Power has gone to Rupiah’s head, says Sata

Power has gone to Rupiah’s head, says Sata
By Patson Chilemba
Mon 19 Apr. 2010, 04:10 CAT

PF leader Michael Sata at Blue Waters Motel shortly before he paid a courtesy call on chief Mumbi of Eastern Province in Lusaka on March 31,2010-PIcture by Thomas Nsama

POWER has gone to Rupiah Banda’s head, Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata observed yesterday.

In an interview, Sata said it was sad that President Banda was more interested in reminding people that he was the “boma” and attacking him and UPND president Hakainde Hichilema instead of telling the people of Milanzi what the government had done for them or their future plans.

Sata said President Banda was more concerned about holding on to power than delivering development to the people.

“He was just boasting about boma, boma. At least he should have told them what he has done. But power has gone to his head, he will only talk about boma, boma. He will maintain the presidency at all cost using whatever means. I won’t be surprised if sooner or later he calls a state of emergency to remove opposition,” he said.

On President Banda’s assertions that Sata was once in the government and had failed to bring about the development he now promises to achieve once elected, Sata said he does not have a track record of failure like President Banda.

He said he served the country diligently in the specific roles he was appointed to serve, but President Banda’s failures in specific public offices had now been confirmed through his presidency.

“None of us was president before. But now he is the President. Before he was President, he did not reduce fertiliser, but when he became president, he reduced fertiliser. Levy’s government said no to mobile hospitals. When he went to China he said yes to mobile hospitals,” Sata said.

“Rupiah Banda was minister of foreign affairs. He was in charge of NAMBOARD, we are not talking about government. And what I did as minister can be seen. Everybody remembers me as minister of local government, as minister of labour, as governor. But what is Rupiah Banda remembered for?”

Sata said President Banda found solace in travelling aimlessly to other nations in order to run away from addressing the many problems that had beset the nation because he had failed to come to terms with the demands of governing the country.

“He has travelled more than any other president in two years. He has travelled more than President Kaunda in 27 years, more than Frederick Chiluba in 10 years. When he was vice-president, he accepted the defence chiefs, when he became President he fired them,” said Sata.

Last week in Milanzi, President Banda said Sata was a crook who had even failed to build a toilet. President Banda bragged that he was the “boma the government” and physically and psychologically prepared to defeat his opponents.