Maravi

Banda urges E/Province to defend its presidency

Banda urges E/Province to defend its presidency
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Fri 29 Oct. 2010, 04:01 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has said he will be viewed as a wizard if he wins everywhere and loses in Chiparamba, his home area in Chipata district. And former Kasenengwa UNIP parliamentarian Timothy Nyirenda said the people of Eastern Province would not allow the Presidency to be in the province for only two years.

Addressing a political rally at Kalichero Farmers Centre in Chiparamba area of Kasenengwa Constituency on Wednesday, President Banda who received a number of defectors led by Nyirenda and former Vubwi UNIP parliamentarian Phillip Phiri said it would be a bad day for him to lose in Chiparamba.

“Now for us here in the Eastern Province when the voting will be taking place in 2011, the eyes and country will be to see how you have voted. As you know most of you people where I am standing right here, this is where I come from like the majority of you here and so if I win everywhere and lose here I think that will be a bad day. Nikaoneke ngati mfwiti sure akwanu kukukanila kukuvotela nelakwanji I will be viewed like a wizard if you my relatives don’t vote for me, what wrong did I do,” President Banda said. “So that’s why I have come in open. I am your child. You need to vote for me, especially the old ones.”

President Banda described the speech by Nyirenda as one of the best speeches he had ever heard.

“I liked the speech, especially why you should vote for me. He made it very clear to you that this is the first time in the history of our country since independence that someone from here has ascended to the Presidency of this country,” he said.

“And many of you know how it came about. So it means that I have only been President for two years. The Constitution says five years, the only five years that I would have been able to serve will start in 2011. Wherever I go in this country those who support my candidature regardless of that province they make same points like Mr Nyirenda has made.”

President Banda told Nyirenda, who resigned from UNIP revival forum to join PF and finally to MMD, that he would be insulted by PF leader Michael Sata because he did not want people to leave his party.

And Nyirenda said the people in Eastern Province should vote for President Banda in the next election.

“In Northern Province we had Dr Kaunda who was President for 27 years. From there we had Dr Chiluba from Luapula for ten years. From there it went to Central and the Presidency was there for only eight years because of Mwanawasa’s death. Now the Presidency is here in Eastern Province and will not allow for the Presidency to be here for only two years,” Nyirenda said.

“We are going to have it for seven years and I am urging the people to register as voters and make sure President Banda gets five years.”

Nyirenda said all the previous presidents failed to tar the Chipata/Mfuwe road but President Banda revived it.

He said many people had left UNIP because it would never be politically strong again.

Nyirenda appealed to President Banda to address the wrangle surrounding the chief Chikuwe chieftaincy, which had been on for the past 17 years.

And when commissioning the police houses at Chipata Central Police Station on Tuesday, President Banda said the government would rebuild the country.

“Me and my colleagues have devoted most of your resources to building be it roads, bridges; be it power stations, be it houses, be it factories. Everything that needs to be built, we are trying to do it and we are inviting investors from everywhere to come to our country,” President Banda said.

“Here where I am standing in Chipata I see new structures coming up. I see new hotels already open at the corner there, I see new shopping malls. That is how a country grows, it can’t grow by magic.”

President Banda said he was happy to handover the houses to the police service.

“I have been traveling through this road Umodzi Highway many times. I have been wondering when we shall complete and handover these houses to our police officers to live in. And today is a day, thank you very much,” he said.

“It is so important that we the Zambian people rebuild our country. Many of our structures that we have in our country are old structures. In a town like Chipata, which was once a capital of Zambia the same old building has not been attended to for a long time. Your government under my leadership is determined to rebuild this country that is why everyday we are calling on the Zambian people to unite for progress for development.”

President Banda said people asked for police posts and police stations wherever he went because the police were instrumental in curbing crime.

He also observed that Gondar Barracks, one of the oldest in the country, was in a deplorable state and the government would look into the matter.

President Banda said the government would ensure that houses for security personnel in the country were rebuilt to enhance their living standards.

Eastern Province minister Isaac Banda said the commissioning of the houses was a great boost to the morale of the police officers.

The commissioning of the houses was delayed as President Banda only arrived at about 17:45 hours instead of the scheduled 14:00 hours.

Earlier, President Banda had flown to Lundazi for the funeral of veteran politician Dingiswayo Banda and later received some defectors in the district.

Labels: CHIPATA, EASTERN PROVINCE, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 2:34 PM