Rupiah blames opposition for political violence

Rupiah blames opposition for political violence
By Misheck Wangwe
Mon 04 Apr. 2011, 04:01 CAT

THE opposition is perpetrating violence because they want a coalition government with the MMD after the general elections, says President Rupiah Banda.

Speaking when he commissioned mobile hospitals in Chongwe district, President Banda said the opposition wanted to sustain the violence so that the international community could recommend a coalition government after the general elections.

“We should say no to violence. They (opposition) want the fighting between cadres to continue so that after the elections the international community through the observers can say ‘form a coalition government’. We don’t want that as Zambians ,” President Banda said.

He said MMD cadres should not react and resort to violence when provoked by the opposition because the country deserves peaceful elections.

President Banda said supporters of the ruling party should intensify campaigns by inviting members of the opposition to join the ruling party peacefully because politics was about numbers.

He said some old political party leaders should not be listened to by the people because they did nothing when they were in government as ministers.

“Some of these political leaders are old like me but they have nothing to point at but they are busy accusing us of all sorts of things. If they came here and you ask us about our works, I have tangible things to point at but they have nothing. They have accused me publicly of behaving like a managing director of a company by commissioning these projects. Yes! I'm the managing director of this government and I will continue with development,” President Banda said.

He said government would prove itself right to the people who doubted the effectiveness of mobile hospitals.

President Banda said mobile hospitals were a significant development arising from the health sector investments that the MMD government had made over the years.

He said mobile health service would serve to strengthen the resolve to improve further the health status of all Zambians as stated in the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP).

President Banda said his government shall continue to work diligently towards equity of access to affordable, cost-effective and quality health services brought close to the people.

He said while the government was working to provide mobile health services, it had also the construction of more static health facilities adding that currently, 125 health posts were being constructed countrywide.

And Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Qiangmin said the People's Republic of China was optimistic that mobile health services would help improve the provision of quality health care to the rural parts of the country.

He said the mutual effort of the leaders and the increasing political trust between Zambia and China was about social and economic prosperity of the two countries.

Meanwhile Chieftainess Nkomesha Mukamambo II of Chongwe said the completion of the district hospital and the introduction of mobile health services was “a dream come true” to the people in the area who were finding it difficult to access health care services.

Speaking when President Rupiah Banda paid a courtesy call on her, Chieftainess Nkomesha said improved health service delivery would reduce significantly infant and maternal mortality rate.