Maravi

KK is defending Rupiah on wako ni wako basis – Sata

KK is defending Rupiah on wako ni wako basis – Sata
By George Chellah
Fri 01 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday said Dr Kenneth Kaunda is defending President Rupiah Banda purely on the basis of nepotism, on wako ni wako basis.

Commenting on Dr Kaunda's charge that former defence minister George Mpombo has been barking like anything at President Banda, Sata criticised Dr Kaunda's language against Mpombo.

“There is no difference with the language, which he is criticising because Mpombo has not been barking, Mpombo has been talking,” Sata said.

He said Dr Kaunda was indebted to President Banda because of the many favours he has received from him.

“And we know that since Rupiah Banda came, he has given the old man lots of favours. So the old man will be failing in his duties not to defend Mr Rupiah Banda,” Sata said.

“But the language he is using is bad… it's wako ni wako nepotism. We know that even last year Dr Kaunda came out in the similar manner because he was a beneficiary. They accelerated benefits and gave him VXs and other benefits.”

Sata said Dr Kaunda had nothing to do with the opposition political parties.

“Everything the opposition says is not in Kaunda's interest, he doesn't say anything he doesn't oppose anything. And this time now he is the co-ruler because Rupiah Banda is just bringing UNIP rule,” Sata said.

Featuring on the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC)'s Kwacha Goodmorning Zambia programme on Saturday, Dr Kaunda charged that Mpombo has been barking like anything at President Banda. He said Mpombo had a terrible language, which could not be accepted by anyone.

He said Zambians should live in unity, in the spirit of One Zambia One Nation.
And according to the Times of Zambia edition of May 11, 1976, there was a mini reshuffle where the then foreign affairs minister Rupiah Banda was replaced by Siteke Mwale. Rupiah Banda was reported to have requested that he goes on study leave.

But on May 14, 1976, barely two days or so after the mini reshuffle, which saw Rupiah Banda leaving his portfolio, the then president Dr Kaunda was reported in the Times of Zambia as having cancelled a list of people recommended for appointments in the foreign service because the appointments were tribal.

Dr Kaunda ordered Rupiah Banda's successor Siteke Mwale to compile a fresh and more representative list. Dr Kaunda is further reported to have declared that the foreign service was not only for one group of people in Zambia and that those appointed to the service must be chosen on merit.

He said he was very often surprised to see men in key positions trying to build what he called 'small empires' around them.

“Why they do this I do not understand,” Dr Kaunda said.
He warned that he was not going to sit idly by and watch Zambia's institutions or any part of the country turned into 'battle grounds for tribalising'.

“We have had to cancel recommendations for certain new appointments in the Foreign Service because of this practice and I must say that the party and government are determined to sweep any type of cobwebs in society,” Dr Kaunda said.

He said a diplomat's duties must have roots in the masses because each of them only fitted into their positions because of the masses whose destiny was shaped in the philosophy - Humanism.

“To use our tribal culture as a way of destroying Zambia is counter-revolutionary and we will not accept it,” Dr Kaunda said. “…because we want a Zambia that is Zambian, not one which is tribal, regional, religious or racial in terms of division.”

Dr Kaunda was addressing the opening session of a series of consultative meetings of Zambian Ambassadors and High Commissioners when he made the above remarks in 1976.

Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO, KENNETH KAUNDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 10:38 AM