No one can stop the change people want - chief Muchinka
By Roy Habaalu in Chitambo, Serenje
Sun 11 Sep. 2011, 14:00 CAT
THERE is no one who can stop the change people want, says a traditional leader. During a meeting with a Patriotic Front (PF) delegation led by vice-president Dr Guy Scott that is on a campaign trail of Central Province, chief Muchinka of the Lala people of Serenje district said no traditional leader could stop the people's desire for change of government.
He said though he welcomed every political leader to campaign in his chiefdom, people had made up their minds on who to vote for this year.
"Even here (Serenje) people are after you (PF), people want change. I am a chief and I welcome and support all of you because you are my subjects but in my heart I know what I want, who I'm going to vote for," chief Muchinka said while pointing at his heart.
"Am happy to see you (Scott). People are waiting for you as you can see they (people) want change," he said.
Chief Muchinka said it was gratifying to see Scott visit his area after two years, unlike other leaders who when voted into office abandoned people that put them into office.
He wondered why people were fabricating stories about PF leader Michael Sata.
"How is my president (Sata), when is he coming here? Is he not attending our ceremony? Chiefs from Serenje and Mkushi are waiting for him at the ceremony," he said.
And Scott said having travelled round the country, it was clear that people were tired of MMD's 20 years of lies.
He said even in Chipata, the perceived stronghold of President Rupiah Banda, people wanted change of government.
"Let's change, try us. MMD has run out of ideas, all that is remaining is mischief making, just lies. I hear they are telling people that we'll not buy maize, that's lies," Scott said.
And addressing a rally in Chitambo to drum up support for Patriotic Front candidate Chanda Mutale on Friday, Dr Scott asked the residents to work with PF to clean up Zambia.
In an apparent reference to the shooting of Jack Musaka, a PF cadre in Chitambo, Scott said MMD had become poachers of men.
He said the MMD had run out of ideas hence resorting to insulting and wishing Sata death.
"I know Mr. Sata very well, I eat with him. He's more fit than me but I'm more fit than (Vice-President) George Kunda who can be swept away by wind and can't speak English properly," Scott said.
"Where is the development he should have brought here? Is he Vice-President for Muchinga Constituency only or the whole country? In Nyanja we say vulikani wire, vulikani manso (think properly, open your eyes)," he said as the crowd shouted ‘there is no development'.
He said Zambians had not benefited from the country's tourism sector.
"You are made to look after the animals here (in Kasanka National Park) for tourists and the money collected remains in Lusaka while you here are suffering. Not even the chief gets his allocation, all the money is in Lusaka shared among themselves (MMD)," he said.
Meanwhile, Mutale said the MMD government had sold land in Chililo ward to foreigners. He said villagers were subjected to paying K500,000 per year for fishing in streams located on the bought land.
"Mr. vice president, the MMD has sold our land in Bangweulu to Scandinavians and these people you are seeing here will be paying to do the fishing...and if you vote for MMD they will sell the remaining ground you are stepping on," warned Mutale.
Labels: CHIEF MUCHINKA, GUY SCOTT, PF
Read more...
No one can stop the change people want - chief Muchinka
By Roy Habaalu in Chitambo, Serenje
Sun 11 Sep. 2011, 14:00 CAT
THERE is no one who can stop the change people want, says a traditional leader. During a meeting with a Patriotic Front (PF) delegation led by vice-president Dr Guy Scott that is on a campaign trail of Central Province, chief Muchinka of the Lala people of Serenje district said no traditional leader could stop the people's desire for change of government.
He said though he welcomed every political leader to campaign in his chiefdom, people had made up their minds on who to vote for this year.
"Even here (Serenje) people are after you (PF), people want change. I am a chief and I welcome and support all of you because you are my subjects but in my heart I know what I want, who I'm going to vote for," chief Muchinka said while pointing at his heart.
"Am happy to see you (Scott). People are waiting for you as you can see they (people) want change," he said.
Chief Muchinka said it was gratifying to see Scott visit his area after two years, unlike other leaders who when voted into office abandoned people that put them into office.
He wondered why people were fabricating stories about PF leader Michael Sata.
"How is my president (Sata), when is he coming here? Is he not attending our ceremony? Chiefs from Serenje and Mkushi are waiting for him at the ceremony," he said.
And Scott said having travelled round the country, it was clear that people were tired of MMD's 20 years of lies.
He said even in Chipata, the perceived stronghold of President Rupiah Banda, people wanted change of government.
"Let's change, try us. MMD has run out of ideas, all that is remaining is mischief making, just lies. I hear they are telling people that we'll not buy maize, that's lies," Scott said.
And addressing a rally in Chitambo to drum up support for Patriotic Front candidate Chanda Mutale on Friday, Dr Scott asked the residents to work with PF to clean up Zambia.
In an apparent reference to the shooting of Jack Musaka, a PF cadre in Chitambo, Scott said MMD had become poachers of men.
He said the MMD had run out of ideas hence resorting to insulting and wishing Sata death.
"I know Mr. Sata very well, I eat with him. He's more fit than me but I'm more fit than (Vice-President) George Kunda who can be swept away by wind and can't speak English properly," Scott said.
"Where is the development he should have brought here? Is he Vice-President for Muchinga Constituency only or the whole country? In Nyanja we say vulikani wire, vulikani manso (think properly, open your eyes)," he said as the crowd shouted ‘there is no development'.
He said Zambians had not benefited from the country's tourism sector.
"You are made to look after the animals here (in Kasanka National Park) for tourists and the money collected remains in Lusaka while you here are suffering. Not even the chief gets his allocation, all the money is in Lusaka shared among themselves (MMD)," he said.
Meanwhile, Mutale said the MMD government had sold land in Chililo ward to foreigners.
He said villagers were subjected to paying K500,000 per year for fishing in streams located on the bought land.
"Mr. vice president, the MMD has sold our land in Bangweulu to Scandinavians and these people you are seeing here will be paying to do the fishing...and if you vote for MMD they will sell the remaining ground you are stepping on," warned Mutale.
Labels: CHIEF MUCHINKA, EASTERN PROVINCE, FDI, GUY SCOTT, LAND RIGHTS
Read more...
Sata accuses RB of not respecting traditionl leaders
Wednesday, August 5, 2009, 14:24
Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has accused President Rupiah Banda of having no respect for traditional rulers in the country.
Mr. Sata has said the MMD under Mr. Banda has failed to improve on the social infrastructure left by former UNIP government.
Addressing two separate rallies at Chitambo hospital grounds and another at Fisonge basic school grounds yesterday, Mr. Sata said in 1991, government gave back the respect chiefs deserved and stopped them from engaging into active politics.
He said it was sad that chiefs were now called to meet president Rupiah Banda at any place instead of the president paying courtesy call on them at their respective palaces.
He said UNIP under Dr. Kaunda built a lot of schools, roads and hospitals which the MMD were failing to improve on adding that government had even failed to make a road that would join Mpelembe from Chitambo hospital.
“There should have been a road by now joining Tuta road from here (Chitambo) but government has failed forcing people to still to go via mukando, a long way,” he said.
He said schools did not have adequate staffing while many trained teachers were still roaming the streets adding that government allegedly refused to increase workers salaries while the first lady Thandiwe was getting salaries when she was not working.
Mr. Sata urged the people of Chitambo to vote for PF candidate Chanda Mutale who he said was there own man and not to vote for MMD candidate Solomon Musonda because he was alleged to be a Zimbabwean.
“Vote for this young man, your son. Both Musonda and Rupiah Banda come from Zimbabwe so do not vote for Musonda, ” said as he introduced Mutale to the crowd.
Mr. Sata told Mutale to remain humble to the people saying people of Serenje did not want money from him but wanted leadership and somebody who could speak fo them.
He told him to ensure chief Muchinka’s palace was electrified and also ensure a road joining Serenje/Mansa road from Chitambo was made.
And speaking earlier, PF national chairperson, Samuel Mukupa wondered why people in rural areas continued to vote fo MMD when those in towns rejected.
He said it surprised him to find that people who were allegedly not cared for by the MMD government voted for them.
And Lusaka province chairperson, Paul Moonga, told the audience at Chitambo and Fisonge that the MMD had no love for them because even the late Nasim Hamir and the MMD candidate were not Zambians.
Mr. Moonga who praised people of Chitambo constituency for their hard work and construction of good looking houses said he however was disappointed that government had failed to help the people uplift their living standards.
He said while they were hard workers, they lacked support in terms of inputs from government thereby forcing them to face hunger all the times.
Mr. Moonga charged that MMD government respected animals more than people at Chipyapya where he alleged that people were being chased to leave land for animals.
The Patriotic Front (PF) team was in the constituency to drum up support for Chanda Mutale who is one of the four candidates vying for Chitambo parliamentary seat that fell vacant after the death of MMD Member of Parliament Nasim Hamir last May.
Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has set August 13th 2009, as polls day in the by-election.
ZANIS
Labels: CHIEF MUCHINKA, CHIEFS, PAUL MOONGA, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA
Read more...
Stay out of politics, Kapiji warns chief Muchinka
Written by Staff Reporter
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 5:00:41 PM
MMD member Judith Kapijimpanga has cautioned chief Muchinka against engaging in partisan politics and demanded a retraction of the statements attributed to the chief in the Saturday Post.
Kapijimpanga, who is MMD national executive committee (NEC) member, said she had been forced to go and see chief Muchinka of the Lala people of Central Province after reading the story in the Saturday Post where the traditional leader was quoted as having said that the ruling party would not bribe their way to victory in the forthcoming Chitambo by-election.
Trouble started when Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata's entourage bumped into Kapijimpanga's entourage at the chief's palace in Serenje.
Kapijimpanga appeared hesitant to take a photo with Sata, saying she was scared that her party might fire her.
However, after some persuasion, Kapijimpanga finally gave in and posed for a picture with Sata's entourage.
A few minutes after Sata and his entourage had left, Kapijimpanga called Post journalist Patson Chilemba, saying the chief had denied the story he had authored.
"...the chief says that, that story you wrote, which has come out in today's [last Saturday's] Post is not true. He is demanding a retraction. Please retract that story," Kapijimpanga said.
But Chilemba told Kapijimpanga that every word attributed to chief Muchinka was correct.
As the telephone conversation continued, Kapijimpanga asked chief Muchinka to speak to Chilemba to deny the statements he had earlier issued.
"What about this I'm hearing about the statements alluded to me?" chief Muchinka asked, as Chilemba responded: "It is the interview you gave me on Thursday last week."
However, chief Muchinka said he wanted a retraction of the statements he had earlier issued.
Chilemba then read the story to chief Muchinka and challenged him to deny any sentence in the story if his demands were genuine.
In response, chief Muchinka only said: "But does that [statements he issued in the Saturday Post] mean corruption?" before the phone-line cut.
A few minutes later, Kapijimpanga called and asked Chilemba to retract the story but the reporter refused to do so, insisting that the story was accurate.
After a few hours, Kapijimpanga called Chilemba and said she had cautioned chief Muchinka against involving himself in partisan politics.
"I also came here to talk to the chief on the prospects of campaigning for the MMD. We came to lobby for the MMD from the chief," she said.
On the Nansanga farming block, Kapijimpanga said chief Chitambo had given a go-ahead when she was lands minister to sell the land in question.
Last Thursday, chief Muchinka said desperate last-minute developmental efforts in the area would not help the MMD because people were now clever.
"They started working on Chansa Road when they heard that the Vice-President would be coming. We chiefs and subjects complain. The vehicles never used to move freely on that road because it was full of stones. But they started working on it when they heard that the Vice-President [George Kunda] would be coming," chief Muchinka said. "[But] that won't help them because people are clever that they have done this because of elections. Why didn't they do this before the votes?"
Chief Muchinka also said the traditional leaders in the area were not consulted by government over the Nansanga Farming block.
"How can they sell my land? That land belongs to the chiefs. We have got the House of Chiefs, it is just that there is no say [in the House of Chiefs]. They don't do anything. They ask us to send submissions, but nothing happens," said chief Muchinka.
Labels: CHIEF MUCHINKA, CORRUPTION, JUDITH KAPIJIMPANGA, MMD
Read more...
