Mpombo vows to take part in red card campaigns

Mpombo vows to take part in red card campaigns
By Patson Chilemba
Sun 21 Mar. 2010, 04:20 CAT

GEORGE Mpombo yesterday said President Rupiah Banda should have expected the red card campaigns because he has failed to provide leadership.

In an interview, Mpombo, who is Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament, said he would take part in the red card campaign demonstrations against President Banda whenever they would be called. He said President Banda had left people with no choice but to resort to red cards because of his administration's gross failure.

“The administration is bad. President Banda has not provided leadership, so that red cards is expected. Especially travelling, today yesterday he is travelling to Namibia. You can't always be traveling. There should be no jet-set diplomacy, always in the air,” Mpombo said. “When the demonstrations are called, I will be part of them.”

And Mpombo asked President Banda to take heed to comments by British High Commissioner to Zambia Carolyn Davidson that there would be consequences for the assistance provided by the cooperating partners if evidence suggested that the government was not committed to fighting corruption.

He said President Banda's government had continued to let the donors down on the lukewarm approach towards the fight against corruption.

Mpombo said High Commissioner Davidson was diplomatically telling President Banda that donors were not impressed with his government's fight against graft.

“It is a polite manner of saying that the fight has hit rock-bottom in terms of effort. It is not focused, 'can you ensure that this fight is brought back on the road'. It is one way of expressing diplomatic disquietness over what they perceive to be sluggish government efforts, feeble efforts by government,” Mpombo said. “You see, he has not exhibited courageous leadership over the fight.”

Mpombo said the statement by High Commissioner Davidson had far reaching consequences for the country.

He said President Banda's handling of corruption could be seen from his conduct on the RP Capital Partners' involvement in the privatisation of the 75 per cent stake in Zamtel, the disbandment of the Task Force on Corruption and the dubious dealings in the procurement and awarding of oil contracts.

“And also the disparaging statements to the fight against corruption by late president Levy Mwanawasa, but my advice is it is important to take serious heed to the comments by the British High Commissioner, and we continue to let them down,” said Mpombo.

High Commissioner Davidson last Thursday said there would be consequences for the assistance provided by the cooperating partners if evidence suggested that the government was not committed to fighting corruption. The remarks were made during the official launch of the national anti-corruption policy implementation plan.