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A degree won’t stand in my political way – Sata

A degree won’t stand in my political way – Sata
By George Chellah and Ernest Chanda
Fri 22 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday vowed that a degree or piece of paper will not stand in the way of his political aspirations. Reacting to the National Constitutional Conference's (NCC) adoption of the degree clause for presidential candidates, Sata described the move as nonsense and further waste of precious time by individuals suffering from an inferiority complex.

“Tell them that a degree or a piece of paper written or signed by someone…some kama wigged or capped chap will not stand in my political way, it will not stand in my aspirations. A degree will not be a hindrance to my political aspirations,” Sata said.

“They have just disfranchised themselves and not me. They have just wasted more of their time. So now Zambians must see that the MMD has itself confirmed that they are not serious with providing leadership to this country that's why they provided this degree nonsense. Let them not even hide in chiefs and say it's the chiefs who started it. It's the MMD…people like information minister Lt Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha and works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti.”

Sata said he sympathised with the MMD because they were too desperate.

“I honestly feel sorry for my colleagues in MMD. In today's Parliament, how many MMD MPs have degrees or are university graduates?” Sata asked.

“MMD has about 84 members of parliament and probably there are very few members of parliament with degrees out of the 84 or so MPs. VJ Vernon Mwaanga is not a graduate, including Shikapwasha, he is not a graduate. If Mulongoti has one then he just acquired it recently. Before Mwanawasa died they wanted to introduce the age clause but after they realised that their candidate Rupiah was my age-mate, if not older than me, that's when they changed. So their desperation is nothing new to us.”

Sata wondered what type of a political party the ruling MMD had become.

“When Frederick Chiluba banned the chiefs from participating in politics, he knew quite well that he will never be affected because he will never be a chief one day,” Sata said.

“But what most of those characters in the MMD are now saying through this degree thing is that they are useless and they shouldn't even aspire to be Presidents. Tell them that a piece of paper will not stand in my aspirations.”

Sata said the MMD was creating an elitist society through such discriminatory and anti-poor clauses. “This degree thing is just another confirmation that the MMD does not regard the majority of poor Zambians as human beings. The unemployment levels in this country are quite high and this government does not provide free education up to university level. So how are they expecting my unemployed brothers and sisters in shanty compounds to educate their children up to university level in order for them to acquire degrees and later on aspire to be presidents?”

Sata asked. “What Rupiah is literally telling the many suffering Zambians through this degree clause is that 'your children can never aspire or be presidents of this country because there is a special category of Zambians that is ordained to be presidents and those are the children of the rich, who can afford to be educated up to university level.'”

Sata said the MMD are too overzealous to see that they were segregating or dividing Zambians.

“They are creating a very wide gap between the rich and the poor. It is now like apartheid South Africa where there was segregation,” Sata said.

“Don't be surprised if you wake up tomorrow and you hear them again saying that 'only those with degrees should live in Kabulonga.' They can't realise that they have made the opposition even stronger because of their unreasonableness.”

Sata said it was sad that the MMD had surrendered to shameless people like Dr Peter Machungwa.

“I am saddened that Machungwa who was educated free of charge by a non-graduate Kenneth Kaunda can even speak like that. That same Machungwa comes from the most underdeveloped constituency in Luapula Province,” Sata said.

“What has Machungwa done in Luapula Constituency to ensure that children there even get at least primary education? Machungwa has an inferiority complex.

That's why he has no house in a constituency where he has been MP for more than 10 years. But what do you expect from such a person who thinks life only evolves around his mansion in Makeni? Machungwa is Frederick Chiluba's special envoy so whatever he says, treat it as though its Frederick himself speaking. Tell him that what he failed to do through PUDD will not be achieved through the NCC. Just like they failed with PUDD, they shall fail again.”

On Wednesday, the NCC adopted a clause that requires a presidential candidate to have a minimum of bachelor's degree for him or her to be eligible to contest in an election. This is contrary to the Mung'omba draft constitution, which proposed a minimum of grade 12 certificate or its equivalent.

Labels: EDUCATION, NCC, PRESIDENCY, SATA

posted by MrK @ 7:07 PM