Ufisanji mambala? Rupiah asks Sata

Ufisanji mambala? Rupiah asks Sata
By Ernest Chanda and Bright Mukwasa in Kabwe
Sun 24 July 2011, 14:00 CAT

UFISANJI ku convention mambala, President Rupiah Banda asked Michael Sata during a public rally in Kabwe. And President Banda hoped Zambians were watching Chanda Chimba’s Stand Up for Zambia documentaries on television.

Addressing a rally at Kasanda grounds on Friday, President Banda complained that he would have wished to hear what his main contender was planning, had the public media not been barred from covering the PF general conference held at the Mulungushi Rock of Authority in Kabwe early this month.

“Up to now, we the Zambian people, I am a Zambian too, wanted to know how the convention of my main opponent Sata took place. We don’t know. They were not able to tell us on what they did. We just saw the same people coming out and say they’ve been elected. Ufisanji ku convention, mambala (What were you hiding at your convention, crook)?” President Banda said, as MMD cadres shouted; cwe cwe cwe cwe!

“We want a country of democracy. At my convention together with my colleagues, every newspaper in Zambia, every radio station every TV attended our convention and enjoyed it; we hid nothing from the public. And all the meetings that I address all over this country I don’t discriminate against any newspaper; even those newspapers who have specialised in calling me names or twisting facts, they’re always there. Even now they’re here we can see their faces.”

And President Banda contradicted himself when he called for issue-based campaigns but later started attacking Sata’s personality at the same rally.

President Banda hailed weekly documentaries on state-owned and government controlled ZNBC television by Chanda Chimba III, titled Stand Up for Zambia, which attack individual persons, the Catholic church and some non-governmental organisations.

“I hope that Zambians are watching this programme which is called Stand Up for Zambia on TV. I saw him Sata last night Thursday and I saw my friend the president of PF. And I said ‘hey, ti namwai kuti uyu muntu si President wathu. Ni njoka cendi! (We are lucky that this man is not our President. He is indeed a snake). He is vicious!” President Banda said.

“Want this campaign, 2011 to be a campaign which the people will enjoy to listen to the facts which the leaders should give to the people. They should say what they’ve done in their lives and what they’re going to do for us if we elect them. We should say the same: what we have done for you, what we came to do for you. Not to stand up and call names for other leaders.”

And President Banda admitted that his current late-minute projects were meant to attract voters. He said it was not wrong for him to start those projects since people wanted development.

“Don’t worry when the opposition political parties are trying to stop me from it, they are saying you are doing it because of the election. Of course, if you want to be elected you’ve got to work for the people,” he said.

President Banda begged the people to judge his government by what it has done and not the opposition parties were saying about it.

“We want to ask you to judge us by our work, have we been working hard for you? Have we been devoted to ensuring that the promises that we made when you elected us, we’ve tried to keep them? Have we continued to give you fertiliser and seed as we promised we would? Have we kept our promises? That is how you should judge us, not what they are saying,” begged President Banda.

And earlier in the day, President Banda officiated at the pass-out parade of 1,200 Zambia Army’s intake 32 for 2011 recruits held at Lukanga Army Battle Training Area in Kapiri Mposhi.

During his address, President Banda praised Zambian soldiers for their role in the peace process of the Sudan prior to that country’s referendum which led to the creation of South Sudan.

South Sudan, led by Salva Kiir, seceded on a separation won in a January 9, 2011 referendum that was the climax of a 2005 peace deal which ended decades of civil war with the north.

During the pass-out parade for Intake 32 of 2011 recruits at Lukanga Army Battle Training Area (ABTA), President Banda who is also Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces said Zambia was impressed with its record of peace-keeping operations.

“May I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to our gallant soldiers who served in Sudan on peace-keeping operations under very trying, challenging and difficult conditions,” said President Banda.

“This is a true reflection of the discipline, dedication and loyalty that our soldiers have exhibited. My government is proud of our army’s good record in peacekeeping operations.”

And Zambia Army Commander Lieutenant General Wisdom Lopa urged the new soldiers to be steadfast, focused and resolute.