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Banda has clearly exhibited his stubbornness - Magande

Banda has clearly exhibited his stubbornness - Magande
By Patson Chilemba
Fri 05 Nov. 2010, 04:01 CAT

RUPIAH Banda has clearly exhibited his stubbornness in dealing with public issues, Ng’andu Magande charged yesterday. And Magande has said Zambia’s current economic gains are as a result of the sound policies that had been initiated by late president Levy Mwanawasa.

Analysing President Banda’s two years in office, Magande, who is former finance
minister and the immediate past member of parliament for Chilanga, said the President had managed to ignore public opinion on the most important issues affecting the country.

Magande cited the case of the controversial engagement of RP Capital Partners to evaluate Zamtel assets, demands to appeal against former president Frederick Chiluba’s questionable acquittals, removal of abuse of office from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act and procurement of mobile hospitals as among the key issues on which President Banda had ignored the public’s voice.

“RB Rupiah Banda has clearly exhibited his stubbornness in dealing with public issues. And he said it at the ZAF base in Livingstone, telling military people with guns that ‘I am stubborn’. And really he has turned out to show to us that he is stubborn,” Magande said.

“But the question is when you are dealing with the public institution of President of a country, should you actually show your stubbornness?”
Magande said he initially thought President Banda’s proclamation of stubbornness was theory, but it had now become practical.

He said it was unfair for President Banda to attack the Anglican Church and Zambians that those who opposed the removal of abuse of office did not understand what the government was trying to do.

“So really we have now come to believe what President Banda said. He said; ‘I am very stubborn and I can ignore everybody.’ He wants to run the country by ignoring citizens,” Magande observed.

He said President Banda had failed to be consultative, and as a result he had failed to show compassion to the citizens.

Magande said President Banda had not explained to Zambians what he wanted to do for them and added that it has been under his rule that the nation had experienced political violence never seen before.

And on the economic front, Magande said he attended a meeting of the World Bank and the IMF in 2008 and announced that the country would not be affected by the global crisis.

He said the sound economic policies that had been initiated by late president Levy Mwanawasa had resulted in economic gains.

Magande said at that time the country had very high foreign reserves, government deficit was low, foreign debt had fallen, inflation was hovering around the single digit and the kwacha had appreciated to K3,200 against the United States dollar.

He said Zambia could even have used the reserves to help some mines not to close, adding that only K100 billion was needed to save the 14,000 jobs in the mining sector during the global crunch.

Magande said the country was riding on the benefits which were in place before President Banda came into office.

He said even the implementation of the Livingstone-Zimba road which would be commissioned soon by President Banda was started way before he became President.

Magande said the economy had consistently posted positive growth in the last six years, but the nation should be told how the country would move from an average growth of six per cent to something like 10 per cent.

He said people expected that President Banda would ride on the efforts of president Mwanawasa on the fight against corruption, but it was now difficult to understand which way the country was going in the graft fight.

Magande said abuse of office was needed to control the excesses of people who had a lot of powers such as public officials.

He asked government to give a proper explanation as to why they had resolved to remove abuse of office.

“They should have postponed the Bill until we understand what they are trying to do,” said Magande.

Labels: LEADERSHIP, NG'ANDU MAGANDE, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 6:51 AM