Kalala urges E/Province chiefs to be truthful

Kalala urges E/Province chiefs to be truthful
By George Chellah
Tue 12 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT

FORMER State House special assistant for policy implementation and monitoring Jack Kalala yesterday challenged chiefs in Eastern Province to lead by example and speak the truth over their directives to President Rupiah Banda to purge the late Mwanawasa's tribesmen. But paramount chief Mpezeni described Kalala as a liar.

Reacting to the chiefs' statement that his remarks were likely to divide the nation and bring their names into disrepute, Kalala said saying the truth and exposing tribalism did not make someone a tribalist.

“If I expose a thief, it doesn't make me a thief or a criminal. So what I said had actually taken place, it is the truth. It happened at Luangwa House during the last visit the President made with Gabriel Namulambe before he was moved to science and technology,” Kalala said. “In fact, it's because of this issue that Namulambe was moved to science and technology from State House.

What happened is that the chiefs were on the programme to meet the President and the President went where he was meeting the chiefs with his delegation. But the chiefs said that they wanted to meet the President alone. Now since he was already there with his delegation it, was going to look awkward so the President refused to ask his delegation to leave the room.

“So after they discussed other issues at the end of the discussion, then paramount chief Mpezeni is the one who brought up this matter. He asked the President why he had not implemented what they had discussed before the elections to get rid of the late president's tribesmen. Now the President became apprehensive to discuss the issue because Namulambe was there. And he President Banda pointed at Namulambe saying 'he is one of them. I can't get rid of them because am President of the nation'.”

Kalala said Mpezeni insisted that President Banda should carry out what they had discussed.

“There were other chiefs in there and other chiefs had no objection to what paramount chief Mpezeni had said. Perhaps, this is the reason why they wanted to meet him President Banda alone. And after they returned from Eastern Province, there was a senior management meeting at State House,” Kalala said.

“Namulambe raised concern over the issue to say 'how are we going to work if some people are going to be segregated against on the basis of their relationship with the late president?' Namulambe said 'we are all Zambians and we must work as a team to develop this country'. The matter was later brought to the attention of the President…Namulambe's concerns. The President was not amused with that and that's how he subsequently moved Namulambe to science and technology although their intention was to fire him for having said that.”
Kalala challenged the east chiefs to speak the truth.

“As our traditional leaders, they should lead by example, to say the truth and not only that, but also to unite us because they are not only traditional leaders to Easterners. They are traditional leaders for all Zambians. If indeed their royal highnesses are concerned about tribalism in Zambia, why didn't they condemn what the President had said during the campaign before the elections when he said 'people from other areas should not come and campaign here?'” Kalala asked.

“Was that statement not tribal and regional for somebody vying to become head of state? And again he said some other things when he said 'they want to take this thing from you people'. Mr Banda's presidency belongs to all of us. He is our head of state. He is President of those who voted for him like myself and he is President of those who didn't vote for him and even those who didn't vote at all, to borrow president Mwanawasa's words.”

Kalala wondered what more evidence the chiefs were demanding from him.
“They are asking me to provide evidence but I mentioned earlier on that Namulambe was in this meeting. I have also mentioned that Namulambe raised this during a meeting at State House and that this is what led to him being removed as presidential affairs minister. And I have also mentioned the venue where they met the President so I don't know what evidence they are referring to,” Kalala said.

“Why I was forced to answer was that when Namulambe spoke, he was not being tribal. He was merely reporting what was obtaining on the ground. Had Namulambe been tribal, I would have spoken against that. People there lambaland have observed that the government is shifting away from the policies of president Mwanawasa. What the government should do is to address the concerns of the people. That is good leadership because our success depends on what they do as leaders. If you are in a bus and you see that the driver is not driving properly, will it be wrong to advise him to take care of the bus?”

But when contacted yesterday, Mpezeni said: “Nuviziba lini neo weo. I don't know that… Lomba kaili kuti nikokambanaye wamene uyo nkhani ikoingo pitilila pitilila. If I respond to him that will mean that this story will be going on and on. Anabozayake uyo. Niwaboza. That one is a liar. He is a liar.”