Maravi

Corruption fight making me unpopular - Sata

Corruption fight making me unpopular - Sata
By Mwala Kalaluka in Geneva, Switzerland
Sun 10 June 2012, 13:00 CAT

PRESIDENT Michael Sata says his hard anti-corruption stance has made him unpopular among some 'powerful' corrupt elements in the country. And foreign affairs minister Given Lubinda says although President Sata seemed to be a lonely man due to his fight against graft, the battle will one day be won with encouragement from all Zambians.

Addressing Zambians living in Switzerland, France and a few from Germany at the residence of Zambia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Encyla Sinjela, on Friday evening, President Sata said some Zambians in the Diaspora, in their quest to access land, were contributing to the furtherance of corruption back home.

"We are working extremely hard and we are becoming unpopular because corrupt people are very powerful," said President Sata in response to a question from a member of the audience who wanted to know the current levels of corruption in the Ministry of Lands.

And Lubinda in his remarks said Zambia would never be a spectator in international relations again and that President Sata was a hardworking leader.

"He is a very lonely person because of the many who are fighting him," he said.

"He will win that fight against corruption if many of us here encourage him."
Lubinda had asked the audience to ask President Sata questions which he said would be answered as he addressed them.

Some of the people asked about the issue of dual nationality, while others also asked about the genuineness of Chinese investment in Zambia and what policies President Sata campaigned during last year's election.

President Sata said he was grateful that Ambassador Sinjela had availed him an opportunity to meet with the Zambians living in Switzerland and France.

On the issue of dual citizenship, President Sata said this could also have a disadvantage against Zambians.

"We have a problem in Africa and Zambia in particular. There are a number of people who would like that but if we allow dual citizenship, the people who will be disadvantaged will be you people," President Sata said.

He said if for example the country introduces dual nationality and some foreigners come into Zambia in huge numbers, they could not be curtailed and that this would increase the government's responsibility.

President Sata, who reiterated that he does not want to create casual but permanent jobs, said if the government provides its people with sufficient employment, most Zambians would not leave the country to go into the Diaspora where at times the work they do was not proportionate to the qualifications they possessed.

"We have to work extremely hard," he said. "If they know that Zambia is caring for you, they will treat you better."

President Sata said foreigners that were married to Zambians should be accommodated because this could dignify Zambians living in the Diaspora for them not to get a tag of being 'self-imposed refugees'.

"What you are going through, I have been through because I was a self-imposed refugee in UK sometime back," he said. "I was there when Margaret Thatcher knocked Ted Heath."

President Sata asked Ambassador Sinjela to maintain a register of Zambians living in Switzerland and France so that the government could be aware of their capabilities.

He said the government was using Chinese investors in areas where other nationalities did not want to venture but he assured the audience that the exploitation that the Chinese were known to inflict on Zambian workers was no longer there.

"They can sleep under a tree," said President Sata.

Ambassador Sinjela said it was gratifying that President Sata had agreed to meet with the Zambians abroad to explain to them his plans for the country and to interact with them since taking office last year.

"It's a very rare opportunity, because as you know, despite the fact that there are so many meetings that are held in Geneva, only ministers are received by the Mission, very rare do we receive the President. So I think that we are very much honoured for him to be with us here," Ambassador Sinjela said.

A representative of Zambians in Switzerland Dr Mazuwa Banda urged President Sata to maintain the calm and confident spirit that he carried around during last year's election campaign and give hope to Zambians.

"Living here in Switzerland and elsewhere, we are all ambassadors. We advocate for Zambia. We sing the praises of the beauty and the peace," said Dr Banda, former classmate of first lady Dr Christine Kaseba at medical school in Lusaka, now working for the World Health Organisation.

He said he met President Sata at his home in Rhodes Park prior to last year's election and was surprised that the then opposition leader was very sure that the PF was going to carry the day.

"Lo and behold, it has come to be," said Dr Banda. "Be assured that we are going to do it together."

President Sata has since left Switzerland.

Labels: CORRUPTION, GIVEN LUBINDA, MICHAEL SATA

posted by MrK @ 2:25 PM