Maravi

Rupiah should apologise over his tribal politics - Mphande

Rupiah should apologise over his tribal politics - Mphande
By Florence Bupe
Mon 08 Nov. 2010, 03:59 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda is creating a frightening political scenario by promoting tribal and regional politics, Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) vice-president Dr Mathias Mphande has said.

Commenting on President Banda’s recent tribal campaigns in Eastern Province where he appealed for votes next year because he hails from the area, Dr Mphande said it was retrogressive for the national leader to promote regional politics in this day and age.

“It is very disappointing for Zambians who supported President Banda to ascend to office that he should be practicing tribal politics. I personally supported him in the last elections because he was seen to be capable of taking the country forward and promoting unity, but he has departed from doing these things,” he said.

Dr Mphande said President Banda owed Zambians an apology for his tribal politics, which he warned had the potential to tear the country apart.

“Rupiah should apologise to the Zambian people for hurting their feelings. He thinks he can be predominantly supported in his region and has, therefore, sidelined people in other parts of the country,” he said.

Dr Mphande charged that those supporting President Banda’s tribal campaigns were “bad eggs“ and should not be allowed to divide the country. He said the country would be marred with confusion if other political party leaders had to start behaving like President Banda.

“How will Rupiah react if HH (Hakainde Hichilema) went to Southern Province and told Tongas to vote for him because he comes from there, or if Sata went to Northern Province and did the same? This country would be filled with divisions and anarchy,” he said.

Dr Mphande further said President Banda had failed lamentably to address the high levels of corruption in the country. He charged that President Banda had departed from the fight against corruption and that is why he was in support of the removal of the abuse of office clause from the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Act.

Meanwhile, Dr Mphande observed that government was adamant on the issue of the windfall tax because government officials are ignorant.

“What we are seeing is simply foreign mining firms blackmailing an ignorant and timid government. It is not right to suggest that low taxation and tax exemptions are what are attracting investors into the mining sector,” said Dr Mphande.

Labels: MATHIAS MPHANDE, RUPIAH BANDA, TRIBALISM

posted by MrK @ 4:29 PM