Maravi

Rupiah has sneaked out to watch Brazil – Sata

Rupiah has sneaked out to watch Brazil – Sata
By Chibaula Silwamba and Namatama Mundia
Mon 21 June 2010, 13:01 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday charged that President Rupiah Banda sneaked out to South Africa to watch the Brazil-Côte d'Ivoire football match because he does not want Zambians to know that he is wasting their money on aimless and unproductive trips.

And Vice-President George Kunda, who is also justice minister, yesterday left for Serenje district, where the case involving former health deputy minister Dr Solomon Musonda will be heard next week in the magistrate’s court.

In an interview, Sata challenged anyone in government to refute his statement that President Banda was in South Africa yesterday to watch football at the ongoing FIFA 2010 World Cup tournament and later undergo a knee medical checkup before proceeding to Namibia for a state visit.

“The President has been feeling the impact of our complaints for his aimless and unproductive travels hence he is now hiding when going out of the country. Today (yesterday) he is going to South Africa for specific purpose of watching Brazil versus Côte d'Ivoire. Then tomorrow today he will fly to Cape Town for his medical attention to his knee and from there he will go to Namibia for a state visit and he will come back on Saturday,” Sata said.

“He is sneaking out so that people don’t know that he is wasting our money, taxpayers’ money. Let somebody deny that he is going to South Africa to watch this last evening Brazil- Côte d'Ivoire game.”

The Zambian High Commissioner to Namibia Marvis Muyunda on Saturday said President Banda would this week be in Namibia for a state visit.

And yesterday, journalists – both from state and private media - were blocked from covering President Banda on his departure at Lusaka International Airport.

President Banda’s plane took off from the airport around 10.20 hours and sources confirmed that the President would stop over in South Africa for a medical review before proceeding to Namibia.

The sources said President Banda would be in Namibia from today, June 21, to June 25, 2010.

Security personnel at the Lusaka International Airport blocked a group of journalists from the private and the public media that went to cover President Banda’s departure.

The security personnel claimed that the journalists were late and that they would only be allowed access to the airport apron after the President’s plane had left.

However, despite the presidential challenger aircraft taking off, the security personnel still denied the journalists entry and they were referred to the protocol officers inside the VIP departure lounge where the journalists were again denied entry.

After President Banda left, Vice-President George Kunda was also in the process of leaving Lusaka International Airport for Serenje district aboard a helicopter.

The journalists were again denied access to Vice-President Kunda on grounds that they had not been screened by security officers.

Sources said the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS), which sent a camera crew to Namibia ahead of President Banda’s state visit, had been aware of President Banda’s trip to Namibia and Vice-President Kunda’s trip to Serenje but that they did not inform the other media houses because they had been ordered not to.

The sources said President Banda and Vice-President Kunda did not want any media coverage during their departure.

The police officers then informed the media personnel that since Vice-President Kunda and the government officials that went to see off President Banda had left Lusaka International Airport, it would not be possible for them to get any interviews. Thereafter, journalists left the airport.

And Sata accused President Banda of abusing money from Zambian taxpayers and donors. He said the decision by The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to suspend funding to the Zambian health sector through the Ministry of Health was proof that donors had lost confidence in President Banda’s government.

“Donor funds are taxpayers’ money from other countries and it is supposed to go to the projects it is intended for but it must not go into leaders’ pockets. They government officials have been misusing this money. They can’t downplay the suspension of The Global Fund’s aid to the Ministry of Health because they are playing double standards,” Sata said. “The donor community lost confidence in the Banda government a long time ago. This is not the first time the donor community is reacting. You remember, as soon as Banda came into office, the donor community reacted, which forced Rupiah Banda to take whatever measures he took but the measures he took are not enough because the people, for example in the Ministry of Health, Henry Kapoko and others are very junior people but the donors and all of us concerned about corruption would like to deal with the big guns in government not small, little flies.”

Sata also questioned the government’s threats against Sky FM in Monze.
“The same government is threatening to close Sky FM for reporting chief Mwanachingwala’s threat to burn sugar cane of Zambia Sugar Company and the sugar cane is burnt. The donor community is saying, ‘sorry you can’t use our taxpayers’ money for your aimless and unproductive trips’,” Sata said.

He also wondered why MMD Lusaka Province chairperson William Banda had not been cited for contempt of court for not appearing in court last week.

“William Banda was supposed to go to the local court but he didn’t go and the same day, he was threatening PF, UPND and The Post. But if it was PF Munali legislator Mumbi Phiri who did not go to court, she would have been detained in custody for contempt of court but because it’s William Banda and is acting on behalf of Rupiah Banda, he William Banda becomes untouchable. It’s not fair,” said Sata. “I was in custody myself for 40 days and there were people in prison who were serving seven years sentence for wounding an animal in the bush. Just wounding an animal, someone is arrested by ZAWA Zambia Wildlife Authority and they languished in prison but here this Dr Musonda, who attempted to murder someone, they say it’s an assault, grievously bodily harm. We are in big trouble.”

Labels: GEORGE KUNDA, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA, SOLOMON MUSONDA

posted by MrK @ 2:58 PM