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Rupiah, those surrounding him have no capacity to reason – Nawakwi

Rupiah, those surrounding him have no capacity to reason – Nawakwi
By Patson Chilemba
Sat 27 Mar. 2010, 04:01 CAT

RUPIAH Banda and those surrounding him have no capacity to reason, opposition FDD president Edith Nawakwi charged yesterday.

And Nawakwi charged that President Banda and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chalwe Mchenga are running what she described as an ‘animal farm’ where those close to the President were being protected from prosecution, while those on the opposite side were denied justice.

Reacting to a challenge from the MMD for her to explain whether she accompanied President Banda to the African Union (AU) summit in Ethiopia last year because of allowances, Nawakwi said it was sad that instead of listening to her advice for President Banda to stop travelling aimlessly, those in MMD chose to attack her.

She said President Banda and those surrounding him kept on making glaring mistakes because of the inability to listen to advice from the citizens.

“You don't have the people with the capacity to listen. Rupiah and those surrounding him have no capacity to reason. On my advice on the travels and the one where women are carrying buckets to the hospitals, they would have just said 'yes, we have this problem, and this is how we hope to address it'. But the arguments from MMD shows you that there is no capacity to reason,” Nawakwi said. “I think basically this government is full of people who don't listen, and they want to bury their heads like the ostriches.”

Nawakwi said President Banda had not bothered to even visit the flood victims, save for the public relations trip he took when he returned from his more than 10 days' visit of China.

“If Rupiah and his people want to turn themselves into a despotic government, they only have themselves to blame, which they have done. You know this is the making of despots. If people don't listen, then you know they are doomed to failure. When we advise them that women are carrying buckets to the maternity ward, they say that is politics,” Nawakwi said.

“Has Rupiah Banda, since he came back, even gone to see what is happening at UTH? According to information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha, people are there for a short time and they are dispatched to wards. Unfortunately, people are there for more than 48 hours, sleeping on the floor. And you members of the press are accomplices, you don't show people pictures.”

Nawakwi said on average, President Banda had travelled more since he was elected than Dr Kenneth Kaunda did in his 27-year rule.

“How can you go to a busy country like China and spend 10 days? No wonder when they have nothing to do with you, they send you down a river on a boat, with just an ambassador escorting you because you stayed their generosity,” she said.

On assertions that she should explain if she accompanied President Banda to Ethiopia because of allowances, Nawakwi said she asked if she could buy her own ticket but those in government refused. She said besides that, she was a tax payer and an employer who could manage to buy her own tickets.

“In fact, what I discovered there is shocking. Zambia had the largest delegation of just hang-arounds. The delegation from State House itself is larger than the people who are going to do decent work there,” Nawakwi said.

And Nawakwi charged that Mchenga was still sitting on her case.

She said it was surprising that while it took Mchenga only a few days to issue a go-ahead over the prosecutions of Fr Frank Bwalya, George Mpombo, Mwenya Musenge, Chishimba Kambwili, Mumbi Phiri and Jean Kapata, her case had not been approved for prosecution up to now.

“In fact, I saw that Fr Bwalya was arrested on a Friday and on Monday he was in court, and by Sunday Rupiah Banda was commenting and expressing his disquiet and unhappiness about the conduct of one Fr Bwalya,” Nawakwi said.

“And yet this is the same person, in the same breath who stands up and condons assault and injury to a leader. This is the same person who is wining and dining with the likes of Chris Chalwe.”

Nawakwi said Mchenga had not issued instructions for the prosecution of MMD Lusaka Province youth chairperson Chris Chalwe because President Banda was against the same prosecution.

“Rupiah Banda is running an equivalent of animal farm. So the matter before the DPP is supposed to be expedited, but surprisingly again, they think it will die a natural death. And Rupiah Banda is the one who is sitting on it.

Mchenga knows that under this system of patronage, if he does go against his boss, the next day he will be out of office,” said Nawakwi.

Labels: CHALWE MCHENGA, EDITH NAWAKWI, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:01 PM