Maravi

Sata deserves respect, says William Banda

Sata deserves respect, says William Banda
By Roy Habaalu and Ernest Chanda
Fri 16 Dec. 2011, 18:50 CAT

WILLIAM Banda says President Michael Sata deserves respect. Banda who is Lusaka Province MMD chairman and seen as an architect of some of the violence around the September 20 elections, said in an interview that he had no grudge against President Sata.

He said President Sata deserved respect because the people of Zambia had confidence in his leadership. However, Banda said he would die for former president Rupiah Banda.

Banda said MMD parliamentarians and members that had joined the PF were scared of being investigated.

"My main principle in politics is loyalty just like I am going to die with my loyalty to President Rupiah Banda. At the moment he's my president. If he quits, whoever will become MMD president will be my president," said Banda.

He vowed that his loyalty to Rupiah Banda could not be broken regardless of the sufferings he was enduring.

Banda who is charged for proposing violence in Chongwe prior to the general elections said he would not abandon Rupiah Banda even if he was found with cases to answer.

Rupiah Banda has been linked to money laundering and abuse of office in relation to the purchase of Plot No. RE/A/29/488A Leopards Hill Road, Kabulonga.

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) is also investigating Rupiah Banda's Mpundu Trust Account.

But Banda said: "Even if they find cases (against Rupiah Banda) I am not going to run away from him. He has been my president. If it means that somebody wants to put him on the chopping board, I will be with him. I will not run away from him and that I promise you, that's how I live my life," said Banda.

Separately however, some MMD National Executive Committee (NEC) members have vowed to fight Rupiah Banda's if he imposes Nevers Mumba for the party presidency.

Well-placed sources revealed that majority of NEC members would not support Mumba's candidature.

Rupiah Banda's support for Mumba as a candidate for presidency has created divisions among members.

"We are going for a NEC meeting this Saturday and Banda has insisted that he attends. We shall allow him to attend; after all he is still the party president. But a lot of us in the NEC are against him imposing Nevers on the general membership; that is not the democracy on which this party was founded," the source said.

"First of all, it is Banda who made us lose the elections, so how can he again impose a person on us? And if you remember Nevers used to boast in the past that he is a kingmaker in his party. But why is he trying to hijack the MMD? We have our own people in the MMD and we shall be led by them. When you look at the record Nevers has, it's about killing parties, so we will not allow him to kill the MMD. There are many of us who are against him and we will make sure we choose our own."

The NEC is scheduled to hold a meeting tomorrow where the impasse over the issue of presidency will be ironed out.

Labels: MICHAEL SATA, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, WILLIAM BANDA

posted by MrK @ 9:30 PM