Maravi

Rupiah is panicking over my meetings with donors – Sata

Rupiah is panicking over my meetings with donors – Sata
By George Chellah
Fri 08 Oct. 2010, 04:00 CAT

PF leader Michael Sata yesterday said his recent meetings with the international community have sent President Rupiah Banda into serious panic. In an interview, Sata sympathised with President Banda’s government because it seem to be afraid of the unknown.

“Rupiah and his government are seriously panicking over the recent mature and cordial meetings I have had with the representatives of the international community in Zambia,” Sata said.

“My advice to them is that instead of them panicking, they should actually be grateful to me because I am trying to cool down their donors tempers… especially that Rupiah has been insulting them.”

Sata said he was happy because his meetings with the donors which he described as having been very fruitful and progressive.

“It's not my fault that donors consider me useful to this country’s political process. What those who are panicking should know is that I haven’t been inviting myself to these meetings; our donors have been inviting me and there is nothing wrong with that because I am a political player in this country,” Sata said.

“Let them know that when I lead my delegation to these meetings, we simply interact with Their Excellencies based on the current happenings in the country of which they deserve to know and there is nothing strange about that. We also give them a full account of what they have done here and how we value their support in various sectors.

“As for issues regarding Rupiah’s maladministration, we don’t even need to tell them because some of them live with us here and they see these things happening everyday. They are witnesses to most of these issues, they are very much aware of the corruption, nepotism, state interference in certain institutions and many other failures of this government.”

Sata said after the insults from President Banda, donors needed to be assured.

“They need somebody to assure them that whilst this government is insulting you for providing assistance and demanding for accountability, the locals themselves appreciate your efforts,” Sata said.

“Just looking at the way the government has panicked over my meetings, one can clearly see that they have already sensed that the donors are unhappy and have lost confidence in them. And I don’t blame the donors, I blame Rupiah. The donors need assurance because this government is not protecting them from attacks and insults.”

Sata said President Banda’s administration was ashamed over his interactions with the donors.

“All along they have tried to portray me as someone who is against foreign investment as well as the international community. But they are now panicking because their lies are catching up with them. They have been standing on anthills shouting that ‘Mr Sata is anti-Chinese, Mr Sata is anti-what and what’ but the mood on the ground has revealed something different,” Sata said.

“They are just ashamed because more foreign representatives are meeting me to discuss issues of this country’s development and I am grateful to the international community. Tell them not to be hypocritical over the donors. You can’t like an investor and hate the country where those investors come from.”

Sata said as someone with immense experience in government, he knew where President Banda was drawing his courage to insult donors.

“Rupiah’s outburst on the donors is a reflection of the advice he has been getting from Frederick Chiluba. If you take a close look at the language of Rupiah, that’s Chiluba speaking. But we all understand why people like Chiluba have adopted this stance against the donors,” Sata said.

“The only crime donors have committed to them is for ensuring that thieves are dealt with decisively. So they are upset with donors because in countries where these donors come from, their laws don’t allow interference in the justice system and their laws aim to protect innocent people and not criminals.”

Labels: DONORS, MICHAEL SATA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 2:16 PM