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RB’s govt has lost support of citizens, donors – Kabimba

RB’s govt has lost support of citizens, donors – Kabimba
By Patson Chilemba
Fri 02 July 2010, 04:01 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) secretary general Wynter Kabimba has observed that President Rupiah Banda’s attacks on donors are a clear testimony of a regime that has lost the support of its citizens and donors.

And Kabimba said former president Frederick Chiluba probably needs Jesus Christ to confirm to him that he is a thief. Commenting on President Banda’s statement that nobody invited donors to help Zambia, Kabimba said President Banda’s outbursts were a testimony of a troubled government. He asked President Banda not to blame donors for the problems of his own making.

“The reaction from RB is a clear testimony of a regime that realises that its support is waning, not only among citizens but even amongst the international community. That is a testimony from that kind of outburst as exhibited by Rupiah Banda at the Lusaka International airport,” Kabimba said.

“Now it’s unfair for the President to shift the problems of his government’s mismanagement of the country to the donors. And that is what he is doing. He wants to shift the attention from his government’s mismanagement of the economy and the political situation and direct that attention to the donors.”

Kabimba said President Banda’s administration was desperate because it had realised that it had lost donor and public confidence. He said the donors had every right to demand that the government observe good governance because this was now a globalised world.

“I think they are even doing Rupiah Banda a favour so that he should make amends to govern this country in a better way. So I don’t think the problem is with the donors. The problem is with Rupiah Banda and his government and the sooner he comes to terms with that position the better,” Kabimba said.

“But his statement at the airport does not show that he is a man that is coming to terms with his position.”

Kabimba said President Banda was remotely connected to the issues involving his own country. He said President Banda had a better insight of the countries he frequently visited than his own country.

“And obviously we do not blame him for that since he spends most of his time outside the country,” Kabimba said.

He said President Banda should respond to the challenge from Danish parliamentarian Marion Pedersen on whether Zambia wanted donor support or not.

“Tell the donors in very clear terms and not by playing to the gallery at the airport. He must tell donors in clear terms whether or not his government need donor support. If he doesn’t he should apologise,” Kabimba said.

On Chiluba’s support of President Banda’s attacks on the donors, Kabimba said Chiluba was just a joke in Zambia’s political arena.

“I don’t think anybody takes Chiluba serious. A former head of state who has been discredited by being prosecuted for stealing from his own people, unless you are really a big thief, you can actually win a medal for stealing,” he said.

Kabimba said Chiluba was supposed to be walking the streets with humility.

“The man has no shame. Of course he is saying that because of the London judgment against him. He is a man that has been dubbed so to say as a thief, both in London and here locally but who has no sense of shame or remorse. That is what he is,” said Kabimba.

“The man is unrepentant; he probably needs Jesus to confirm to him that what the people are saying ‘that you are a thief’ is true.”

Recently, President Banda said nobody asked the donors to be helping Zambia. President Banda said the donors should not blackmail the country because it was sovereign.

Chiluba echoed President Banda’s statement, saying donors should not take the country for granted just because they provided support to various sectors of the economy.

Chiluba said donors should respect Zambia’s sovereignty and not hold her to ransom.

Labels: DONORS, RUPIAH BANDA, WYNTER KABIMBA

posted by MrK @ 9:41 PM