Maravi

Rupiah wants to practice tribalism alone, says Sata

Rupiah wants to practice tribalism alone, says Sata
By George Chellah
Thu 03 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday observed that President Rupiah Banda is quick to spot tribalism in others whilst ignoring his own.

Commenting on President Banda's caution to Cabinet ministers against issuing tribal statements, Sata said had President Banda been a kind of person who listens to advice, he would have advised him on the matter.

“There is nothing to advise Rupiah on tribalism because he has no time to listen. What he is saying now about tribalism he is just hiding in that…I warned Zambians last year that by the end of his term of office, Zambia will change its name to 'umodzi kumawa',” Sata said.

“Rupiah wants tribalism to be done by him alone and not others. We are lucky we have honest ministers like home affairs minister Lameck Mangani who are able to admit Rupiah's tribalism by saying that there is nothing wrong about his numerous appointments of people from Eastern Province. At least there is one honest minister, Mangani.”

Speaking at City Airport shortly after returning from Western Province on Monday, President Banda urged ministers to avoid tribal remarks.

“Every politician in this modern day must look after themselves by avoiding tribal remarks. It is worse for a leader in a country which is multi-lingual, multi-tribal and multi-religious to issue such statements,” President Banda said. “They can go up to a certain point in issuing such statements. After that, there are consequences that come with such remarks.”

The President was answering questions from journalists who wanted to know whether he would take action against science, technology and vocational training Gabriel Namulambe.

Recently, Namulambe said the Lamba people feel frustrated, hurt and injured that some people have publicly declared that they hated late President Mwanawasa whom they allege was corrupt.

But reacting to assertions by former defence minister George Mpombo and Sata that President Banda was the biggest culprit in terms of tribalism because of his excessive appointments into Cabinet of people who hailed from Eastern Province, Mangani justified the President's appointments of people from Eastern province into Cabinet.

He said most MMD members of parliament hail from Eastern Province. He said this was not the first time more people were being appointed from the regions where the President hailed from because it also happened in the past when more ministers were appointed from Luapula and Northern provinces.

Labels: RUPIAH BANDA, SATA, TRIBALISM

posted by MrK @ 4:03 AM