Maravi

Rupiah must not use me to cleanse himself – Sata

Rupiah must not use me to cleanse himself – Sata
By George Chellah
Wed 17 Mar. 2010, 04:00 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday apologised over what he termed a misconstrued statement attributed to him concerning the late president Levy Mwanawasa's decision to evacuate him to South Africa for treatment in 2008. And Sata said President Rupiah Banda must not use him to cleanse himself for the injury he has caused to the late Mwanawasa's legacy.

Reacting to the sustained criticism of him in the state-controlled media over the alleged statement, Sata said it had now become a habit for the state media to dramatise his remarks.

“I would advise Zambians to understand and sympathise with these people because it appears at the moment their biggest problem is Mr Sata. That's why whenever they find anything, which they think will prolong their stay in office they will fall on it and dramatise it,” Sata said.

“But they are going whether they like it or not. Actually, they are even lucky because they can see it coming. KK never knew that he will leave office in 1991. Zambians know that the state-controlled newspapers, especially the Times of Zambia, is now just a voice of the MMD which is being manned by MMD vigilantes masquerading as journalists.

The clique at the Times of Zambia is just a group of MMD vigilantes. I don't even know why they sometimes bother calling me because it's clear that they have been tasked to misrepresent my views. But Zambians must know that such levels of desperation will increase as we approach 2011.

“These people would like to do anything, you just look at how they have been fishing for imaginary offences against me. They first accused me of corruption when I served as local government minister until a competent lawyer who served as our justice minister at the time Dr Rodger Chongwe exposed their ignorance.

After that they went and unearthed some individual who claimed that I committed a crime in the 1950s. They are so desperate and I will not be surprised if they even start seeing an offence in my smile.”

Sata said the statement attributed to him concerning the late Mwanawasa was misconstrued.

“After we reconciled, my relationship with the late Mwanawasa was very good even up to the time he died. So no amount of dramatisation or attempts to pit me against my late brother's family and friends will help them. In fact, let me use this opportunity to sincerely apologise to those who were genuinely offended by that misconstrued statement.

I say 'genuinely offended' because I know that there are people in MMD that are just pretending,” Sata said. “This is evidenced by how they have abandoned Levy's legacy, especially the fight against corruption. I must state that I appreciated Levy's gesture and I am even on record for having thanked him after I returned from South Africa for treatment.

I will always appreciate my late brother's gesture and I have never ever taken his noble gesture for granted like Frederick Chiluba who used to pretend to be sick whenever there was pressure from his court cases. I have and will always appreciate Levy's gesture!”

Sata maintained that his appreciation of the late Mwanawasa's gesture was genuine.

“I mean it and I want those who were genuinely offended by that misconstrued statement to understand the genesis of these schemes or attempts to create a rift between myself and the late Mwanawasa's family and friends,” Sata said.

“Do you know that Chiluba and his wife Regina came to my house and urged me not to meet Levy and thank him when I returned from South Africa? Yes, they came and told me that I should not go and meet with Levy but I insisted that 'No, my meeting with Levy was purely personal'. Let Chiluba deny this.

“They Chiluba and Regina were seriously against my reconciliation with Levy. I am sure now people know and understand where this desperation and schemes are coming from. I pity Rupiah because he has fallen into Chiluba's trap of hatred and lies but they will not succeed.”

Sata said President Banda must not use him to cleanse himself for the injury he has caused to the late Mwanawasa's legacy.

“They should not use me to fight Levy. After all they have even abandoned and dumped his legacy. They were busy campaigning and making noise that they will keep the legacy but where is the legacy now?

They should actually be ashamed of themselves instead of dramatising my statements,” Sata said. “It's a fact that Rupiah and his friends have injured Levy's legacy more than anybody else will ever do. Today, they are busy dancing with Chiluba, the man who was against my reconciliation with Levy.

So what legacy are they trying to protect or uphold? What did MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya recently say about Levy's legacy? She said Rupiah has no mandate to carry anyone's legacy. Why was Gabriel Namulambe fired and why did George Mpombo leave Cabinet?

“Let them answer these questions above if they are convinced that they have done justice to my late brother's legacy. Tell them that dragging me into the mud by dramatising my statements particularly on Levy's legacy will not assist them and their treacherous habits.

The fact is they have betrayed Levy and dumped his legacy and no amount of propaganda will erase that fact.”

Labels: RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 5:20 AM