in Lusaka. “Patrick's remarks are a direct betrayal. That is how I feel. The young man has overstepped his boundaries. He is a young man. He will do well to pick his words and be a little bit respectful. You know what I mean? It seems he is in a hurry to be famous but he is doing it the wrong way.”

When reminded that Patrick, 26, was older than Jean, a 23-year-old son of French President Nicholas Sarkozy, who is a councillor and was vying for the presidency of EPAD, a quasi-government agency overseeing development in a French district, though he withdrew due to political opposition, and therefore some people could argue that even Patrick could engage in politics, Miko sharply responded: “Is he Sarkozy's son Jean being disrespectful to the elder statesmen? That is the question!”

But reminded that this reporter was posing that question to him in an effort to contextualise the arguments on whether Patrick was too young to participate in a political debate, Miko responded: “I know, I know. I know why you are asking.”
After Miko's response, Chiluba's press aide Emmanuel Mwamba chipped in, saying that Miko had answered the question very well.

“I think let us stick to the written statement,” Miko insisted.
According to his written statement, Miko stated that he was surprised by Patrick's remarks against his father.

“I have noticed with sadness that Patrick has continued to issue careless and irresponsible statements on the pretext that he is defending and upholding the legacy of his father. My humble view is that the legacy, works and contributions that our fathers made as Republican presidents will be recognised by the people of Zambia. We as children and interested parties should be the last to promote their good image,” Miko stated. “Patrick is literally my young brother and I feel justified to reprimand him and I feel obliged to rebuke this clear misconduct.”

He said it was inappropriate and irresponsible for Patrick, a child, to issue such remarks against someone who is literally his father.

“With these remarks Patrick disrespected himself and his own late father by speaking against Dr Chiluba and Mr George Kunda in this manner. Young people should break from the past by conducting themselves in a manner that does not promote insults and divisions but instead try to bring unity where there were divisions, healing where there were rifts and pain, and friendship where enmity existed.”

Miko said as far as he knew, Mwanawasa could not have become president of Zambia if Chiluba had not played the pivotal role he did in the late president's life.

He said Patrick should also learn the circumstances that allowed Mwanawasa to become Republican president.

“In 2001, Mr Mwanawasa was an ordinary member of the MMD and was not even in line of succession for the party president. He was not part of the NEC MMD's national executive committee. He was a mere ordinary member of the MMD,” Miko said. “Dr Chiluba promoted his candidature in the party and later in the country.

With the help of the people of Zambia, Mr Mwanawasa became Republican President. Clearly, Mr Mwanawasa was not even a political force at all! Yet Patrick and others are quick to embrace this presidency and enjoyed great benefits that come with such a position while insulting those that made it possible for them to be where they are.”

Miko said he was usually surprised that to a large extent, some members of the Mwanawasa family fail to express their gratitude where it was due.

“I will not, however, ask Patrick and others to show open gratitude to my father for the cardinal role he played in their lives and his immense contributions to this country. It will not be my duty to ask them to recognise my father's contributions but I pray that their conscience will probe them to recognise the truth,” Miko said. “Therefore, Patrick should not continue with activities that are destined to destroy his life.”

Miko said he held very strong feelings against Mwanawasa's rule.
Miko said if Patrick wished to join politics, he must get his act together.
But in an interview yesterday, Patrick said he had always been grateful to Chiluba for whatever he had done for the Mwanawasas.

“I am not showing any ingratitude to Dr Chiluba but rather I have got concerns for my party. This is the party that I love so dearly. I love it so dearly because in 1991 I nearly lost my father at a tender age and that is why I love my party so dearly. I feel so passionate about Dr Chiluba because he was the real man who saved my father's life but at the same time let us be honest. And I want people to understand me perfectly well on this issue.

Let us be honest, Dr Chiluba is not well at present. He just came back from South Africa because he was ill. Why does NEC want to push Dr Chiluba so far into politics? Can't they at least allow him to enjoy his retirement instead of them pushing him into politics this far?” Patrick asked. “In fact, I do recall that Dr Kenneth Kaunda never received his benefits for the entire 10 year period that Dr Chiluba was our president.

He Dr Kaunda was entitled to those benefits as the former president but he didn't receive them. Dr Chiluba argued that it was because he was in politics. But my father never took away those benefits from Dr Chiluba although he was active in politics.” He said when Chiluba supported the Patriotic Front in 2006 elections, nobody condemned him.

“My father allowed him to continue going about his political business and when he fell ill he was quickly allowed to go to South Africa. I am not saying these things should cancel themselves in terms of the way Dr Chiluba looked after my father when he was ill. I am just saying the things that have happened in the past should not preoccupy us right now but what should preoccupy us right now is where our party is headed in the future. I think that is a reasonable approach that I am trying to bring out to the people of Zambia,” Patrick said.

He said he would take Miko's advice as far as he thought it was reasonable.
“But I don't think he should be quick to judge me on the face of the headline he saw in The Post newspaper. I would rather he takes time to read the whole article that was published by The Post newspaper,” he said. “If Dr Chiluba is offended by my remarks I am sorry but I am just concerned about him.”

Patrick said there was no bad blood between the Chiluba and Mwanawasa families.
“I very much appreciate what Dr Chiluba and his family have done for our family and at the same time I want to appreciate what Dr Chiluba did while in office. But what us the youths must come to understand is that our forefathers or our veteran leaders in MMD will not be there forever in our party,” Patrick said.
He dismissed allegations that he was being sponsored to make political statements.

“Those are flimsy allegations… people know that I have been to university. I studied law before, I was not successful and that is not a secret at all, but I have been successful in my business administration studies. I have garnered so much knowledge and if you go to England where I was, there books are cheap and knowledge is free so I became a product of my own environment. Do they mean that in my five years whilst I was in England I was not able to have the specific knowledge and articulate talent to know what is happening in our country and to even talk the way I have been speaking in The Post newspaper? Of course not! This has always been me,” Patrick said.

“I have not been sponsored by anybody. Maybe there is something I don't know. Maybe they should come to the fore and tell the people of Zambia, who has been sponsoring me because me, I am not aware of being sponsored by anyone.”
Asked if he had ambitions to join active politics, Patrick said that was inevitable.

“Amos Malupenga wrote a fantastic book about my father's life and if those people that are raising these statements can take time to actually digest what was written in that book, they will come to realise that of course I do have political ambitions and as far as I am concerned there will come a time in future that I will stand as Kafulafuta member of parliament.

I have got that burning desire I shared with my father of helping out the people of Zambia and much more so now that he died whilst he was on duty. I think that it is inevitable,” Patrick said. “If people are already plotting my downfall, then let them go ahead. But as far as I am concerned, God will always be with me and the future is still bright for me.”

He dismissed assertions that he was too young to join politics.
“I was born on 8th March, 1983 and now I am 26 years old. I don't know maybe you can refresh my memory. How old was Vernon Mwaanga when he became a politician? How old was our current President, President Rupiah Banda when he joined politics? So are they just expecting me to bottle up all my beliefs in a bottle of whisky or just go and stand by the corner in Northmead over there and not let my voice be heard by the people? I have a voice and it shall be heard even if it means me losing my life, so be it, so God help me!” Patrick said.

When reminded that President Banda had said he joined politics when he was 17 years old, Patrick wondered why people were now saying he was too young when the current President joined politics when he was younger than he is.

“What are they scared of? If they have any programmes to neutralise me, let them go ahead,” said Patrick. “I mean, there is a saying that, 'in politics you can get shot 100 times and still survive but in war you can get shot once and you can die'. So this is politics and this is the first shot from Chiluba's son. I am game!”

Labels: CHILUBA, MIKO CHILUBA, MWANAWASA, PATRICK MWANAWASA

posted by MrK @ 3:48 AM