Sata's government wants to jail me - Rupiah

Sata's government wants to jail me - Rupiah
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka and Roy Habaalu in Lusaka
Mon 19 Dec. 2011, 14:00 CAT

CHIEF Mwanachingwala of Mazabuka says former president Rupiah Banda last week phoned him to complain of harassment and threats by the Patriotic Front government to send him to jail. And Sylvia Masebo says there was massive corruption in Banda's regime.

In an interview, chief Mwanachingwala, who was Banda's supporter and President Michael Sata's critic, said he openly told Banda (left) that while he sympathised with the problems he was going through, he could not assist him in any way.

"Rupiah Banda phoned me last week and complained that the PF government want to arrest and send him to prison but I told him I had no capacity to contribute money towards his legal battles,'' said chief Mwanachingwala.

He said as a traditional ruler who was close to Banda, he advised the former head of state to simply cooperate with the new government.

Chief Mwanachingwala said national leaders should take a leaf from what was happening to Banda, his relatives and former ministers that were now appearing in court or being investigated by security wings not to abuse office or steal from the poor.

He complained that the looting of public resources by the previous administration had reached alarming proportions.

Chief Mwanachingwala said former ministers in the previous government should not complain of retribution whenever they were found wanting or summoned by investigative wings because Zambians knew the level of corruption and wealth most of the ministers had acquired within a short period of time after the death of former president Levy Mwanawasa.

And Masebo said in Parliament on Friday that there was a departure from the practice of good governance in Banda's government.

She cited the Ministry of Lands, Energy and Water Development as an example saying it was the source of all corruption in the administration of land in the country.

"What we saw especially in the last three years was a total diversion from good governance practice. We had a situation where the Ministry of Lands became everything. In Chongwe, Nisa plots were given out. I was MP and yet I had no information about what was happening in Chongwe because the ministry and Commissioner of Lands themselves were directing land in Lusaka with no reference to the council," she said.

Masebo, who was contributing to the motion of estimates and expenditure for the Ministry of Lands, said the shortage of land was artificial because some individuals benefited.

She said local churches in Chongwe had been squatting because the MMD government had given out most of the land to Nigerian churches.

"The ministry issued 4,000 hectares' to a man who had several pieces of land and these are leaders, even now they are still leaders though I just don't want to mention their names," she said amidst shouts of ‘shame them!' from parliamentarians.

She said there were people who became leaders without anything but left with a lot of money.

She said the PF government was pro-poor and would ensure that poor people's lives were improved.

"We were voted in by the poor and not these rich corrupt people but by the poor, and I am alive to the fact that most business people in this country were supporting the other (MMD) people because they wanted to continue being bribed. Some of you (Parliamentarians) come to Chongwe wanting to get land. Do you think I am a fool as MP Mwine chisi (owner of the land) can give you that much land? I don't think it's fair. Don't be greedy," said Masebo.