HH has weakened MMD further - Pule
By Allan Mulenga
Wed 01 May 2013, 14:01 CAT
PASTOR Dan Pule says Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND have further weakened MMD by poaching its senior members.
And Pastor Pule says he will prayerfully consider an opportunity to serve in the government if called upon by President Michael Sata.
Addressing the press yesterday, Pastor Pule, a former deputy finance minister in the MMD government, said UPND's continued poaching of MMD senior leaders had the potential to ignite fights between the two opposition parties that had been in a loose alliance.
"Our concern is that if they begin to poach leaders from one opposition party to the other, they will begin to fight one another, instead of constructively fighting the ruling party so that they can be a real alternative to the ruling party in forming the next government," he said. "Obviously, if it is in the light of an alliance it will weaken that alliance. If they can poach members from one opposition party to another…however, we are emphasising unity among opposition parties."
Pastor Pule said although politicians had democratic rights to belong to political parties of their choice, the happenings between the MMD and UPND would dent the relationship between the two opposition parties.
"… Now, the question that arises is whether this has happened in the context of an alliance between the UPND and the MMD," he wondered.
And Pastor Pule, who is Apostolic Prophetic Network (APN) president, said appointments to any leadership position came from God.
"We fought for the change in the government. We stood with President Michael Sata. We have since then been quiet. I want to say that it is the President's choice; I cannot say whether I would accept an appointment at this point or not," he said. "But obviously sometimes it might become an academic exercise. At the moment all I want to say is that I have remained a national leader, a politician, a Christian leader and I will continue to do so. By the grace of the Lord we are looking up to Him to lead us. Appointment comes from not the North or South, it comes from the Lord."
Pastor Pule said opportunities to serve in the government came from God.
"The President is an instrument the Almighty God can use to appoint one into government. But the ultimate appointment comes from the Lord. For now I am satisfied where I am, except a lot of people are asking me why I am so quiet as a politician," said Pastor Pule.
Labels: DAN PULE, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MMD, UPND
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Pule hails Sata-led change
By Maluba Jere and Chibaula Silwamba
Tue 27 Sep. 2011, 12:00 CAT
REVEREND Danny Pule says the various agents of the historic change of government, starting with President Michael Sata need to be commended. In an interview, Rev Pule said President Sata as an agent of change never gave up or got discouraged.
"Since 2006, really he did not lose in my view just like in 2001 Mr Anderson Mazoka did not lose, but the results were manipulated and this is the very reason that I felt that the various agents of change must be commended," said Rev Pule.
He further commended the Catholic Church for fearlessly speaking for the voiceless and urged that in future, leaders needed to pay attention to the wind of change.
"I am not Catholic myself but the Catholic Church spoke on behalf of the people. It's a pity and unfortunate that late Bishop Paul Duffy hasn't seen what he advocated, what he mentioned, what he fought for on behalf of the people," he said. "So, these are lessons we must learn."
Rev Pule also commended people who championed the need to have Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT), saying that ensured that votes were not manipulated.
"I believe that the peaceful transition that has taken place has so much been as a result of the international community speaking out on behalf of the people and siding with the people in the name of democracy," he said.
Rev Pule said Zambians were the real agents of change because they stood as one to ensure the change they wanted took place.
He urged traditional leaders to learn from what had happened and not allow themselves to become partisan.
"I am ashamed to say those chiefs from Luapula where I come from were used shamelessly by Rupiah Banda and the MMD and they were bribed to support him. But you have seen what has happened, even those who were supporting their own candidates, they lost," he said.
He said chiefs should realise the need to stand with the people.
And Rev Pule said President Sata would succeed in bringing about the changes that meet people's aspirations.
Rev Pule said Zambians would base their expectations on the Patriotic Front's manifesto which spells out what it intends to do for the people.
He said President Sata had a message that had continued to ring loud and clear in people's minds, hence their decision to elect him Republican President.
"People are expectant that that message will be carried through. I have no doubt that as a man of action, he will gather a team of ministers and other key players that will carry out the changes and the aspirations of the people and we will succeed," said Rev Pule.
Labels: DAN PULE, MICHAEL SATA, PAUL DUFFY, PF
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Pule sees landslide for PF in Luapula
By Ernest Chanda
Sat 23 July 2011, 14:00 CAT
DUNAMIS Church Pastor Dan Pule says there will be a landslide victory for the Patriotic Front (PF) in Luapula following the party’s increasing popularity. Giving an overview of the political situation after touring the province for 10 days, Pastor Pule said everyone, including traditional leaders, was resolved on voting for PF leader Michael Sata.
“I have been in Luapula in last 10 days and I can tell you that all the chiefs are saying a popular PF slogan ‘don’t kubeba’ because they have seen that their people are for president Sata. They don’t want to be left behind in this wind of change. In short what I’m saying is that Luapula is ready for elections,” said Pastor Pule on Wednesday.
“In terms of adoption of candidates the PF has a wonderful and vigorous process. And I want to commend the leadership for this great achievement because in the past, MMD critics were feasting on that aspect.
But this time around they have nowhere to hammer, in fact, the PF has conducted the most democratic adoption process. Apart from the central committee, I want also to commend the provincial chairman Mr Kennedy Sakeni who has organised the party in Luapula. There has been overwhelming response because for the 14 parliamentary seats available in the province there are 97 applicants. This is an indication of how popular the party is.”
Pastor Pule said there was an exciting atmosphere among the voters as everyone looked forward to changing the government this year.
Labels: DAN PULE, DEMOCRACY, LUAPULA PROVINCE, MICHAEL SATA, PF
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Luapula is decided on Sata, says Dan Pule
By Ernest Chanda
Mon 04 July 2011, 04:04 CAT
A Lusaka clergyman says the government should not politicise Frederick Chiluba's funeral by parading chiefs from Luapula to gain political mileage. Commenting on some chiefs from Luapula who were paraded in Lusaka last Wednesday to endorse President Rupiah Banda's candidature, Dunamis Church overseer, Apostle Dan Pule, who also served as finance deputy minister in the Chiluba administration, said it was shameful that chiefs could be paraded in that manner.
“Our chiefs came for a good cause, to come and mourn our brother and second Republican president. But for them to be paraded in a manner that they were so that they can come and campaign for President Banda is not right,” Pule said.
“I respect their royal highnesses, and as a man from Luapula, I am disappointed that some of our brothers could do such a thing as to parade our royal highnesses to campaign for President Banda,” Apostle Pule said. “On the other hand, in as much as it's good to give gratitude where it is due, it should also be put in the right context that Dr Chiluba as former head of state was entitled to the burial and funeral that he was given by the government.
So it's not as if it was a favour done to him and the family and to all of us from Luapula. It was expected and an entitlement.
And all future heads of state will expect the same because it's their entitlement. It should not be used for political gain as if President Banda or the government were not supposed to do it on our second Republican president.”
And commenting on deliberate attacks on PF leader Michael Sata that he did not mourn Chiluba, Apostle Pule said that would not win the MMD a vote in Luapula. He said the people from Luapula were already resolved on voting for the opposition Patriotic Front.
“The fact is that all of us were mourning. President Sata actually went to Mulungushi to give the last respects to the second Republican president, his brother. This is why I'm disappointed that our royal highnesses from Luapula were used to come and attack president Sata. It is not right and that will not win them the vote,” Apostle Pule said.
“I want to say to the people of Luapula Province and indeed the whole nation that they should ignore what their royal highnesses were made to say about Mr Sata. The people of Luapula have made up their minds, they are not going to vote for MMD this year; they are going to vote for PF. Whatever political gimmick the MMD government will try and do is not going to change their minds.”
And Apostle Pule has challenged President Banda to allow the parallel vote tabulation (PVT) system if he is truly a strong candidate. He said with PVT, everyone would have confidence in the credibility of elections when the winner is announced.
“I believe that also the Electoral Commission should listen to the views of the people. And President Banda, if he wants to fight on a level ground, he should simply say like Dr Kaunda said ‘let's open it up; let's go for the PVT’, which is now what people want. Obviously, we do know that in rural areas results delayed because they were being manipulated so that the ruling candidate could win the election,” said Apostle Pule.
On Wednesday, confusion characterised the endorsement of President Banda's candidature by some Luapula chiefs in this year's election.
Some of the chiefs who were led by chief Nsamba of the Unga people from the Bangweulu swamps in Samfya district to announce the endorsement openly expressed ignorance about the event held at Lusaka's Longacres Lodge.
Labels: CHIEFS, DAN PULE, LUAPULA PROVINCE, MICHAEL SATA, PF
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Police still probing Pule’s gold scandal
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Thu 24 Dec. 2009, 04:00 CAT
POLICE spokesperson Bonny Kapeso yesterday said the police are still investigating a few things in the case where Dunamis pastor Reverend Dan Pule was allegedly swindled out of US$62,000. Kapeso said there was a twist from the information that was given at first and the people who were in custody had been released on police bond.
"We are investigating one or two things," he said.
Rev Pule two weeks ago claimed that he had been swindled out of US$62,000 in a transaction where he alleged that he had been sold fake gold stones.
Rev Pule later said fake gold sellers did personally not swindle him out of US$62,000 but a company in which he is a director lost $42,000 in the deal.
Rev Pula said a company called United Minerals and Energy Zambia Limited, which he formed with some South Africans, is the one that lost money amounting to $42,000 and not $62,000 as reported through the gemstones conmen.
However, one of the accused men in the matter David Mwambazi last week disclosed that Rev Pule assisted them to bring the gold into the country from the Chirundu border.
Labels: BONNIE KAPESO, DAN PULE, FRAUD
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