Rupiah’s ‘sugar daddy’ tricks won’t work in Milanzi – Sata

Rupiah’s ‘sugar daddy’ tricks won’t work in Milanzi – Sata
By Patson Chilemba and Chibaula Silwamba
Thu 25 Mar. 2010, 04:02 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday said the sugar-daddy tricks will bounce heavily in Milanzi and Mufumbwe constituencies.

In an interview following the Electoral Commission of Zambia's (ECZ) setting of April 8 and April 29, 2010 as nomination and polling days respectively for Milanzi and Mufumbwe parliamentary by-elections, Sata said it was almost two years since President Rupiah Banda distributed sugar to the people of Katete and he had never gone there to visit them again.

He said people were now aware that the sugar-daddy tricks were just aimed at winning votes from them.

“What we know is that they also distributed more sugar in Kasama, but the sugar turned against them,” Sata said. “The sugar-daddy tricks will bounce heavily in Milanzi and Mufumbwe.”

Sata said he was aware that since now was election time, chances that President Banda would distribute more sugar were high, but the people had now become aware of him.

“They distributed sugar and fertiliser, then he went to Milanzi. He told them that fertiliser will be sold at K25,000, and went back to Milanzi and reduced fertiliser from eight to four bags,” Sata said.

“It is up to the people themselves because sugar-daddy would have left sugar and gone. Because when he goes there and gives them sugar, he will be in Brazil. When he gives them sugar, they will have to wait for another two years to receive some.”

Sata said the ground in Milanzi and Mufumbwe was more fertile than it was in the Kasama by-election. He said people had now come to discover that President Banda had neglected them because he was more preoccupied with traveling out of the country.

Sata declared that the PF-UPND Pact would defeat President Banda and his MMD in Milanzi and Mufumbwe by-elections to repeat the Pact's victories in Solwezi Central and Kasama Central.

“We are going for a repeat match. The first match was Kasama Central and Solwezi Central. So Mufumbwe and Milanzi are a repeat match. If they have money, we are going equipped with the truth,” said Sata.

“This is Easter; you remember when the women went to Jesus Christ crying? He told them, 'don't cry for me, cry for yourselves'. The people of Zambia should not cry for anybody, they should cry for themselves. We are going to tell the people the truth, the choice is theirs.”