Maravi

I’m criticised because I’m a true leader, says Banda

I’m criticised because I’m a true leader, says Banda
By Chibaula Silwamba and Christopher Miti in Chama
Wed 11 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has said that he is criticised, attacked and lied about because he is a true leader. And President Banda said the ruling MMD came to power three or four years ago.

Addressing a thanksgiving rally on Monday, President Banda said he had no problems with the criticism and verbal attacks against him because that showed that he was a leader.

"I want to thank the Zambian people for having chosen me as their President and I am sure all of you read on a daily basis, you hear all kinds of stories and when you heard that I was coming, you wanted to see what I look like now after you appointed me, you elected me President after all the attacks that have been made against me but I am a leader.

I am supposed to be criticised, I am supposed to be attacked, I am supposed to be lied about, all kinds of things happen to a true leader and that is why you won't hear that so and so has been arrested because he wrote something against me or so and so has been punished. I will not do that," President Banda said. "I will continue and remain focused on my main task to serve the Zambian people and I am sure that is a kind of a President you wanted to vote for.

Don't worry about me, I am in no problems. I am your President. Even the same people who are telling you lies about me, when they see me, you see them shaking in front of me. So don't worry, you have done your job, I will do my job."

He said he would care for all Zambians whether they voted for him or not.
"I said earlier that 'thank you to all of you who voted for me'. I know that some of you may not have voted for me but after the election, everybody has voted for you," President Banda said. "I cannot be seen to be asking that the children who must go to this school which has been built under my Presidency must only be of the parents who voted for me. I cannot do that."

President Banda said he would uphold democratic tenets.

"This country has chosen democracy as its guiding principle and democracy demands two things that once you go to the election you must accept the results. Everyone who stood for presidency last year participated in making the results of the election legitimate," President Banda said.

He said his ambition was to ensure that development was distributed countrywide.

"Everywhere we go in this country, despite the fact that over the last three, four years when the Movement of Multiparty Democracy took over, more and more roads have been repaired and built, more and more roads have been tarred but still the people require more and more roads," President Banda said.

"We want more and more development and we promised as government that we shall continue to allocate resources in our budget to continue this construction of the country. The same with food, food is never enough as long as the population is growing."

President Banda called for unity in Zambia, regardless of one's tribe, race, religion or gender.
"I want to ask you, please remain united,” he said.

President Banda asked Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata not to lie that the late president Levy Mwanawasa had a secret meeting with him.

"I will wind up my remarks in short by thanking former PF secretary general Mr Edward Mumbi for this very explicit explanation of the PF and Mr Sata. I want to agree with him that I knew Dr Mwanawasa very well because I was his number two. I had spent a lot of time with him; at no time whatsoever did he tell me that he had any secret discussions with Mr Sata," President Banda said. "So we don't want leaders who make stories in order to cheat people. I have a good example of the stories that Mr Sata and his friends have made about me but they failed. They have failed totally; I am the President of Zambia until 2011 when we have the next elections. They have been to court and they withdrew the case themselves."

President Banda asked Zambians to continue to be focused towards uplifting the country.

"I shall uphold your Constitution, our Constitution, the Constitution of Zambia," he said. "I shall uphold the constitution of my party, the MMD, in ensuring that I am the legitimately elected president who is doing things for the good of the owners of this country, yourselves."

As President Banda was addressing the people, his translator repeatedly told the audience to clap for the head of state.
"Maboko! Maboko! Maboko," the translator shouted.

Provincial minister Isaac Banda spiced up President Banda's addresses with his trademark Tumbuka song: "Adada biza, biza, adada biza, biza," as the crowd responded and the President joined in singing.

And Mumbi, who is in President Banda's entourage, uses the Presidential dais to address the rallies, denouncing Sata and the PF.

Earlier, President Banda met senior chief Kambombo of the Senga people of Chama district where he said he appreciated what the people of Chama did for him by electing him President.

"I am grateful to God who has given me the opportunity to come here and see you. I have heard that you are not fairing very well so when we were coming to Chama I decided that this programme should be separate from the other programme of their royal highnesses so that we can come here to thank you," President Banda told chief Kambombo.

He admitted that he had taken too long to return to Chama and thank the people for electing him but it was never too late.

"… I really appreciate what your people did for me," President Banda said. "It's just that our country is so big and I have been moving slowly between the work in Lusaka, the work outside the country. I am trying to go round to say thank you. Never too late to say thank you.

So I have come here to thank your people for the support that they gave me and to see how our people are working; our members of parliament, our district commissioners, our civil servants. How they are implementing the programmes that we have put in place through the budget, the schools the health centres and all the other things we want to do for the people."

He said the MMD would remain grateful to people of Chama for the support they continue to give it.
And senior chief Kambombo thanked President Band for visiting him at his palace.

He appealed to the government to work on the roads in Chama district such as the Chama/Lundazi road and fix the Matumbo bridge, which links Chama and Chinsali district in Northern Province.

Senior chief Kambombo further appealed to the government to address the water problem in the district.

Labels: RUPIAH BANDA, VIMBUZA

posted by MrK @ 10:50 AM