Mwila urges Luapula to vote for Rupiah because he freed Chiluba

Mwila urges Luapula to vote for Rupiah because he freed Chiluba
By Patson Chilemba and Simon Mutuna in Mansa
Sun 31 July 2011, 14:00 CAT

IT will be abominable if the people of Luapula refuse to vote for Rupiah Banda because he freed late Frederick Chiluba from his corruption cases, says Ben Mwila. And Vice-President George Kunda was on Friday afternoon booed by a huge PF crowd when his motorcade made its way from the Mansa Airport to the lodge where he was staying.

Meanwhile, Vice-President Kunda failed to mention any developmental achievements his government had scored in Luapula Province, but directed his speech at attacking PF leader Michael Sata, Post editor Fred M’membe, Law Association of Zambia president Musa Mwenye and Sebastian Zulu, despite earlier saying that the MMD would focus their campaigns on their successes.

Addressing MMD cadres and civil servants, mainly teachers, at Mansa Airport on Friday afternoon, Mwila, who is National Democratic Focus (NDF) president but has been adopted to stand on the MMD ticket in Nchelenge despite being rejected by all the ruling party grassroots, said the people of Luapula had made a bad name for themselves in the previous elections when they voted for Sata and the PF.

He said the people supported PF on the basis that they were going to free late former president Chiluba, but that they should now vote for President Banda who freed the former president.

“That’s why PF became strong.Twalefwaya yapususha ba Chiluba. Nomba ba Chiluba balibapususha kale kuli ba Banda ababapele nomuchinshi ukulu sana ilyo lintu batushile pano isonde We wanted PF to free Chiluba, but Chiluba was freed by Banda and even accorded him the due respect when he died,” Mwila said.

“Kanshi umulimo wa PF lilyanshita yalipwa. So we the people of Luapula, let us redeem ourselves. If we make the mistake of not voting for Banda, awe chikaba chilubo it will be abominable. Pantu ba Banda nabatuposako amano sana Banda is taking good care of us.”

And Vice-President, who started his address by asking people to observe a minute of silence in honour of Chiluba, whom he described as a great son of Africa, Zambia and Luapula Province, asked Sata and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to observe the Electoral Code of Conduct, saying the MMD would try as much as possible to do that.

He said the MMD was obliged to be factual in the campaigns and would talk about their developmental achievements.

But without mentioning any specific developmental achievements, Vice-President Kunda concerned himself with issuing personal attacks on Sata, M’membe, Mwenye and others.

“Now of course Michael Chilufya Sata and his cronies I know they will be straining themselves to observe the code because they have no agenda for this country,” he said.

Vice-President Kunda said the election date had been announced but the PF was yet to announce its candidates.

He said Sata attacked him recently that he was an imposter in MMD, but the party had to grow with time and could not be expected to have the same members it had in 1991.

Vice-President Kunda said the government had past copies of The Post where the newspaper referred to Sata as a bad leader and a corrupt person.

He said they shall use The Post newspaper which he said was trying to cleanse Sata in the campaigns.
Vice-President Kunda said the government would expose the corrupt activities of lawyer Sebastian Zulu for criticising the corruption in government.

“The people of Zambia had forgotten and perhaps forgiven him for his misdeeds and corrupt activities when he was in government but now he wants to start accusing us of corruption…we shall expose his troubled past,” he said.

Vice-President Kunda attacked M’membe and Mwenye, saying he might have joined the PF because he was speaking like their spokesperson.

“I know that he is under the influence of Mr Fred M’membe of The Post Newspaper. The way things look to me it’s like Mr Fred M’membe is the president of the Law Association of Zambia because he drives the agenda through The Post,” Vice-President Kunda said. “So Mr Mwenye is just like a facade, a mask. When you remove that mask, behind the mask it’s Fred M’membe who is driving the Law Association of Zambia and Mr Sata. So please redeem our association. I am a member of LAZ. It should be above board. Keep away from these two politicians, Fred M’membe and Michael Sata. Your professional reputation will be damaged beyond repair.”

Vice-President Kunda said Mwenye should work with the government to provide a good legal system.
“Don’t fight political battles on behalf of Mr Michael Chilufya Sata as you are doing, also battles for Mr Fred M’membe,” said Vice-President Kunda.

After finishing the address, Vice-President Kunda was quickly whisked away by his motorcade to the lodge.

But while his motorcade made its way from the airport, people just lined up the streets and seemed more mesmerised by the rare sight of a Vice-Presidential motorcade and its movement than the person it was carrying.

None of those who lined up the streets was seen raising the MMD symbol, but several were seen flashing the PF symbol at the Vice-President.

At one stage, Vice-President Kunda’s motorcade encountered a huge PF group who raised their party’s symbol and were heard booing the Vice-President and saying that he was wasting his time in Mansa.

Although word was given to the people in the town that the Vice-President would be in the area, many shunned going to the airport.

The crowd that received Vice-President Kunda was made up of few MMD cadres, who were outnumbered by the civil servants, mainly teachers.

Some of the teachers spoken to said they were given strict orders to ensure they were present at the airport when the Vice-President arrived.

When Vice-President arrived he waved the MMD symbol towards the direction where the civil servants stood but they just folded their arms.

Earlier, police in Mansa arrested a PF member and impounded three cars which were carrying some PF members who were dressed in red T-shirts and wanted to red card Vice-President Kunda.

The PF members drove in town in readiness of red carding the Vice-President as he passed through from the airport. Police officers intercepted them and pleaded with them not to go ahead and let the Vice-President to pass freely.

But the PF cadres shifted their camp and went to near the provincial administration and started singing in solidarity of Sata.

Police officers followed them and advised them not to bring trouble because it is not their day.

Luapula Province Commanding Officer Godwin Phiri confirmed that his officers had a chat with their leader whom they advised not to bring trouble in town.