Maravi

Rupiah refuses to ‘waste his money’ in W/Province

Rupiah refuses to ‘waste his money’ in W/Province
By Mwala Kalaluka
Wed 13 Apr. 2011, 04:01 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda will not attend this weekend’s Kuomboka ceremony of the Lozi people in Mongu because he feels hated by the citizenry in Western Province.

Well-placed government sources told The Post yesterday that President Banda has instead delegated Vice-President George Kunda to attend the ceremony in Mongu this Saturday.

“The one who is going to grace this year’s Kuomboka is Vice-President George Kunda. President Banda said he can't go to Mongu because he feels the people there hate him,” the source said. “Vice-President Kunda will be in Mongu on Friday.”

The sources also disclosed that efforts to urge President Banda to undertake damage-control activities in Western Province in the wake of deaths and injuries that occured during the Barotseland Agreement-linked Mongu fracas have failed.

“President Banda said he is not going to waste his money in Western Province because he won’t gain anything from the area,” the source said.

The sources said members of the public were expressing a very cold and unusual reaction towards this year's Kuomboka ceremony.

“It’s like there is no Kuomboka. The people here seem to be very cold,” the sources said. “Those days you would see people already wearing red berets and the traditional Lozi gear but this time there is nothing.”

During last year’s Kuomboka ceremony, President Banda pledged that he would attend this year’s Kuomboka.

The sources further disclosed that during his visit to the province for the Kuomboka, Vice-President Kunda would also hold a campaign rally in Kaoma district, about 180 kilometres from Mongu.
Other sources said the MMD campaign rally would be held on Monday at Nkeyema TBZ area of Kaoma.

“There will be no rally in Mongu,” said the source.

Labels: CEREMONIES, RUPIAH BANDA, WESTERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 4:53 AM