Maravi

Kunda is a disaster to the nation – Nawakwi

Kunda is a disaster to the nation – Nawakwi
By Patson Chilemba
Wed 30 Dec. 2009, 04:00 CAT

OPPOSITION FDD president Edith Nawakwi (left) yesterday said apart from being a disaster to the nation, Vice-President George Kunda has proved to be a disaster to himself.

In an interview, Nawakwi said Vice-President Kunda had shown his destructive best over the many national issues such as the RP Capital Partners saga, the mobile hospitals and now the media regulation. She said appointing Kunda as Vice-President was one of the major mistakes President Rupiah Banda made because Kunda could not be expected to serve in two important ministries at the same time.

Nawakwi said there were a lot of capable Zambians who could handle the Ministry of Justice better than Vice-President Kunda.

“He President Banda has brought most of the problems upon himself. Obviously, he has shown that he is short of men and women to advise him. That is why he must get out,” said Nawakwi.

And Nawakwi observed that works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti was justifying the mediocrity of President Banda’s leadership.

Commenting on Mulongoti’s statement that it was only normal that President Banda rewarded those who supported him with jobs and not those who opposed his MMD candidature last year, Nawakwi said it was sad that the presidency had been reduced to a level where only puppets to the President were assured of jobs in government.

“If you want to reduce the presidency to that level, that is why we have mediocrity in Africa. I mean look at Hillary Clinton, did Hillary Clinton support Barack Obama’s presidency? No, she didn’t, but Obama appointed her Secretary of State because of her ability. They united for a cause,” Nawakwi said.

“He Mulongoti is simply justifying why there is mediocrity in President Banda’s government. To say that it is about supporting Rupiah Banda is being blind to people’s demands.

The Zambian people need performance. Between 1991 and 1996 there was feasible performance because there was a collective of men and women for a just cause. Things started going bad after that.”

Nawakwi said Zambians did not elect President Banda to appoint his puppets but to serve the interests of citizens.

“They want to play to patronage. I mean patronage has never served community. Nepotism, tribalism has never served anybody,” Nawakwi said.

“You can’t bond yourself with puppets. Mulongoti was supposed to work on the bridge here in Chirundu but nothing has happened. The performance of Rupiah Banda is reflected in Mike Mulongoti.”

Commenting on the resignation of former gender minister Patricia Mulasikwanda and others from MMD to join opposition political parties, Mulongoti said President Banda could not ignore those who supported him because they might not do so next time.

And analysing President Banda’s performance in 2009, Nawakwi said she had hoped that President Banda’s ascendancy to power would bring inspiration to the country but that had not been the case.

“Following his ascendancy to power, we hoped he would bring truth in our hearts and we who are disillusioned, he offers no inspiration, no direction, and this is evidenced from the bickering within his own party,” Nawakwi said. “How do I rate the leader of a political party which is divided? He President Banda has attracted a lot of negative publicity. There is actually no alternative programme in place.”

Nawakwi said Zambians could not look up to 2010 with confidence looking at the manner President Banda was running affairs, saying citizens should just resign themselves to fate.

She called for deeper reflection on the part of President Banda and the MMD, especially that the nation had witnessed the return of the one-party remnants in William Banda.

“Is this the leadership that is going to lead us in the early new years of the millennium?” Nawakwi asked. She wished FDD members a merry Christmas and a prosperous 2010.

Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, GEORGE KUNDA

posted by MrK @ 8:30 AM