Maravi

N/Western needs good leaders - Sata

N/Western needs good leaders - Sata
By George Chellah and David Chongo in Solwezi
Mon 21 Feb. 2011, 04:01 CAT

Patriotic Front (PF) leader MICHAEL Sata has urged the people of North-Western Province to give PF good leaders in the forthcoming general elections.

Addressing a crowd that braved rains to attend his rally at Solwezi showgrounds on Saturday, Sata said the province needed good leaders to pioneer development.

“We had very strong leaders both men and women. If we didn’t have people like Peter Matoka, there would be no tar road up to Mwinilunga,” Sata said.

“If we did not have people like Humphrey Mulemba wecould not be talking about mining in North-Western Province. Give me good leaders in North-Western Province. Once you show me good leaders, I will show them where to go.”

Sata said he knew North-Western Province better than any leader today and that he toured the province when he served as minister at the Ministry of Local Government and Ministry of Health respectively.

“I went to Kasempa where I found they where giving rotten medicines. I know North-Western Province better than Elijah Muchima and Kabinga Pande, MP for Kasempa,” he said.

“When you go to the hospital the blankets I bought when I was health minister if they finish you don’t get anything.”

He challenged President Banda to show a single developmental project he personally initiated in the province.

“Ask Rupiah Banda since he was born…he is now 74 years old, can he point at a single toilet he has built here at Solwezi showgrounds?” he said.

Sata said God blessed the province with minerals so that locals could enjoy and stressed the need for mineral explorations.

“God can’t give Angola oil and diamonds and not give us. When there is money in North-Western Province the money must be in your pockets,” Sata said. “Why should money come from Solwezi but the people in Solwezi don’t even have a blanket to cover in hospital?”

He said the country had enough resources to extend the railway line from Chingola to Angola.

“PF will bring the railway line to Solwezi and then to Mwinilunga up to Congo,” he said.

He said the people of North-Western Province had been betrayed by their own representatives.

“Today, your own children whom you love and trust Kabinda Pande foreign affairs minister today is very fat and Muchima Southern Province minister is very fat but that’s not a problem because in the Bible when Jesus was on the cross, women went to him crying and Jesus told them, ‘don’t cry for me cry for yourselves and your children’,” Sata said.

“The only person who will remove trouble from your face is yourself. You did that 20 years ago. There was Kaunda, there was no opposition and Kaunda had television, Times of Zambia, Daily Mail all talking about Kaunda. But you people made up your mind that Kaunda kuya bebele.”

Sata also took time to appreciate the people who made it to the rally.

“I am grateful because I was told North-Western Province and Solwezi, it’s a no go area for Sata. But you were not scared of the rains,” he said.

And PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba, who is also party spokesperson, told the crowd that 2011 was a year of redemption for Africa.

Kabimba said he had worked under President Banda and Sata at Lusaka City Council so he knew both leaders very well. He said Dr Kaunda fired President Banda from LCC and Namboard while Sata had never been fired from any portfolio.

He said PF was willing to work with other opposition political parties and urged members to work hard to ensure victory in this year’s elections.

He said the MMD would not rig the elections.

“Don’t leave the polling stations before the results are announced,” said Kabimba.

Labels: MICHAEL SATA, NORTHWESTERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 7:18 PM