Maravi

Sata orders citizen arrest for abused govt vehicles

Sata orders citizen arrest for abused govt vehicles
By George Chellah
Fri 29 July 2011, 14:00 CAT

MICHAEL Sata has instructed PF supporters and sympathisers countrywide to conduct citizen arrests and impound any government vehicle being abused during the election campaigns. And Sata has said the PF has always been ready for this year’s general elections.

In an interview after President Rupiah Banda’s address to the nation in which he dissolved the 2006-2011 Parliament and announced the date for the elections as September 20, 2011, Sata, who is opposition PF leader, urged all PF supporters and sympathisers to be alert.

“Our message to all our members and sympathisers throughout the country is that let them first and foremost be very watchful of any abuses or excesses in the use of government machinery and resources by the MMD,” Sata said. “Let nobody come cheating them during campaigns whilst using a government vehicle that ‘I am a minister.’ They are not ministers anymore. Our people should be alert and if possible where the police are not near, they should just conduct a citizen’s arrest.

“Let them be very alert and conduct citizen’s arrests. They should impound any government vehicle being abused during the campaigns by MMD officials. Vigilance is the key word here because we are dealing with a bunch of insincere people.”

Sata urged the PF supporters to take a leaf from their colleagues in Kasama who blocked former Northern Province permanent secretary Mwalimu Simfukwe from using a government vehicle in campaigns for the Mbala parliamentary seat where he has been adopted by the MMD.

He cautioned civil servants not to act like MMD cadres during the election campaigns.

“We need a professional civil service at all times, particularly during this period of elections. Therefore, we will not take kindly to those civil servants who will turn themselves into MMD vuvuzelas,” Sata said.

“Let them behave and conduct their business in a non-partisan manner. They should act in the manner befitting the public offices they hold on behalf of the Zambian people. Let them strive to keep politics out of the civil service. They should leave politics to us, politicians.”

On the announcement of the election date, Sata said his party was ready for the elections.

“We have always been ready for elections. Even if he had said we are voting tomorrow, there was no way he could have caught us napping,” Sata said. “Although, we know that Mr Rupiah Banda is not sincere, all we are asking from him and his colleagues is to facilitate a peaceful, transparent and free and fair election.”

He said it was PF’s desire that the Zambian people were given an opportunity to elect their leaders in a peaceful and transparent manner.

Meanwhile, opposition Forum Development and Democracy (MMD) president Edith Nawakwi has questioned President Banda's decision to maintain Vice-President George Kunda in office after dissolution of Parliament ahead of the September 20 elections.

“What law is the MMD presidential candidate Mr Rupiah Banda using to have the member of parliament for Muchinga Constituency George Kunda continue as Vice-President? When Parliament dissolves even Kunda, who is an elected member of parliament, loses his government post,” said Nawakwi. “On what basis does Mr Banda keep him because he became Vice-President on the basis of being a parliamentarian, the portfolio he has since lost after Parliament dissolution. There is no law that backs him to continue in office as Vice-President. Kindly ask Mr Banda, 'what law he is using'."

Labels: CORRUPTION, MICHAEL SATA

posted by MrK @ 2:24 AM