Maravi

Kunda tells Lozis not to believe Post stories

Kunda tells Lozis not to believe Post stories
By Mwala Kalaluka in Mongu
Sun 17 Apr. 2011, 04:01 CAT

VICE-PRESIDENT George Kunda on Friday asked people to be careful and reject whatever is written by The Post newspaper because it was all lies and unprofessional.

And Vice-President Kunda was whisked away from Mongu Airport to Country Lodge where he is lodging at breakneck speed amidst tight security through a route that skirted away from Mongu town centre.

Speaking on his over two hours delayed arrival to a visibly sombre reception at Mongu Airstrip to attend this year's Kuomboka Ceremony in Mongu, Vice-President Kunda charged that The Post, which wants to portray that PF leader Michael Sata was popular in Western Province, wanted to divide the country.

Vice-President Kunda, who was addressing a crowd full of civil servants, security personnel and a few cadres that were not so keen on raising the MMD party symbol when asked to, also attacked Mongu's St. John's Parish priest Fr Gregory Muliya over his statement that he was not welcome in the province because he justified the killings by police in Mongu in January this year.

“I am accompanied by the ‘second lady’, Mrs Ireen Kunda. She is here and she is Lozi by tribe. We are grateful with the way you have received us, Mr Provincial Minister and the Provincial Chairman of our party,” Vice-President Kunda said.

“I have been sent by His Excellency Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda to come and represent him at this year’s Kuomboka Ceremony.”

Vice-President Kunda said President Banda wrote to him that he should officiate at this year's Kuomboka Ceremony.

“When I received a letter from His Excellency that I will represent him, I was so excited; the reason is simple,” he said. “Although I have seen the Kufuluhela Ceremony the opposite of the Kuomboka, I have not seen the Kuomboka.”

Vice-President Kunda, a Catholic, who usually attends mass at Lusaka’s Mary Immaculate Parish in Lake Road area, then launched an attack against Fr Muliya.

“I read a report in The Post newspaper to say I am not welcome here in Western Province,” Vice-President Kunda said whilst asking if there was any Roman Catholic Church priest in the crowd.

“Do you know such a priest? If there is such a priest, he is preaching hatred. We don't want hatred in the country. We don't want hatred in Western Province. In Mongu, we don’t want hatred. I know The Post newspaper has been trying to promote Mr. Sata, saying that he is very popular here in Western Province. What they don't know is that Mr. Sata is unsellable. You can't sell that product here in Western Province.”

Vice-President Kunda claimed that The Post published Fr Muliya's story because it wanted to discourage him from going to the province to see the Kuomboka.

“Why they want to discourage me is because they know that when I travel countrywide, they know this is the opportunity for me to hammer Mr Sata. So like now they are worried that aaah, George Kunda is going to Mongu, going to Kaoma and he is going to touch the Copperbelt,” Vice-President Kunda said.

“Mr. Sata has reached a level where now he is so scared of me that he is now even writing me letters, complaining, writing to the President complaining.”

Vice-President Kunda said for 10 years the MMD government had been under siege from Sata's defamatory statements and insults.

“We never used to reply. He was insulting me with his nephew lawyer, Wynter Kabimba,” Vice-President Kunda said. “He thought we had no capacity to reply to those insults, to the defamatory statements, except for us when we reply we are factual.”

Vice-President Kunda said he was just trying to expose Sata’s bad character, which makes him not suitable to go to State House.

Vice-President Kunda said before The Post entered what he categorised as the news relationship with the PF, it had scandalized Sata so much to an extent that it described him as a corrupt, vulgar and a sadist.

“They had thrown so much mud at him, so we are going back to past records to what they were saying about Mr. Sata,” Vice-President Kunda said. “Mr. Sata has no capacity to develop Zambia, now he has come up with a manifesto. The so-called manifesto of the Patriotic Front as some form of guidance from which they are going to develop the country.”

Vice-President Kunda said the PF manifesto was not a blueprint for developing the country because the current government was implementing what is contained in it.

He wondered why the aspect of homosexuality was not included in the PF manifesto.
“There is one very important thing which they have deliberately omitted from that manifesto, which forms part of their foreign policy … of raising money, which is homosexuality,” Vice-President Kunda continued his address. “Why have they left that?”

Vice-President Kunda said some newspapers, non-governmental organisations and even the PF were challenging him because of his very strong stance against homosexuality.

“That is why they don't like this government,” he said. “Now, on Mr Sata, and this is very important, his relationship with the church. He has said he is a Catholic fundamentalist. What does that mean? Fundamentalism means that you don't tolerate other beliefs, you don't tolerate other churches, Pentecostals, Mr Sata he doesn't support them because he is a Catholic fundamentalist.”
Vice-President Kunda said such ideas were dangerous.

“We don't want fundamentalism in this country. Fundamentalism is unconstitutional because our Constitution encourages freedom of worship,” Vice-President Kunda said. “Now if Mr Sata is a fundamentalist, he will be fighting everybody who is preaching a different faith.”

Vice-President Kunda said the Kuomboka was about the promotion of peace and sharing ideas on development.

“We look forward to a wonderful Kuomboka,” Vice-President Kunda said. “And for our party, please, we are preparing now for the elections. We want peace here in Western Province, in Mongu. We don't want people who divide us, to bring confusion in any part of Zambia. You have to be careful with The Post because they want to bring division. Let us reject whatever is written in The Post newspaper, lies.”
Western Province minister Sikwibele Mwapela said people peddling lies on why President Banda could not attend this year’s Kuomboka should be dismissed with contempt.

Mwapela said it was not uncommon for a Vice-President to officiate at a Kuomboka Ceremony.
“In you we see the President himself and you are his number two,” said Mwapela. “The MMD party has continued to enjoy massive support here in Western Province as demonstrated by this huge crowd which has come to welcome you.”

However, Vice-President Kunda's motorcade left Mongu Airport for Country Lodge at breakneck speed, leaving behind Mwapela’s and other officials' vehicles far behind.

As the motorcade turned a corner to join the road that rans behind Kambule High School to join the Mongu-Lusaka Road, a group of people were seen standing on both sides of the road at Kapulanga Market, which was one of the hotspots during the January 14, 2011 Mongu fracas.

Most residents just glanced at the motorcade with resigned looks as they continued with their normal daily business.

Labels: CEREMONIES, GEORGE KUNDA, MMD, MONGU, THE POST, WESTERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 2:53 PM