Maravi

Kunda likens PF-UPND pact to a sinking ship’

Kunda likens PF-UPND pact to a sinking ship’
By Mutuna Chanda in Solwezi
Thu 12 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT

VICE-PRESIDENT George Kunda has warned Solwezi Central voters that they will be jumping into a sinking ship, which he referred to as Titanic, if they join the PF-UPND pact.

But UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has said the MMD have been caught pants down, causing them to panic about the PF-UPND pact.

Meanwhile, North Western Province minister Joseph Mulyata was on Tuesday delighted to see residents who had attained voting age being in the majority at the rally that Vice-President Kunda addressed in Sandang’ombe after the previous ones were mainly attended by children who were non-voters.

Addressing Sandang’ombe residents to drum up support for MMD’s Solwezi Central candidate Albert Chifita, Vice-President Kunda said the PF-UPND pact had nothing to offer because it was his party’s administration that controlled the national budget.

“These other parties are no match for MMD,” Vice-President Kunda said.
He asked Solwezi residents to reject the PF-UPND pact because the two parties individually were characterised by divisions.

“In both of these parties there are factions,” Vice-President Kunda said. “In PF there are 22 members of parliament who are called rebels. They have been expelled from the party, they are on their own. In fact in Parliament they support us. UPND there is Major (Robbie) Chizhyuka, so what kind of party do they want to bring? Please reject the pact. These are parties of confusion. Let us not join parties of confusion.”

Vice-President Kunda also welcomed 16 defectors from the PF-UPND pact.
He called on political leaders not to deploy youths to engage in violence.
“As leaders let us not deploy our youths in violent activities, in activities that can destroy this country,” Vice-President Kunda said.

But Hichilema, in an interview, said Vice-President Kunda’s memory card was low and needed to be renewed because he wrongly linked him to the violence during the Mapatizya by-election which was held before he became UPND president.

“You realise that maybe George Kunda is losing his mind, he’s talking of Mapatizya. I was not president of UPND, was I? So how can he attribute; first let’s assume it was true that Mapatizya was violent, I was not president of UPND. I think his memory card has run low. Maybe he needs to renew it if it’s possible for a man in his situation. Beyond that the Mapatizya formula was never a violent formula. It was a formula to catch people rigging elections. This is what Mapatizya formula is about. And we shall apply it to catch those who are rigging elections,” Hichilema said.
He also said the violence that Vice-President Kunda attributed to Sata in Chawama was actually an MMD scheme.

“Chawama was an MMD issue he is actually giving his own admission that the Chawama was an MMD way of doing things,” he said. “So he is really like a lawyer who is a bit foolish in this sense because he is giving himself an admission of guilt. That was an MMD affair. We have nothing to do with that it is only correct that we attribute it to the MMD because the MMD is the violent party.”

He said the MMD was the one that was violent going by the happenings on nomination day when the ruling party’s cadres besieged the PF-UPND pact’s rally site and attacked opposition members and supporters.

And Hichilema said Vice-President Kunda’s statement that he had given up the presidency of the pact to PF leader Michael Sata was an attempt to divide the two parties which the pact was aware of.
“There is nobody campaigning for anybody between us,” he said. “What we are seeking are better lives for the people of Zambia.”
He said there was no need for Vice-President Kunda to worry if he was unpopular.
Hichilema further challenged the Press Freedom Committee (PFC) of The Post to organise a public debate comprising President Rupiah Banda and Vice-President Kunda against him.

“Why don’t you organise a debate someday. Hakainde here, Rupiah Banda here,” said Hichilema. “For those two you know, I want to be alone on one side and the two of them on the other side so I can face them they can combine their forces we have a debate on how to run issues of development.”

And Vice-President Kunda instructed Mulyata to immediately sink a borehole at Sandang’ombe basic school which only had one.
The school which was built in 1956 only has three teachers.

Vice-President Kunda pledged that a full basic school would be constructed in the area.
He urged Chifita to follow up on the school building project among others if he was voted as member of parliament for Solwezi Central on November 19.

And Mulyata said police would follow those who terrorized Sandangíombe residents together with those who sent them.

He also said the MMD government would not talk to an opposition member of parliament if residents voted for one.

And health minister Kapembwa Simbao pledged that the government would put up a health post in Sandang’ombe area under the community mode which would involve residents in the construction process.

Labels: GEORGE KUNDA, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, JOSEPH MULYATA, PF-UPND

posted by MrK @ 8:44 AM