Maravi

Govt condemned Bonshe to death – brother

COMMENT - Who in the country does not have a similar story to tell? Well at least the mines are happy to keep all their profits. The answer is not fly more party officials to South Africa when they are ill, but to make all the money necessary available for hospitals in Zambia. And it is time to end placing (foreign) capital above all else, including the lives of Zambian citizens.

Govt condemned Bonshe to death – brother
By Kabanda Chulu in Mufumbwe and Agness Changala in Lusaka
Sun 11 Apr. 2010, 04:02 CAT

THE elder brother of late Mufumbwe MMD parliamentarian Misheck Bonshe yesterday revealed that the family is surprised at the sympathy being shown by the government, which they failed to show to the deceased when he was suffering.

And UPND vice president Richard Kapita has said chief Chizela of the Kaonde people allegedly received money and a brand new GRZ vehicle in order to strengthen MMD campaigns for the Mufumbwe by-elections.

But chief Chizela refused to discuss the allegations, saying it was not true because he had not been to Lusaka recently.

In an interview, Willies Apoloso said when Bonshe was admitted to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), only leaders of opposition parties visited him.

“When I heard that he was sick in hospital, I travelled to Lusaka and for the six months Bonshe spent in UTH, I never saw any Cabinet minister but I only saw leaders of the opposition parties and as a family we are surprised that government is trying to be sympathetic today. Is it because of the by-elections or not?” Apoloso asked.

“We don’t know but we believe government is supposed to take care of someone when he is alive and we think they condemned him Bonshe to death.”

And Kapita said chief Chizela lied to President Rupiah Banda that if given money, he and other Kaonde chiefs would reopen the Kalengwa Mines, which had been grabbed from Hetro Mining Limited.

“We are aware that chief Chizela met President Rupiah Banda at State House and he was given K1.5 billion to strengthen campaigns for the Mufumbwe by-elections. Chief Chizela promised to entice other Kaonde chiefs to convince people to vote for Mulondwe Muzungu, but what can they do with that amount to run a mine?” Kapita asked.

“Chief Chizela lied to President Banda that the funds will be used to enhance operations at the Kalengwa Mines which chief Chizela influenced the government to grab from Hetro Mining. But why should a chief influence this MMD government to grab a mine from an investor Shawi Fawaz who has a licence with full mineral rights? Let chief Chizela deny this statement and I will confront him with facts because I approached him and he could not give me a categorical answer.”

Kapita claimed that Kikonge UPND ward councillor Bruce Kanema was allegedly assaulted by indunas sent by chief Chizela because Kanema exposed them.

“What happened is that Kanema was invited to participate in this scheme by chief Chizela after receiving the K1.5 billion, but Kanema refused and informed me about these manoeuvres hence the chief sent his indunas to beat Kanema since he does not want be part of chief Chizela’s MMD campaign tricks,” he said.

And Kanema confirmed that chief Chizela approached him with a view to work together since the government would build houses and connect Mufumbwe to the national electricity grid.

“I said it cannot happen and the chief sent his advisors to beat me,” Kanema said.

Mufumbwe police sergeant Mpasela confirmed the case and issued a medical report to Kanema.

However, chief Chizela said it was not true and dismissed allegations of receiving K1.5 billion.

“I don’t want to discuss that issue because it is not true. I have not been to Lusaka recently and I have nothing to do with what is happening at Kalengwa mines,” said chief Chizela.

And the MMD in Solwezi has vowed to campaign tooth and nail for its candidate Mulondwe Muzungu in the forth-coming Mufumbwe parliamentary by-elections.

In an interview, MMD Solwezi District chairman Tradeson Mulofwa said his party would fight for Muzungu to scoop the seat because he also had support from the people of Mufumbwe.

“People are happy and we are definitely going to scoop the seat and we will make sure that we campaign for him tooth and nail,” he said.

Mulofwa claimed that during the filing in of nominations, about 60 per cent of the people in the area supported the MMD.

He said those who supported his party were real voters compared to other parties that only had the support of young people who never voted.

Mulofwa said the MMD would win because people had lost confidence in the opposition.

Mulofwa advised residents to vote for the MMD because they were in the government and could easily mobilise resources for various projects to be carried out.

MMD campaign manager for Mufumbwe Daniel Kalenga said the party would scoop the seat.

Kalenga said if nomination day were election day, Muzungu would have won the elections because of the overwhelming support he received from people.

Kalenga said the party would now go on the ground to campaign for him and ensure that the MMD wins.

Labels: FDI, HEALTHCARE, MISHECK BONSHE, NEOLIBERALISM

posted by MrK @ 7:33 PM