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Sata refused to buy me a bag of mealie-meal - Shikapwasha

Sata refused to buy me a bag of mealie-meal - Shikapwasha
By Misheck Wangwe and Isaac Phiri in Ndola
Fri 13 May 2011, 10:20 CAT

Chief government spokesperson Lt Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha has described PF leader Michael Sata as an evil man who refused to assist him with money to buy a bag of mealie-meal at the time he was unemployed. And confusion among MMD members characterised Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha’s visit to Ndola’s Chifubu township on Wednesday.

Addressing a private MMD meeting at Chifubu’s Mpezeni Hall where journalists, both from public and private media, were blocked, Lt Gen Shikapwasha urged MMD members not to give Sata a chance because he would not assist anybody.

He said when he left Zambia Air Force and life became hard for him and his family, he met Sata at a filling station but the latter refused to assist him with money for a bag of mealie-meal.

“I was unemployed and at that time I was sick, I had backaches. We only had a small shop where my wife was selling bread. One day I met Sata at a filling station, I asked him for assistance because we didn’t have mealie-meal at home and he refused to assist me.

He said to me ‘Awe kapoke fye uko kwine uleya’ (go and get assistance where you are going). That’s how bad that man is,” he said.

Lt Gen Shikapwasha who is also Information and Broadcasting minister said the PF would destroy the nation if Zambians allowed them to take over government.

And Lt Gen Shikapwasha accused The Post of fabricating stories on President Rupiah Banda and the government.

He said the story which was published in The Post where former vice-president Lupando Mwape explained his recall from China was a total fabrications.

“We are not bothered by what this newspaper reports. The Post wants to create animosity in this country but it will not happen.

It’s full of lies but all these maneouvres will not take them anywhere,” Lt Gen Shikapwasha said.

He was reacting to Lupando’s sentiment that he had been recalled by President Banda on account of being old.

Meanwhile, MMD members in Chifubu insulted each other and almost fought after supporters of the suspended constituency chairman Joseph Mukosela were prevented from attending a meeting at Mpezeni Hall chaired by Lt Gen Shikapwasha.

Some of Mukosela’s supporters vowed not to campaign for the MMD because of the mistreatment they were getting from the newly elected Ndola district chairman Victor Koni.

The party’s Chifubu Constituency vice-chairperson Noah Bwalya who was earlier also prevented from attending the meeting but was later allowed accused some party leaders in the district of dividing and weakening the party.

“This is the year of elections and we should be more organised as a party. But this discrimination and selfishness is killing us,” Bwalya complained.

As Shikapwasha arrived to address the meeting, divisions among the cadres deepened as supporters of Koni advanced towards the supporters of Mukosela who were getting ready for a fight.

Chifubu Constituency information and publicity secretary Hagai Bwalya described Koni as a bad leader who was busy persecuting MMD members he perceived as his enemies.

“This Koni is not a founder member of the MMD. He is not a ‘true blue’ of the party. He has brought more harm than good to the MMD. Koni knows nothing, he can’t even express himself in English and these people are calling him district chairman.

If this continues we will not campaign for anyone except President Rupiah Banda. We will just fold our arms and watch the PF and other people do the campaigns,” Bwalya said.

The confusion was only stopped by some policemen and senior MMD officials who assured both sides that the problem would be resolved amicably after the meeting.

Labels: RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA

posted by MrK @ 4:43 AM