Sata extols his pact with the people

Sata extols his pact with the people
By George Chellah
Sat 02 Apr. 2011, 04:01 CAT

MICHAEL Sata yesterday extolled his pact with the people, saying it was producing results. During a programme on Yatsani Radio yesterday, Sata, who was asked to comment on the PF-UPND pact, said he had not received any official communication from UPND president Hakainde Hichilema on the matter.

“I heard stories or gossip of the leader of UPND saying he has pulled out of the Pact. We have been waiting for communication which we have not received. I am mature enough. I am an old man, I am not a baby,” Sata said.

“I don't react to gossip because as far as I am concerned, the Pact with the people is very intact because if there was no Pact with the people we could not have defeated the constitutional amendment in Parliament.”

He said the Pact with the people is there.

“It's the feelings of the people and we leaders, which form a bigger Pact; not with individuals because individuals are influenced by a number of things which makes them say what they want to say,” Sata said.

“But I have avoided talking about it because our brother Hichilema has had no courtesy of communicating with us to say what offence we have done or what wrong we have done or what we have not done or what we have overdone.

“So until such a time when we have this communication we regard the matter as dead and continue with our Pact with the people and the Pact with the people is producing results.”

Asked about Vice-President George Kunda's revelations that the UPND wanted a coalition government with the MMD, Sata responded: “UPND is a registered political party.

UPND has its own national management committee and the fact that we had some loose association did not bind them that they stop thinking and stop going the way they want to go. If UPND wants to make a shortcut, get in government through coalition government, why not?”

He said as Republican Vice-President and Minister of Justice, Kunda needed to have a certain amount of confidentiality.

“They discussed, he enticed them UPND to pull out from our relationship. He offered them things they said 'implement', he refused to implement so now again he is embarrassing them so we have to be very very careful with some of the leaders,” he said.

On the failed constitution bill, Sata said his critics labelled the PF as prophets of doom.

“People have passed a vote of no confidence in the government. The whole MMD government has been impeached,” Sata said. “We gave the yellow card first Mr Speaker wanted to rig and say the machines are not working. You see the will of God can't be tampered with by a human even if you are wearing a wig.”

He said Zambia needed a constitution which would protect its people.

Sata said Vice-President Kunda would have to account for the money spent on the National Constitution Conference (NCC).

Asked about the government's position that the parallel vote tabulation was criminal, Sata answered: “I fail to understand who gave George Kunda a practicing licence. He has never told us what law. They are intimidating us. We have been using this PVT. If they want they can throw all of us in prison.”

Sata said the MMD would be reduced after the national convention, which has been slated for Kabwe next week.