Sata questions Rupiah over Chiluba’s cases

Sata questions Rupiah over Chiluba’s cases
By Patson Chilemba
Mon 20 Sep. 2010, 04:03 CAT

Reacting to President Rupiah Banda’s remark that the government could not retrogressively change laws on fighting corruption in order to suit foreign powers, Sata questioned President Banda’s reasoning on grounds that it was the government he served in which successfully prosecuted former president Frederick Chiluba in the London High Court.

He said President Banda is only against foreign laws when it comes to defending the corruption of his friends. Sata said a significant portion of Zambia’s current laws were derived from Britain. He said one of the conditionalities for receiving aid was to fight corruption to ensure that funds were utilized prudently.

Sata advised President Banda to learn from other countries that had tried to be smart with the donors, adding that while the problems facing certain countries were genuinely on account of imperialism, those facing President Banda were of his own making.

He said there was nothing imperialistic about fighting corruption.

“So Comrade Rupiah Banda should not be too smart to try and pave way for thieves,” said Sata.

“When the donors came they wanted to protect their money. They insisted ‘if you want to get our money, first make the law’. Like the law on decentralization and creating the Medical Board was drafted in America. I presented the bill to Parliament, which was not drafted in Zambia. But because we wanted the money I presented it.”

Officially opening the fifth session of the tenth National Assembly in Lusaka last Friday, President Banda bemoaned the public use of the word ‘corruption’ on people and institutions, saying it was difficult to remove when there was no proof.

President Banda said those who use the word ‘corruption’ risked damaging the image of the country.

On President Banda’s announcement on the renationalizing of Mpulungu Harbour, Sata said the decision was aimed at appeasing voters in Mpulungu in view of next month’s by-election.

“And because he has got a friend in mind who he wants to give Mpulungu Harbour to. Everything Banda does goes to friends. In Parliament Rupiah Banda said they are extending Kasaba Bay Airport. How do they go to extend Kasaba Bay Airport when they have done nothing to Kasama, which is a provincial headquarter?” Sata asked.

“Mbala has no civilian airport apart from the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) airport. All this is because, you remember when he took office he took his friend to Kasaba Bay. So he has to spend our money just to help friends. Renationalizing Mpulungu Harbour is the only thing Rupiah Banda has differed with Chiluba, because Chiluba concessioned it.”

On President Banda’s billboards, which had been erected in some parts of the country on some projects that were started by late president Levy Mwanawasa, Sata demanded to know how much money the government had spent on the billboards.

Sata said President Banda was busy commissioning the projects president Mwanawasa left, despite throwing his predecessor’s legacy to the winds.