‘Don't kubeba' greets Rupiah in Chifubu

‘Don't kubeba' greets Rupiah in Chifubu
By Kabanda Chulu, Fridah Nkonde and Darious Kapembwa
Sun 18 Sep. 2011, 13:55 CAT

CHIFUBU residents on Friday gave President Rupiah Banda a signal that they don't want him and his government through raising clenched fists and chanting ‘Donchi kubeba' as his motorcade passed through the township. And President Banda has challenged PF leader Michael Sata to stop participating in elections if he thinks that they are rigged.

The residents mobilized and lined up the streets from Chipokota Clinic turn off to the local court turn into Common-wealth road to town whilst the rally was nearing the end. Police panicked as they failed to clear away the residents from the streets as the numbers kept growing.

The MMD cadres that were ferried from all parts of the Copperbelt to falsely demonstrate to President Banda the strength of the ruling party in the area, were irritated by the ‘donchi kubeba' slogan chants on the side-lines of the rally.

Realising that a huge number of youths clad in MMD campaign regalia have joined in chanting the slogan, the MMD local leadership called the police who forcibly closed bars and shops near the rally grounds and allowed MMD cadres to mercilessly beat up a ‘red card-carrying youth' which incensed other onlookers.

The residents nearly rioted but shifted to the road where police struggled to control them as they chanted, ‘We want change, we want change and flashed red cards towards President Banda's motorcade as police officers manning the streets looked helplessly.

Some shops and bars temporary closed to avoid looting, when it appeared that people and MMD cadres, would start fighting and police threatened to fire tear gas canisters.

During a campaign rally at Chifubu grounds, President said the MMD deserved victory because they have campaigned vigorously.

"We have explained our policies and what we stand for and people have come to like us but the opposition has a policy of ‘don't kubeba' meaning they have nothing to do for people but people need to be informed and not ku ba bisa and for my mbuya Sata I will beat him again and he should stop complaining that elections are rigged," President Banda.

"But why stand if you think elections are rigged. Sata complained about the date and when I announced it he complained that time was too short but this time Sata should heed my advice and retire because you can't continue losing, it means there is something wrong with you."

He advised people to vote en masse so that his ‘mbuya' Sata could retire.
"The kind of politics he practices will not make him president and if you want to know how PF government will look like just remember the way they have run councils, they have abandoned people who deserve better," said President Banda.

And ZANAMA chairman Elvis Nkandu accused Fackson Shamenda of failing people when he was ZCTU president.

"During his time many companies were closed and strikes were the main thing because people could not listen to him and Emmanuel Chenda illegally sold plots when he was Ndola town clerk," said Nkandu. "And Sata can't be president because lesa tapela abalwisa mufinkasa and he has signs of a bad leader."

Sakwiba Sikota said his party, ULP, and some other ‘responsible' opposition parties have realised that Rupiah Banda is the only one to take the country forward.

"Sata can't be trusted because he is serial liar who has two positions on every national issue. He supported windfall mining taxes and now he is against, he claimed to have lost a passport and in 1991 he claimed that KK has stored guns at Sindamisale farms," he said.

And Enoch Kavindele said voting for PF will result in people fleeing the country because they will bring trouble and the country will start going backwards.