Banda is certainly leaving in 2011, says Nawakwi

Banda is certainly leaving in 2011, says Nawakwi
By Chibaula Silwamba
Wed 02 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT

President Rupiah Banda is certainly leaving in 2011, whether he likes it or not, FDD president Edith Nawakwi has said.

In an interview, Nawakwi said President Banda's ways of doing things and managing the country's affairs are creating an impression that Zambia is a very corrupt country.

“We will never be respected. I think that President Rupiah Banda is creating a culture in this country where the world is beginning to think that Zambia is a corrupt country and there is nothing that can be done. These are perceptions,” Nawakwi said, adding that when people called someone corrupt, that would eventually stick.

“From nowhere, there is so much secrecy about the sale of Zamtel, now there is secrecy about procurement of oil…It's now incumbent upon the government to explain to the general populace as to where they are taking us,” Nawakwi said. “So he must do things properly to leave a legacy behind that he tried his best in his three years of his short term. Certainly he is outgoing in 2011 whether he likes it or not.”

Nawakwi said President Banda's performance was wanting.

“Looking at the performance of his ministers; I mean the President is speaking and they are dosing off. They are basically sleeping. You have shown us pictures of the President is talking and the ministers are saying to the public, 'this President has no direction' so they are not interested, they are sleeping,” said Nawakwi.

“The rating is reflected in the performance of his own ministers and the way they present themselves in public. I am yet to see a President who is speaking and all his ministers are saying, 'Oh! He is so boring!' they are sleeping. You have shown us those pictures. Are they fatigued? The truth is that they don't have clue. May be there is one or two who are working. But I think there is gross under performance. It's a shame!”

Nawakwi said President Banda was an educated person who had served in privileged positions and knew that the international oil industry was about letters of credit.

“That way you secure the country's resources. If people don't deliver, you don't pay. The only proof in this business is through a letter of credit or performance bonds. So it is very clear that whoever is at the Ministry of Energy is blank; they don't understand what they are doing,” said Nawakwi.

“But the problem we have is that the President does not have a flair for selecting people who can assist him, but that is his choice. If he chooses to have mediocre people assisting, he takes the blame. You can't isolate him from the Minister of Energy and say 'no it's the Minister of Energy who has misled me.' There is no room for that. It is himself. This is executive Presidency. The buck stops at Rupiah Bwezani Banda.”