Maravi

Rupiah gives HH tips on how to become President

Rupiah gives HH tips on how to become President
By Mwala Kalaluka and Edwin Mbulo in Namwala
Wed 25 Aug. 2010, 04:02 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda on Monday gave UPND president Hakainde Hichilema some tips on how to become Republican president. And President Banda said he hoped a man who allegedly defaced one of the billboards bearing his image on the recently ‘completed’ Choma-Chitongo road a few days ago would be in prison for a long time.

Meanwhile, Namwala UPND member of parliament Major Robbie Chizhyuka has said the development that had eluded the people of Namwala since the country’s independence had been brought by President Rupiah Banda in the last two years he has been in office.

Meanwhile, Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe at a meeting that President Banda addressed at Mapanza area in Choma compared himself to Jesus Christ by saying that no one could go to President Banda without going through him.

Addressing a meeting, President Banda said he was hopeful that the people of Namwala would give him their vote next time around. He said he always enjoyed the fact that as a novice, he defeated Hichilema in his ‘capital’ Livingstone during the last presidential election.

He said he could only guess how many times ‘young’ Hichilema would have to lose elections before he could accept that he was a loser who was trying to force himself to be a President before he was ready.

President Banda, who promised his competitors that the MMD would fight like men in the 2011 elections, said if Hichilema wanted to become President of Zambia, he should learn to make friends instead of keeping to his part of the country.

President Banda said the people of Namwala could also vote for him because he was equally their son because he was a Zambian.

And addressing a meeting at Mapanza’s Munyeke area, President Banda said he had learnt that somebody from the opposition had attacked one of the bill-boards along the road.

The billboards placed along some points along the road bear President Banda’s image with words reading as follows; “your money and government at work.”

“It was a pity one person from the opposition had to attack the billboard. He was so angry that we have done this road but it’s good that we have found who he is and we have put him in prison. I hope they can keep him there forever so that he knows that defacing a government property is a crime,” President Banda told the multitude that came to listen to him.

Crowds of people gathered along some points of the road at Green, Mbabala, Ngonga, Munyeke and Niko and President Banda took time to address them after getting welcoming speeches from some village headmen.

President Banda said he was very impressed by the caliber of leaders that the people had through their area UPND member of parliament Emmanuel Hachipuka, who was present in the Presidential entourage, and Munkombwe.

Hachipuka, who also addressed one of the meetings, said he was close to President Banda and his clique because it was them that had access to the money.

“I want to thank you for the road. I stay in Lusaka but people within UPND have continued to criticise me asking me why I am too close to VJ, but where can I ask for funds to develop if I don’t get close to you?” Hachipuka asked.

“Why am I close to RB, VJ, Mulongoti? Because these are the people with the money.”

Hachipuka said even if UPND came to power, it still had to deal with people that would not vote for them.

“I am member of parliament here but you see MMD have given us the road. Don’t listen to people who despise this road if they come in power themselves then they will have to just add,” said Hachipuka.

President Banda said the people of Mbabala were fortunate to have their leader.

“You are very fortunate to have such leadership,” President Banda said. “He is not an MMD member of parliament, he is a UPND member of parliament but he is a Zambian member of parliament. He seats in the same parliament that is controlled by Mr. Mwaanga as chief whip.”

President Banda said the MMD government listens to Hachipuka and where possible provide him with what he wanted. He urged the people to support people that brought them development during next year’s election when a lot of people would be going to the area asking for their votes.

“Don’t get confused. Follow the one that gave you development. You have your member of parliament, he will come here,” President Banda lobbied to the people on Hachipuka’s behalf. “You have to support somebody who knows and somebody who listens to you and I don’t care what political party that person comes from.”

President Banda said he was going to vigorously campaign in Southern Province next year. He said he was going to campaign on his record of things that his government had done.

President Banda said no government in the world did everything at the same time.

“I was elected President on the MMD ticket after we lost our late president. I had colleagues who stood with me who wanted to become presidents as well,” President Banda said.

He said he had forgotten all the divisive forces of the 2008 election and that his interest was to serve the people of Zambia. President Banda said it was only now when it had become clear to him that actually all provinces in the country voted for him in 2008.

“My presidency is a gift from you people,” President Banda said. “I am also proud because you put the cap on me to be President of this country. I am 73 years now. I have looked at the statistics of the last election and the election before that, me and Vernon Mwaanga spent many hours looking at the figures and what came out clearly is that every province voted for me.”

President Banda boasted that out of the five presidential candidates, he came out either number one or number two in the country’s provinces behind either PF’s Michael Sata or UPND’s Hakainde Hichilema and that there was no situation where he was number three or four as the two leaders faired in some provinces.

“It means that everyone in this country there were people who voted for me. So when I stand in front of you to thank you for making me President I mean exactly that,” President Banda said.

He said in order to be elected leader of Zambia, one needed every province.

Later during a meeting he addressed at the site where a Girls Technical High School is being constructed at Niko Junction, President Banda added that this was why the MMD had been winning and was going to win the next election.

“Next year we are going to have elections, in 2011. I am coming back. How can I leave all these votes without trying to get them?” President Banda said. “I was involved also in building this school.”

And at Mapanza, Munkombwe said nobody went to God unless through Jesus Christ and he said he was the key to President Banda and others.

“I am the key. I am the one who opens…if you want to get to Mulongoti,” Munkombwe boasted. “I am minister whether you like it or not and I will be there in 2011 because God likes me.”

Munkombwe said those that were ‘barking' could continue doing that because they were just out.

Munkombwe also boasted at an earlier meeting that his name had become a household name, known all over Zambia and President Banda subsequently agreed with him.

Later at Niko Junction, Major Chizhyuka led some of his constituents in presenting a horde of cattle to President Banda. Maj Chizhyuka during a warrior dance performed by a group from Maala area was heard telling cowards not to join in.

President Banda said he was very much appreciative of the gift from the people of Namwala.

In praising the gesture, Munkombwe said the MMD would fight with Maj Chizhyuka and he urged him not to be afraid.

“We are extremely excited but before I say anything, I will allow our Honourable member of parliament Major Robbie Chizhyuka,” Munkombwe said. “Anything you want in a strong man you can find in him any attributes you can wish in a strong person. You see Bembas have a saying which says pakwakana ubunga tapabe nsoni.”

Munkombwe said the national cake was very small.

“You need a person who will use his wit and skill to negotiate to get from that small cake,” Munkombwe said.

He said the people of Namwala should not allow themselves to be cheated that somebody who had been losing elections would win next year.

“We are going to win. They will not win,” Munkombwe told the huge and orderly seated crowd.

When called upon to address the crowd, Maj Chizhyuka was all praises for President Banda.

“It’s unfortunate Your Excellence we had prepared a lot for you,” Maj Chizhyuka said.

He described President Banda as a humble and development-oriented man. Maj Chizhyuka said despite the people of Namwala contributing hundreds and hundreds of cattle to the emancipation of Zambia, the area had been underdeveloped for several years.

“Mr President we got the independence but we hardly got the development,” he complained. “But following your coming on the throne of national leadership Mr President, following your coming as President and as Vice-President of this country we have seen a drastic change.”

Maj Chizhyuka itemised the many developments that President Banda’s government had done in Namwala.

“All these in a period that you have been President of the Republic of Zambia,” said Maj Chizhyuka. “We do not want to say more. We shall say a lot more in Namwala.”

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 5:47 AM