Maravi

Don’t threaten my life, Sata warns Rupiah

Don’t threaten my life, Sata warns Rupiah
By George Chellah and Christopher Miti
Sat 10 Apr. 2010, 04:01 CAT

Sata addressing a rally at Kagoro Basic School after the PF-UPND candidate Albert Banda filed his nomination for the Milanzi by-election in Katete on Thursday - Picture by Thomas Nsama

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday warned President Rupiah Banda against direct attempts on his life. In an interview, Sata described the Thursday incident in Milanzi where he was almost run-over by an MMD vehicle as a conspiracy.

“I am more than convinced that what happened in Milanzi constituency where a vehicle carrying an MMD candidate deliberately reversed and hit into a stationary vehicle which I was standing next to was a conspiracy. I am 100 per cent certain that it was conspiracy because if you look at the MMD team in Milanzi, there wasn't any senior national executive committee (NEC) member, there were no ministers or deputy ministers present except probably the campaign manager who was also hiding,” Sata said.

“Not even Dora Siliya MMD spokesperson, Chembe Nyangu MMD deputy national secretary or Lameck Mangani, who has of late been projecting himself as the voice of Eastern Province in the MMD was present. No wonder I am saying that it was a conspiracy because all these people I have mentioned knew what they were going to do to me or what was to happen in Milanzi. That's why they didn't show up.

“They basically didn't want to witness that heinous act they MMD had planned. They knew that if that vehicle had rolled over me in their presence, it would have been very difficult for them to explain themselves out of that act, that's why they opted to stay away and let the young ones execute the operation. But I want to warn Rupiah Banda that let us just do politics and not threaten my life and other people’s lives.”

Sata challenged home affairs minister Mangani to speak out about the Milanzi incident.

“Mangani instructed the police to investigate me and Hichilema over the statement that they want to begin eliminating opponents. I want him to speak now because this incident in Milanzi happened in full view of the police. I personally complained to the police after I survived that deadly encounter. I told the police officer who was at the scene that 'you are here can you arrest that one' but the police were just looking at me,” Sata said. “The police witnessed this incident right from beginning when the MMD vehicle was deliberately reversing up to the end but they couldn't even arrest the culprit. I hear the MMD tried to change the story by bringing in the usual 'gun' story they talk about at every by-election. I am told they tried to cheat that a PF member produced a gun, which is all rubbish. The police were at the scene when that happened why didn't they arrest the person who produced the gun?”

And MMD campaign manager Dr Eustarckio Kazonga later claimed that Sata's vehicle hit into the MMD vehicle, which was carrying their candidate Whiteson Banda when it was reversing.

He further claimed that there was commotion when a PF security officer produced a gun during the incident. Dr Kazonga said the MMD reported the incident including the production of the gun.

And Eastern Province MMD chairperson Kennedy Zulu said the production of the gun by a PF man was an attempt on the life of their candidate.

But Sata first reported the matter to Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson justice Florence Mumba and ECZ commissioner judge Esau Chulu and was advised to report the matter to police.

Meanwhile, UNIP campaign manager in the Milanzi by-election Archangel Mbewe said his party had put in place measures that would prevent MMD from rigging elections.

Mbewe, who is also Kazala ward councillor, said his party could not lose in Milanzi.

Asked as to why UNIP lost the last by-election despite having nine councillors out of the total of ten wards in the area, Mbewe said UNIP did not lose the last by-election in Milanzi.

“We did not lose the previous elections but there were some sort of rigging. This time we have put in place people who will be able to trace out whatever the MMD will bring out,” he said.

UNIP candidate Musa Banda who was the second candidate to file in his nomination papers said he was confident of scooping the seat.

And MMD candidate Banda said once voted into office, he would continue from where late Reuben Chisanga Banda stopped and ensure that roads were worked on.

Banda urged voters to vote peacefully without any violence.

PF-UPND candidate Albert Banda said it was unfortunate that Milanzi had remained underdeveloped since independence.

He pledged to work with the people once elected member of parliament.

“I am not someone who after being elected will go forever. I want to work close with the people of Milanzi. I want them to send me just like what we are doing now so that whatever message they give me I take it to parliament and in return I get back to them,” Banda said.

He said it was bad that most members of parliament did not get back to the people who sent them to Parliament.

Labels: POLITICAL VIOLENCE, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 2:24 PM