Maravi

Rupiah is grandmaster of tribal politics – HH

Rupiah is grandmaster of tribal politics – HH
By Chibaula Silwamba
Thu 01 Apr. 2010, 04:02 CAT

RUPIAH Banda is dead-scared and always worried about me and Michael Sata even when he is snoring on the plane or sleeping in State House, UPND president Hakainde Hichilema said yesterday.

Reacting to President Rupiah Banda's verbal attacks against him and Patriotic Front (PF) leader Sata in Mazabuka last Friday, Hichilema said President Banda was just a disgruntled old man.

“It's him who is disgruntled. You know when he is sleeping in that State House and as he snores in the plane as he is always in the air, he lives in the plane, he is only worrying about Hakainde and Sata,” Hichilema said.

“That is his worry. Why? Because he is not running the country properly. If he was running the country properly people would not be complaining. So the issue of us being frustrated does not arise. It is him who is desperate, confused and frustrated.”

Hichilema said President Banda could not discourage him and Sata from standing as presidential candidates on account that they lost previously because even him President Banda had lost parliamentary elections in the 1980s to a school teacher.

“He says we have lost elections but Rupiah Banda most go back to the archives; he lost miserably to Simion Chambabulele Kampata in Munali Constituency when he was a minister. He was beaten by a school teacher from Munali Secondary School,” he said.

“He lost to a man who was a school headmaster at the time who had no car and was struggling to campaign.

In an exclusive interview with UK Zambia Magazine in 2009, President Banda admitted his electoral defeat to Kampata.

Hichilema said President Banda was scared of him hence whenever he travelled to Southern Province he was insulting him.

“Rupiah is the grandmaster of tribal politics. He exhibited that in the last presidential elections in 2008 in Katete when he was acting the role of sugar daddy. He was distributing sugar and other foodstuff there. He publicly and shamelessly stood on the platform asking the people of Katete and Eastern Province to chase Hakainde and Sata when they go there to campaign because they don't come from there,” Hichilema said.

“Since the independence of this country, the people of Southern Province are aware that for the first time they have no Cabinet minister under Rupiah Banda's government. What explanation has he got to give to that?”

Hichilema said the people that were listening to President Banda in Mazabuka were not foolish.

“If people stand there listening to him talking total rubbish, it doesn't mean that they are not aware of his tricks and tribal inclination,” Hichilema said.

“This country belongs to all the nine provinces of Zambia. If he was a genuine President, why is it that the fourth largest voter concentrated province in Zambia has no Cabinet minister? Does he think that those people standing there listening to him are fools? He stood there insulting Hakainde. What he was talking is utter nonsensical and he must understand that he doesn't own this country. This country belongs to all of us. He should stop threatening people.”

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, RUPIAH BANDA, TRIBALISM

posted by MrK @ 3:01 PM