Maravi

Chiluba dishes out money in Mufulira

Chiluba dishes out money in Mufulira
By Mwala Kalaluka in Lusaka and Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Sun 24 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT

FORMER president Frederick Chiluba was on Friday afternoon seen dishing out 10,000 kwacha notes to some taxi and minibus drivers at Mufulira Shoprite in the company of former Copperbelt MMD chairman Terence Findlay.

And Chiluba asked ex-miners in Chililabombwe to vote for President Rupiah Banda in next year's elections.

But Ndola Central Patriotic Front (PF) member of parliament Mark Mushili has charged that Chiluba is not a factor in politics anymore and is wasting his time de-campaigning the PF-UPND Pact because it is rock hard.

A local businessman, Ben Nyirenda, who witnessed the incident, told The Post from Mufulira that Chiluba's appearance at the town's Shoprite Checkers was not without controversy as some people shouted him down while raising the opposition PF symbol.

“This man was here. He has just left but it was a bit embarrassing for him,” Nyirenda said. “He did not address the people.”
Nyirenda said Chiluba, Findlay and his entourage spent about 20 minutes inside Mufulira Shoprite and that while there the former president bought some items for some shoppers.

“One person came out with 2.5 litres of Thirsty juice,” he said. “After about 10 to 15 minutes that's when he came out and these taxi drivers and minibus drivers surrounded and he started giving them K10, 000. He was with Findlay. When he was pulling out news went round that he was around and some people started shouting like the way they were shouting in Kasama.”

Nyirenda narrated that some people were heard loudly telling Chiluba to give them the money that he stole and that they described him as a Lazo thief.

“In fact, they are saying that they do not expect him to be treated the way he was when he was in power. It was just like an ordinary person passing through Mufulira,” Nyirenda said. “In fact, that footballer Felix Katongo managed to pull a crowd when he came here recently. A far much bigger crowd than the one our former president has at the moment. People were shouting 'pa maka' and raising the PF symbol.”

And eye witnesses and some MMD members confirmed that Chiluba was mobilising people on the Copperbelt in readiness for next year's elections by meeting vulnerable groups like the ex-miners.
In Chililabombwe, the sources indicated that Chiluba urged several ex-miners to vote for President Banda because he would ensure that they got back their jobs.

The sources said Chiluba had a similar message for ex-miners in Mufulira on Friday afternoon.
They said Chiluba was meeting people who were previously MMD but had not joined the opposition political parties yet.

They disclosed that Chiluba was accompanied by Findlay, Ndola District commissioner Moses Mumba, Ndola District MMD vice-publicity secretary Alex Mubanga and official security.

The sources disclosed that Mubanga was driving Chiluba around in a black BMW X5 vehicle with tinted windows.

Mubanga, popularly called Shimpundu Pankoloko, when contacted for comment said Chiluba was merely visiting his relatives.

Chiluba, whose movements on the Copperbelt have been very secretive, was yesterday expected back in Chililabombwe where according to the sources, he had promised the ex-miners “something”.
Mumba could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone was off.

On Thursday, Chiluba took time to visit Shoprite in Ndola and Kitwe and other places in Chingola.

He is currently lodging at Bank of Zambia Guesthouse in Ndola.
Some government sources have confirmed to The Post that State House has bankrolled Chiluba's trip to the Copperbelt so that he de-campaigns the PF-UPND pact but his spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba said he was in the area to attend to bereavements for family and friends.

But Mushili on Friday said Zambians had lost respect for Chiluba.
He asked PF-UPND pact cadres to treat him like an MMD cadre.
“Since Mr past president Chiluba has declared that he has started politics actively, let the state stop paying him presidential allowances. I also urge PF-UPND pact cadres to treat Chiluba like a cadre, he should be treated like an MMD cadre,” he said. “The cadres should not treat Chiluba with any respect accorded to him as former president but he should be treated like an MMD cadre wherever he is. I want to tell Chiluba that he is not a factor in politics anymore. Chiluba you should not perceive yourself that you are a strong person politically, you are not.”

Mushili said the PF and UPND were not afraid of Chiluba or anyone that the MMD planned to use to de-campaign the pact because the signs on people's faces were clear that they wanted change.

He said a wind of change was blowing in Zambia and the 1990 story would repeat itself because Zambians were not happy with the MMD government.
“Chiluba you are just a person like any other. Expect to be met with the wrath that every politician goes through. There will be no special treatment for you because people have lost respect for you, and if you want people to give you the little respect left for you, humble yourself and stay away from politics,” he said.

Mushili urged PF-UPND pact members to continue their aggressive mobilisation of the party so that they could remove the MMD government from power.
And Ndola District PF chairman Rebby Chanda said the PF and UPND in Ndola was not scared of Chiluba because he was not an issue in the political arena.
Chanda said the pact was ready to take on Chiluba and the MMD party because time for them to go had come.

“We are not afraid of Chiluba being in our district, he is not an issue in the political world. He has had his time and now it is our time to rule,” said Chanda.

Labels: CHILUBA, CORRUPTION

posted by MrK @ 9:07 PM