Sata warns State House staff against ‘selling appointments'

Sata warns State House staff against ‘selling appointments'
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sun 12 Feb. 2012, 12:00 CAT

PRESIDENT Michael Sata has warned State House staff of dismissal if they start selling appointments to people wishing to see him. And President Sata has dismissed claims by Barotse Royal Establishment ‘prime minister' Wainyae Sinyinda that the PF government plans to remove Lukulu, Kaoma and Sesheke from Western Province.

President Sata said this at State House yesterday when he swore in newly-appointed deputy secretary to the Cabinet in charge of administration Teddy Mulonga, Public Service Commission chairperson Dr Kawaye Kamanga and Agness Musunga as permanent secretary in the ministry of youths and sports.

President Sata said he was President of all people and nobody needed to be charged a fee for meeting him.

"And more especially you are who are going to serve at State House, the offices where you are. We had to dismiss somebody because he was selling appointments," said President Sata in apparent reference to former senior private secretary Alfred Chipoya. "People who want to see me, he sells them. If people want to see me, and if I am free, I will see them because I am there on behalf of the people. And once I know, you will go faster than you came in."

President Sata also swore in his long time personal aides and veteran PF functionaries, Gershom Siame as his senior private secretary, State House, and Anthony Kabaso and Rabson Soko as private secretaries.
President Sata described Sinyinda's claims as lies borne out of ignorance of the country's geography.

According to sources in Western Province, during its sitting of February 8, 2012, BRE received "with utter dismay" information surfacing from Lukulu to the effect that Lukulu district had been apportioned to North Western, Kaoma to Central Province and Sesheke to Southern Province.

Sinyinda said the fact that Zesco had sent some circular to the local people of Lukulu in Luvale ‘confirmed' the district was no longer part of Western Province.

In a press release, Sinyinda stated that the "annexing of Chirundu and Itezhi-tezhi districts to Central and Lusaka provinces without consulting strategic stakeholders confirms the ill-intended manoeuvres and disjointed developmental tactics aimed at marginalising other regions".

But President Sata said Sinyinda was spreading lies and falsehoods by saying the PF government planned to remove the three districts from Western Province.

The President also accused UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema of using chiefs in North Western-Province by claiming that Solwezi would be realigned to Copperbelt.

"The current Constitution has no provision for prime minister but you have some fake Sinyinda who is peddling lies (as prime minister)," President Sata said. "Your sworn officials job is to defend. This Sinyinda is peddling lies that this government has intentions of removing Lukulu, Kaoma and Sesheke from Western Province to some imaginary province. I feel sorry for him because he doesn't understand the geography of the country he is supposed to be prime minister for. And then UPND is using some chiefs in North Western Province that we want to remove Solwezi, take it to Copperbelt, it's because they don't understand the geography of North Western Province."

President Sata said the PF government planned to create additional districts in North Western and Western provinces to improve service delivery.

"We need to create at least six districts in Western Province, and at least three or four districts in North Western Province," the President said. "There is no way you can remove Solwezi from where it is and bring it to Copperbelt because it will be very far from Ndola. So, you are there to defend the interest of this country because our colleagues…I spent 10 years in opposition, and everything I said, even today, I can say them. I am really shocked with comrade HH Hakainde Hichilema, it is probably the way he came to topple UPND. If he would have been an Anderson Mazoka, he would have been more sympathetic to the people of Zambia than to his pocket."

President Sata also revoked the appointment of Sydney Watayi as deputy director general of Anti Corruption Commission for failure to be sworn in on two occasions.

"Mr Secretary to the Cabinet, please tell Mrs Rosewin Wandi ACC director general that we cannot rely on one person, begging one person," said President Sata. "This Watayi man says wait for me until September.

Who is he for us to wait for him until September? There are plenty of people who can be deputy director Anti-Corruption. So, I am sorry. If his Watayi bosses in USAID were required by their government, the American government to serve their government, they wouldn't behave the way this Watayi is behaving. So, as far as I am concerned, we have to start looking for someone else who is going to be deputy to Mrs Wandi. Let him remain with USAID. We have more than 13 million Zambians."