Maravi

Change is inevitable – Waza

Change is inevitable – Waza
By Patson Chilemba
Thu 17 Mar. 2011, 04:01 CAT

Change is inevitable with or without an opposition pact, assures Dr Waza Kaunda. And Dr Waza said the same Frederick Chiluba who told Dr Kaunda to refrain from active politics was now actively campaigning for the MMD without giving up his benefits.

Featuring on a Radio Phoenix discussion programme sponsored by the Kenneth Kaunda Peace Foundation on Tuesday, Dr Waza said the break up of the PF-UPND pact would have smelt trouble if it was a merger.

“To the voters you should not be determined by a pact. A pact was not a merger. If UPND and PF had merged, I would have said 'there is trouble'. They never merged. They were just separate, reaching an understanding which is good for One Zambia, One Nation,” he said.

Dr Waza said people were excited that the two parties came together because it would have made winning much easier.

“However, I don't think that this is a permanent feature. Remember that both parties have existed independently and if I remember correctly, president Michael Sata told Mr Hakainde, 'young man I welcome you to work with me, but don't disappoint me like other young men have disappointed me',” Dr Waza said. “Already, president Michael Sata was aware there was a possible problem because you know we have a joke in our circles, I am a half Tonga. In Southern Province amongst the top politicians, Daniel Munkombwe will confirm, we have a term which we call 'pull him down'.”

Dr Waza said there was a pull him down syndrome in politics.

“However, let me say this, if UPND president Hakainde Hichilema joins MMD, he is finished politically. President Michael Sata has been established for many years. He is moving on. He has no losses,” he said.

Dr Waza said after working on HIV/AIDS related matters, Dr Kaunda told him this year to go back to the Kenneth Kaunda Peace Foundation.

He said the first task Dr Kaunda gave him was to look at the happenings in Zambia now, in comparison to 1991.

Dr Waza said 1991 was a tough year for Zambia, almost like what is happening now, saying the MMD advocates and Dr Kaunda were at loggerheads then.

He said among the demands the MMD pressed during that time was that the country should return to multiparty politics and they called for an end to the state of emergency.

Dr Waza said MMD also demanded that UNIP should be de-linked from government funding.

“Today, interestingly this issue is back now, NAPSA and MMD, same issue of de-linking,” he said.

Dr Waza said tension was building up in the country and there was need to look at what was dividing the lead opposition PF and the MMD.

He said it seemed the country was back to square one because the MMD were not agreeable to the idea that another political party should win the elections.

Dr Waza said issues where the President, who was an interested party, appointed the chairperson and commissioners at the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) had not been addressed.

He said ECZ had no infrastructure in several areas and had to subcontract the Ministry of Local Government to transport election materials.

“Now that already is a source of tension. This man is a minister of local government and General Chituwo, he is also the campaign manager for the MMD,” Dr Waza said.

He said Chiluba was on record before he became president that rigging could only be stopped before elections took place.
Dr Waza said Government Printers had the capacity to print ballot papers locally, saying the system of printing ballot papers abroad was very dangerous for the country.

“For 5,000 rand you can buy the ballot papers…once you print ballot papers in South Africa, a batch with a large sum is shipped secretly either through the Embassy,” Dr Waza said. “In Ngombe at a health clinic, we found clinical officers at night, 03:00 hours with ballot papers.”

He said South Africans were good technically, but when it came to money, someone would kill for a phone.

Dr Waza said there was nothing criminal with the parallel Voter tabulation (PVT), saying what was criminal was rigging the elections.

Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS

posted by MrK @ 6:02 AM