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Rupiah undermining Sata, says Masebo

Rupiah undermining Sata, says Masebo
By Allan Mulenga
Wed 11 July 2012, 14:00 CAT

SYLVIA Masebo says Rupiah Banda's apology to George Bush is a way of cleansing himself after running the most corrupt administration in Zambia's history. In an interview before she was appointed tourism minister, Masebo, who is Chongwe PF member of parliament, said since Banda lost last September's elections, he had always been looking for an opportunity to cleanse himself from corruption.

"That statement by President Michael Sata was deliberately misunderstood by Rupiah Banda trying to make political capital out of it and cleansing himself for having run the most corrupt administration in Zambia's history. He Banda is looking for an opportunity to cleanse himself.

It was not necessary for him to make that comment. That apology by him actually created the situation which was not there. He actually ignited a problem which was not there by apologising to look good in the eyes of those who don't know him," she said.
Masebo said Banda was hell-bent on denting President Sata's international reputation.

"He Banda is trying to look for that footage to gain political capital out of it. He doesn't mean well. He doesn't want this country to move forward. He wants to take this country backward, that's what he wants to do. If that is the game he wants to play of trying to make President Sata's government difficult, we shall see who will win between him and President Sata in that game of trying to witch-hunt," she said.

Masebo said Banda had deliberately chosen to malign President Sata in public to gain political mileage.

"Yes, he is a citizen, but apart from being a citizen he is a former head of state, so as a former head of state he cannot go and write such a letter. If he misunderstood President Sata's statement, he should have spoken to President Sata if he meant well.

But he did not mean well. We know him. For all of us who know Rupiah Banda, we know that he didn't mean well. He is trying to cleanse himself and trying to play PR public relations by trying to create a name that he doesn't have. But for us who know him, we know that he ran a corrupt government," she said.

Masebo advised Banda to emulate former heads of states, who had been involved in charitable work in their respective countries, by engaging in meaningful development.

"As a former head of state, he should be working to move the country forward. He must emulate what himself Bush is doing; emulate what Mandela is doing, emulate what Kaunda is doing; to work, not to destabilise the country. If he feels that there is nothing that President Sata has done, there is a way of doing it.

Obviously, writing a letter and apologising to Mr Bush was done in bad faith. Clearly, he misunderstood President Sata; maybe he doesn't know who President Sata is. He must ask those who know President Sata well," she said.
Masebo urged the former head of state to remain quiet and allow President Sata to run the country smoothly.

"To try and make President Sata look like he is very undiplomatic and try to cleanse his image; I don't know for those that have short memories. For some of us, our memories are very clear about Rupiah, so we cannot be misled by him trying to make himself look good. He ran a country that was corrupt in terms of good governance. It is just that sometimes Zambians are fast to ignore things.

Otherwise in a normal country Rupiah Banda should just keep quiet, ask for forgiveness and begin to help the President with the problems that are there, instead of undermining President Sata. He is only trying to undermine President Sata, that is what he is doing," said Masebo.

Labels: RUPIAH BANDA, SYLVIA MASEBO

posted by MrK @ 8:15 PM