Maravi

Sata calls for maturity in opposition
By Moses Kuwema and Christopher Miti
Sun 30 June 2013, 14:00 CAT

PRESIDENT Michael Sata says Nevers Mumba creates an impression around himself as though he has the monopoly on matters of spirituality to the extent of misrepresenting God.

Commenting on ex-president Rupiah Banda's passport issue on Thursday, Mumba, who is MMD leader, described government's cancellation of Banda's passport as stupid.

"...I am a pastor and I am supposed to choose words I use but I am asking God to allow me to use the word 'stupidity', utter stupidity to behave like that," said Mumba on Thursday.

But President Sata yesterday said the government remained open to dialogue on national issues and as such expected a certain level of maturity from those who sought engagement.

He said it was unfortunate that the remarks reported in the media and attributed to Mumba regarding Banda's passport did not represent the maturity the government expected from opposition leaders.

President Sata advised Mumba to be genuine with his spiritual calling and stop misrepresenting God.

"Pastor Mumba's biggest problem is the impression he creates around himself as though he has the monopoly on matters of spirituality to the extent of misrepresenting the Creator. As a clergy, he must be ashamed of this hypocrisy and stop abusing the freedom and democracy, which so many well-intentioned Zambians sacrificed for," said President Sata.
President Sata urged Mumba not to be a menace to the unity and peace the country has enjoyed since independence.

And President Sata says there is need to provide education to all the poor children in the rural parts of the country.

Speaking when he swore in newly-elected PF Feira member of parliament Patrick Ngoma as deputy minister of education at State House on Friday, President Sata urged Ngoma to assist education minister Dr John Phiri to ensure that poor children had access to education.

"Mr Ngoma you are not new to the UNIP discipline because when I was district governor of Lusaka, I found you teaching and I poached you from teaching to bring you to politics. We have given you the opportunity… you know the problems in the teaching service. Assist your minister, who is also an educationist like you so that…I have been in Luangwa with you; let us provide education to all those poor children," he said.

President Sata said it was embarrassing that 50 years after independence, children were still walking long distances to schools.
And Ngoma said the education system in the country was faced with numerous challenges which required concerted efforts from everyone.
He said most of the schools, especially those in rural areas, were in pathetic conditions.

Meanwhile, Mumba says President Sata and the Patriotic Front will not succeed to destroy the former ruling party.

And Mumba says Lameck Mangani, the PF candidate in Chipata Central, must be punished.

Addressing MMD members at the party's campaign centre in Chipata, Mumba said the PF had been doing everything possible to destroy the former ruling party.

He said he had been arrested and dragged to court several times by the PF government.

Mumba said the PF started by arresting senior MMD members and impounding party vehicles to cripple the MMD.

"I can assure you that if the God I worship is the same God who created the world, Mr Sata will not succeed, PF shall not succeed. The more they poach us, the more they pressurize, the stronger we'll become as a political party," he said.

Mumba said the MMD was intact and strong and that it would start winning seats because unity what brings victory.

"After they got all our vehicles and bicycles, they have started poaching our members of parliament; don't they have members of parliament? The reasoning of Sata is difficult. After all the tricks have failed, they went to de-register the MMD but have not succeeded," he said.

Mumba also said the PF and Mangani must be punished so that other Zambians do not misbehave the way he had misbehaved.
He said the people of Chipata Central voted for Mtolo Phiri but that Mangani was prompted by poverty to petition the election results.

"Poverty is bad and the unfortunate thing is that the belly is in the front part of the body but it would have been good if the belly was behind. Mangani has been affected by poverty and that's why he went to court to petition the election of Mtolo Phiri. When we vote we must not vote for PF because PF is the biggest liar of all the parties on the African continent. I have never met a party and president that lie as much as they have lied," Mumba said.

He said former president Banda made Mangani what he was.

"Mr Mangani was nothing; Rupiah Banda felt pity on him and said this man should also buy some trousers and vehicles. He was given a flag, even the flag of (ministry of) home affairs, big position. He was dining on the same table with former president Rupiah Banda," Mumba said.

And speaking when he featured on Radio Maria's Good Governance programme, Mumba said his party decided to suspend former Mkaika MMD member of parliament David Phiri because he was destabilising the party, and not because he was serving in the PF government.
He said the provincial executive committee and the people of Mkaika wanted Phiri to be expelled.

"We sent him a letter of suspension. Now he wanted to hide his shame by going ahead while he was supposed to exculpate himself in 10 days. He organised himself and resigned to look like he is the one who initiated the move," Mumba said.

Labels: MICHAEL SATA, OPPOSITION

posted by MrK @ 5:14 PM