Maravi

Rupiah has completely killed Levy’s legacy – Sata

Rupiah has completely killed Levy’s legacy – Sata
By George Chellah and Chibaula Silwamba
Thu 08 Apr. 2010, 04:01 CAT

President Banda greeting newly-appointed commanders at State House after the swearing-in ceremony. From right, Army Commander Lt Gen Mwansa Lopa, ZNS commandant Brig Gen Anthony Yeta, ZNS deputy commander Brig Gen Nathan Mulenga, Air Force deputy commander Brig Gen Monta Chileshe and Army Deputy commander and chief of staff Maj Gen Vincent Mukanda - Picture by Eddie Mwanaleza

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday observed that President Rupiah Banda has completely killed the Levy Mwanawasa legacy by relieving professionals from the defence forces and maintaining bootlickers like Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde.

And President Banda has retired and replaced Zambia Army commander General Isaac Chisuzi, Zambia Air Force (ZAF) commander Lieutenant General Samuel Mapala and Zambia National Service (ZNS) commandant Major General Raphael Chisheta.

Reacting to President Banda’s announcement of changes in the defence and security forces, Sata said there was nothing important about President Banda’s press briefing.

“What press briefing and what was there? He is killing Mwanawasa’s legacy completely. He has relieved professionals of their duties in the defence forces and left bootlickers like Francis Kabonde,” Sata said.

“Kabonde’s resignation or retirement has been long overdue but he is keeping him. As long as we have cadres and bootlickers like Kabonde there, the village dogs will be running the Zambia Police.”

Sata also said he left the Northern Rhodesian police force in Chingola in 1958.

“I then joined the mine police at Chingola but the terms of reference for a mine police were so inferior as compared to that of the Northern Rhodesian police force so just after three months I resigned,” Sata said.

Sata’s remarks come in the wake of observations from former Republican president Enock Kavindele that Sata deserves a medal for his contribution to the country’s freedom struggle and not vilification.

Kavindele said: “In a manuscript from a book entitled ‘Political History of North Western Province’, the late historian Ben Kakoma wrote that Fines Bulawayo was in prison with Mr Sata, a former Northern Rhodesian policeman who had been summarily dismissed and imprisoned…”

Recently, the public media has been carrying stories on Sata’s incarceration in the 1950s. They have interviewed people who allegedly shared the same cell with Sata, widows and those who were jailed for political activism during the fight for liberation who have claimed that Sata was not imprisoned for political offences. The government has even gone further to announce that they have instituted investigations into the matter to try and establish the offence Sata committed in the then Northern Rhodesia.

And addressing a press briefing at State House yesterday, President Banda replaced Gen Chisuzi with Brigadier General Wisdom Lopa who was Zambia’s defence attaché in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

He retired Zambia Army deputy commander and chief of staff Major General Eliad Mutwale and replaced him with Colonel V.M Mukanda, who was commandant at MILTEZ , whom he also promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.

At ZAF, President Banda retired Lieutenant General Samuel Mapala and replaced him with Brigadier General Andrew Sakala who was recently retired from ZAF.

Brig Gen Sakala has since been promoted to the rank of Major General.

President Banda retired ZAF deputy commander Major General Evans Chengeta and replaced him with Brigadier General Monta Chileshe who was until his new appointment chief of operations at ZAF.

At ZNS, President Banda retired Commandant Major General Chisheta and replaced him with Brig Gen Yeta, who has since been elevated to the rank of Major General.

Maj Gen Chisheta was seconded to ZNS from Zambia Army and Brig Gen Yeta is also from the Zambia Army.

President Banda retired ZNS deputy commandant Brig Gen J.M Miti and replaced him with Brig Gen Nathan Mulenga who was until his new appointment ZNS secretary at the Ministry of Defence headquarters.

“The retirements and appointments are with immediate effect,” President Banda said.

“It is my intention that even as I retire these from active duty in their various units, they continue to serve their country in other appropriate positions so that the country may continue to benefit from their wide experience and various skills.”

One of the journalists sought to know whether or not the appointment of Brig Gen Sakala from retirement as ZAF commandant might demoralise junior staff that hoped to be elevated.

President Banda justified the appointment.

“Thank you for that question because I expected that it would come. I have recalled him and promoted him because I think that he has the necessary experience at this time to guide the air force as we go forward. But if you see under him I have moved a lot of young people to support him. He has the necessary experience and I believe he will do it to our satisfaction. I was also recalled to come into politics by the last president Levy Mwanawasa,” President Banda.

“It is not the first time and I will continue to do it even after the next elections. After the elections I will cast the net wider on this country to see who is there who can provide service to the Zambian people.”

He said some of the people “relentlessly campaigning for chaos” had been arrested.

“We don’t arrest people in secret,” he said.

President Banda said he was not using the police to intimidate his political opponents.

“I have never intimidated anybody. Even where they have been personal with me I have never quarrelled with them. I think that is the figment of their imagination,” President Banda said.

He said he was MMD president and not acting president.

“I just wanted to correct the acting president; of course in English acting it means the one who is president. I am then president of the ruling party,” President Banda.

He called for unity among Zambians.

President Banda warned that anyone that would want to cause violence in next year’s polls would be met by the full force of the law.

“As the government, we have the mandate to ensure that this country continue to be peaceful. Let them try and they will be met by the wrath of the law of this country. We have pledged as Zambians to be democratic,” said President Banda.

“We will not allow any individual, however powerful they may think they are, to allow violence in our country and it doesn’t matter what political party you come from including from my own political party, violence is against the law and we will deal with it in the manner that it deserves.”

President Banda said he was ensuring that there was tribal balancing in the defence force and civil service.

Labels: RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 2:53 PM