Maravi

I don’t dislike Chiluba as a person but his dubious activities – Sata

I don’t dislike Chiluba as a person but his dubious activities – Sata
By Patson Chilemba
Fri 12 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT

PF leader Michael Sata with his UPND counterpart Hakainde Hichilema
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday said he does not dislike Frederick Chiluba as a person but his dubious activities.

Reacting to President Rupiah Banda's assertion that Sata would not force him to dislike former president Chiluba, Sata said there was nothing to force President Banda to hate Chiluba about. He said Chiluba's activities had earned him more enemies than friends.

“I don't dislike Chiluba, I dislike Chiluba's dubious activities. When he goes to the Copperbelt telling lies, 'if you vote for Sata and UPND president Hakainde Hichilema, they are going to bring war', those are naked lies. Those are criminal lies,” Sata said.

“So the point is nobody is forcing him to like Chiluba, or dislike Chiluba. We don't dislike Chiluba, but Chiluba's activities which makes Chiluba to have more enemies.”

Sata observed that President Banda was using Chiluba's name in Luapula Province because he thought that it would help him to win the hearts and minds of the people from that area.

He said it was sad that President Banda had again wasted the people's time, saying the President was spending more time talking about (Sata) him instead of telling the people what his government had done and intended to do for the people.

“Every leader worth his salt is supposed to tell the people what he intends to do for them, but everywhere he has gone he always diverts…the people of Luapula are not invited to State House, so when he is in Luapula he should not waste his time on me,” Sata said.

“He has gone to Luapula to seek a vote well in advance before he declares the election. And when he is in Luapula, the issue which he has to use is Chiluba and Sata, because Sata has a political party in Luapula which dominates Luapula, and he would like to get that dominance in Luapula.”

Sata also said it was sad that poverty had hit lawyermakers who went to parade themselves before President Banda at Mansa Airport.

He said they had left their constituencies, which were miles away from Mansa just to keep up appearances so that they could benefit financially and desperately seek adoption on the MMD ticket.

“Now if those are so-called opposition, and they go and kneel down before Rupiah Banda, how can they complain about what is lacking in Luapula? ...It's Rupiah Banda who has financed them to Luapula, it's Rupiah Banda who financed them in 2008. They are members of parliament representing their pockets, not the people,” Sata said of some PF rebel members of parliament who were with President Banda on his tour to Luapula Province.

On President Banda's statement that 50 per cent of PF members of parliament were finding it difficult to work with their colleagues in the party because of bad leadership, Sata said President Banda was in fact the main architect of the divisions that had beset the MMD because of his bad leadership.

“That is why you find his people are falling away, the Gabriel Namulambes, the George Mpombos, the Sylvia Masebos, the Jonas Shakafuswas, the Lameck Chibombamilimos, he can't count on those,” said Sata.

Speaking on arrival at Mansa Airport for a three-day visit to Luapula Province on Wednesday, President Banda said Sata would not force him to dislike Chiluba.

President Banda said he would continue to respect all leaders, including former leaders whether they were councillors, ministers or vice-presidents.

Labels: CHILUBA, CORRUPTION, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 3:47 PM