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Shikapwasha is a political zombie – Mpombo

Shikapwasha is a political zombie – Mpombo
Written by George Chellah
Friday, October 09, 2009 1:09:52 AM

RUPIAH Banda's leadership is likely to plunge the country into a big crisis, former defence minister George Mpombo has said. And Mpombo has described chief government spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha as a political zombie and a Judas Iscariot.

Featuring on MISA-Zambia's Face The Media programme on Radio Phoenix yesterday, Mpombo said he found President Banda to be stiff-necked.

“He was not the kind of person to take advice. I had to see that we were veering off the course that the Levy legacy left behind. I could see that we were drifting. I could see there was a yawning gap between what was going on and what we were used to. I will give you an example; in the legacy of president Mwanawasa, there was cost measure issues. That’s why you found that when president Mwanawasa is travelling to Europe he boarded British Airways,” Mpombo explained. “One time, I travelled with the president to China, we boarded British Airways into London then Hong Kong into China. And the president did not use the Challenger because it's very expensive. But now advisors allow the President [Rupiah Banda] to take a Challenger into London gallivanting all over in London and in Cuba. Look at the cost, quite huge.”

Mpombo said he had no personal agenda against President Banda.

“I don't like his leadership style. Leadership of the President is likely to plunge the country into a big crisis,” he said.

Mpombo said when he served in President Banda's government, he could see that the levels of discipline were deteriorating.

“People could do anything that they wanted to do. His handlers were not giving him proper advice. I didn't agree with the leadership style,” he said.

On the MMD convention, Mpombo said he was in touch with the whole country and described the issue of postponing the convention as a festering ulcer.

He accused the party of intending to abrogate its constitution.

“It's mind boggling that in the party we have lawyers like the Vice-President [George Kunda] who is a member of the party. The level of compromise over this important issue is amazing. For instance, Mr Rupiah Banda is not president of MMD. He is acting president, only the national convention has the power to bestow on someone that status. So he cannot go to the general election in an acting capacity without being endorsed by the conference,” Mpombo said. “I was reading Mr Mulongoti...I find him very myopic to say that we need K5 billion, that's a lot of nonsense. These people are trying to hold the party members to ransom. Who does Mr Rupiah Banda think are going to vote for him when he has split the party? Several members of the party are very upset.”

He said President Banda did not care about the party.

“You have got to understand, Mr Banda was plucked out of political obscurity from his farm to come into the party. When Lupando Mwape was trounced, the president said 'I have got somebody from Eastern Province where we have votes'. So for me, Mr Rupiah Banda should have been grateful to God to thank Him for bringing him from retirement and also for giving him to serve for the rest of the period, but he is being ungrateful. Mr Banda doesn't care about the party. He wants the party to be disintegrated, he wants the party to go into pieces,” he said.

Mpombo said President Banda had no mandate to kick out the people he found in MMD.

“What we are saying to him is that follow the constitution, don't bring your own autocratic ideas. Don't bring your ideas of hero-worshipping. This war will be taken to its logical conclusion. Mr Banda does not own the party but he is using surrogates,” he said.

He said President Banda has been using people like Lt Gen Shikapwasha.

“My advice to Shikapwasha...this man each time he opens his mouth he is issuing hollow and shallow statements on important issues. He has allowed himself to be used as a political zombie, no direction and he is just mouthing things that are not meaningful at all,” Mpombo said. “Like the other day, he was talking of me plotting to unseat the government...that was folly of the highest magnitude for a person like Shikapwasha to come and start issuing those statements and he is a reverend.”

He said Lt Gen Shikapwasha was a Judas Iscariot.

“When we went to 2001 elections, he said the most unpalatable things against Mwanawasa but Mwanawasa because he didn't hold bitterness he brought him in. And then today he is the man doing what he is doing. General Shikapwasha is just very hollow, very shallow; he will continue to be used as a megaphone,” said Mpombo.

Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO, MMD, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA

posted by MrK @ 12:10 AM