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Sata questions Thandiwe’s trip to Mpulungu, cash handouts

Sata questions Thandiwe’s trip to Mpulungu, cash handouts
By Patson Chilemba
Wed 25 Aug. 2010, 04:01 CAT

FIRST lady Thandiwe Banda is being used as a tool for corruption, Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata charged yesterday. Commenting on Thandiwe’s recent trip to Mpulungu where it is alleged that she distributed some money to people, Sata said Thandiwe should explain to the public who was funding her because it had now become a habit for her to visit areas that were to hold by-elections.

He said this was not the first time Thandiwe was visiting an area that was to hold by-elections under the guise of attending to women’s programmes.

“That is the desperation. They have already started bribing people through her. And people of that area should know and see. Where has she been to go and start distributing money now? Now they see what the government is doing through her,” Sata said.

“But my advice to them, they should collect all the money and enjoy themselves. They President Banda and the MMD are just ashamed because of how they treated late Mpulungu member of parliament Lameck Chibombamilimo. They even failed to accord him a day of national mourning which he was entitled to as a former minister.”

Sata said people should not listen to Thandiwe because while she was enjoying, they were suffering.

He said Thandiwe was enjoying State House and would get into all sorts of things just to prolong her stay there.

“That is why she is using some of the money. She is being used as a tool for corruption,” said Sata.

And a PF member Mwambazi, who lives in Mpulungu, said he witnessed the event when Thandiwe distributed money to people on Monday.

“We are just wondering why this means when the by-elections are coming. They are just giving anyhow, 15, 10, 20 pins K15,000, K10,000, K20,000 and so on. And they have this so-called women’s club. She came in the morning and she is moving about now,” said Mwambazi.

“She was in town; she addressed a meeting somewhere in town and from there proceeded going into some village area. We are told they donated K750,000 to registered women’s clubs and K500,000 to those who are not registered.”

Labels: BRIBERY, BY-ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, MICHAEL SATA, THANDIWE BANDA

posted by MrK @ 5:49 AM