Maravi

‘HH is desperate, bitter'

‘HH is desperate, bitter'
By Roy Habaalu
Thu 20 Oct. 2011, 14:00 CAT

WYNTER Kabimba says Hakainde Hichilema is a bitter man desperate to become Republican president. And UPND vice-president for political affairs, Francis Simenda and some National Management Committee (NMC) members have joined the ruling Patriotic Front (PF), describing Hichilema as a selfish leader.

During a press briefing at the PF secretariat, Kabimba who is PF secretary general, said Hichilema and his party had vowed to frustrate PF programmes within and outside Parliament. He said this was Hichilema's second vow after the first one where he vowed to work with MMD to ensure President Michael Sata does not win the 2011 general elections.

"This is the same man who is on record telling the Zambian people during the defunct PF-UPND pact that he would never work with MMD because Rupiah Banda and his ministers were all corrupt. Today, because Rupiah Banda has offered him the inheritance of the MMD which he thinks would propel him to power in 2016, Rupiah has become a saint," said Kabimba.

"For Mr Hichilema, service to the Zambian people only means one thing - he must be president over all of us. This was his scheme in 2006 when he invited PF into a pact with UPND," he said.

He said against the 43 PF parliamentary seats and 21 seats, for UPND at that time, Hichilema wanted to be pact leader and presidential candidate in the 2011 elections.

He said as experienced politicians, the PF said no to him.

"In his typical bitterness and anger, he went to MMD to try to prevent President Michael Sata from winning the elections. We thank God that Mr Hichilema's evil intention did not come to pass - Michael Sata won the election to Hichilema's shock and disappointment from which he has failed to recover to date," he said.

He said PF would move on and see to it that the Zambian people are told the truth about who gave instructions for the killings which occurred in Western Province.

"Who are the people behind the auctioning of the gold which was in custody of the DEC? What are the circumstances which led to Chiluba and Regina's acquittals? Under what circumstances did the Lexus motor vehicle costing K3.6 billion purchased when our hospitals and clinics are going without stocks of drugs and ARVs?

How was the privatisation of Luanshya Mine and others undertaken and who determined the fees for those transactions? Was Rupiah Banda a Zambian under our Republican Constitution and hence eligible to stand as a presidential candidate in 2008? Did Rupiah Banda and the MMD attempt to rig the 2011 presidential and general elections and hence defraud the Zambian people of their vote?" asked Kabimba.

Sikwindi Situla, a former UPND deputy secretary general, who led other defectors, said they decided to join PF because UPND was working with a party that killed people in Western Province.

Others that defected are Patricia Mulasikwanda, (chairperson health and nutrition), Beatrice Kwendakwenda (deputy national chairperson for energy) Grace Imamunwa (coordinator women affairs) Queen Kakoma (former Kalabo MP), Lawrence Nyambe (chairman livestock and fisheries) and Boyd Mooka (former Mongu mayor).

Hichilema was earlier critical of the Banda government's alleged corrupt practices.

On October 08, 2009 Hichilema described Banda's administration as a foolish government following the government's attacks on donors.

"Such a foolish government. How can you insult donors? I have never seen that. I say to the donors we shall talk," he said.

Hichilema maintained that the donors should desist giving the government money through the budgetary support because it risked being abused.

"Give money to Zambians by funding projects directly. Don't give money to a corrupt system. We have lost confidence in this government, the international community has lost confidence in this government. We want to protect Zambians, not Rupiah Banda and his clan of thieves. I hear he will have a press conference; I challenge him to tell us how he is going to fight corruption," Hichilema said.

In March 2010, Hichelema castigated the government's single-sourcing of China Jiangsu International to sink 6,000 boreholes countrywide at the cost of US $50 million which he described as part of corrupt activities perpetuated by those in the Banda administration.

Commenting on the Ministry of Energy and Water Development's awarding of a contract to China Jiangsu International Economic-Technical Cooperation Corporation Limited, Hichilema accused president Banda's government of having an appetite for corruption.

"They must follow the law. The MMD has proven that they have no capacity to follow the law," said Hichilema. "Zambian people must reject this."

Also commenting on the transactions that culminated into the sale of Zamtel on September 18, 2009, Hichilema described the sale as stinking of Rupiah's corruption.

Commenting on ZDA's announcement that the agency will be the main privatisation agent for Zamtel with RP Capital Advisors Limited as the financial advisor, Hichilema said the whole saga was a matter that required Zambians to express displeasure.

"This is a clear message that Rupiah Banda and the MMD will stop at nothing to continue with their greed and corruption," Hichilema said.

"There is need to justify why the Dora Siliya and RP Capital saga was extended because they were arguing that this contract is just for the evaluation."

Lately, Hichilema has been in talks with Banda and pledged to work with the MMD in trying to frustrate, among other things, any possible move to lift the former president's immunity in parliament should he face prosecution including other key policies that may come before a vote.

This follows the PF's government announcement that it would deal with corruption including in the previous regime regardless of who was involved.

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, UPND, WYNTER KABIMBA

posted by MrK @ 3:00 PM