Sata needs to be steady - Sondashi

Sata needs to be steady - Sondashi
By Kombe Chimpinde
Mon 11 June 2012, 13:25 CAT

THE forces of corruption are very strong and capable of eliminating someone, warns Ludwig Sondashi. Commenting on President Michael Sata's statement that he was becoming unpopular among some 'powerful' corrupt elements in the country because of his tough anti-corruption stance, Sondashi said corrupt forces were very strong and that President Sata needed to be very focused and steady.

"Most of those people, the so called 'President's henchmen', they are not fighters of corruption. What President Sata must do is, he must be steady.

"He must look for people who can truly help him to fight corruption," he said.

"Those people are not necessary to be found in the party. He can find people who detest corruption and use them to fight corruption. If he doesn't do that, even himself, he is not going to manage to fight corruption. He can easily be eliminated because the forces of corruption are very strong."

Sondashi said President Sata must be systematic in his fight against corruption by ensuring that he surrounds himself with people that detest the vice.

He said President Sata was not alone in the fight against corruption as the position was supported by many well-meaning Zambians.

"President Sata's observation is correct but his Minister of Foreign Affairs Given Lubinda's statement that the President is alone in the fight against the fight against corruption is not correct. The truth is that the President came to power because he was supported by the people who are fighting corruption in Zambia. There are so many Zambians that are against corruption in Zambia. That is why Sata even arose to win elections because of fighting corruption which made him to be popular. So he is not alone," Sondashi said.

He advised President Sata to avoid aligning himself with the corrupt people for his corruption fight to gain ground.

"The problem President Sata is facing is making the same mistake which Levy Mwanawasa made. Mwanawasa started aligning and surrounding himself with people who are corrupt and when he was surrounded by corrupt people, the same corrupt people worked hard to get rid of him…," he said.

Sondashi warned that President Sata should not fall in the same trap Mwanawasa fell in by pleasing his associates.