HH refuses to withdraw from the Presidential race
TIME PUBLISHED - Monday, April 25, 2011, 3:13 pm
UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has reiterated that he will run in the presidential race this year again and has refused to withdraw from this year’s presidential elections.
Reacting to a call made by the New Generation Party (NGP) President Humphrey Siulapwa for him to not take party in the presidential race, Mr Hichilema said that Mr Siulappwa was entitled to make his comments as Zambia is a democracy where people are free to express their views.
Mr. Siulapwa, speaking today at a public rally in Nampundwe, urged Mr. Hichilema to consider working with the ruling MMD. NGP President said that Mr. Hichilema should not waste his resources campaigning as a presidential candidate.
Mr. Siulapwa also said that Mr. Hichilema should also consider contesting as a Member of Parliament so that he could learn matters of national governance in parliament.
Mr. Siulapwa observed that the UPND President has also lost his standing in Southern Province after 41 chiefs pledged their support for President Rupiah Banda during this year’s elections.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, HUMPHREY SIULAPWA, UPND
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Those issuing threats are inciting us to continue striking – nurses
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe, Edwin Mbulo and Mutuna Chanda
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 5:12:05 PM
HEALTH workers in Lusaka yesterday said they were being incited to continue with the strike by people that were threatening them over their just cause. And health workers on the Copperbelt Province and in Livingstone have resolved to continue with the strike until the government meets their demands.
The health workers who were dressed in black yesterday assembled at the usual spot near the casualty ward at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH). One of the nurses urged New Generation Party president Humphrey Siulapwa to find other means of seeking a job from President Rupiah Banda rather than insulting them.
The nurses said if Siulapwa was looking for a position in the MMD, he should apply to President Banda.
"He is a nobody and he can't be insulting nurses. He is the one who is making the situation worse because we were even thinking of going back to work but because of his statement, he has made the situation worse. It is the government that is letting patients down, not us," the nurse said.
Siulapwa on Sunday asked nurses to return to work, saying they were responsible for the deaths being recorded in the country due to lack of proper medical care.
Another nurse said UPND president Hakainde Hichilema was innocent and had at no time incited the health workers to strike.
The nurse said those issuing threats were the ones inciting the health workers.
"These people, when they are sick, they don't come to UTH, they go abroad. We want to work; we have patients and relatives who are sick," the nurse said.
Another nurse said they expected health minister Kapembwa Simbao instead of labour minister Austin Liato to address them.
The nurse said according to protocol, since the permanent secretary had addressed them, Simbao was supposed to be the next in line.
The nurse said the health workers would still not resume work if they were not met halfway.
Another health worker said the health workers were disappointed that the strike had taken long without a solution in sight.
"Let them fire us so that we can join the private sector where our services will be utilised. The President has never said a single word. He has just kept quiet, as if things are well," the nurse said.
The health workers also accused UTH management of not telling the truth on the strike.
One of the health workers said UTH managing director Dr Peter Mwaba in one of their meetings had said he would call the police to disperse the health workers from the hospital premises.
"Then they change the statement and say that the police that were there were brought to guard the wards. They should stop lying. He [Dr Mwaba] even said he had brought professional nurses to help out. So does he mean that we are not professional?" the health worker who declined to be named asked.
They said the improved conditions of service they were fighting for would benefit all the health workers in the country.
And in Livingstone, nurses who camped at Livingstone Central Hospital, said they would not even agree to be addressed by their union leaders even if they travelled to the tourist capital.
The nurses said they would continue with the strike.
"We have resolved to be reporting here but we shall just be sitting outside until the government gives us what we need. We are just asking what is due to us because we are taking care of people's lives while our wellbeing is not considered by government," said the nurses.
A check at some schools in the tourist capital revealed a similar situation, with teachers who had chosen to report back for work but sat outside the classes.
And the health workers' strike in Kitwe and Ndola has continued.
A check in some clinics in Kitwe found only senior health workers and student nurses attending to patients.
At Ndeke Clinic, patients were seen on benches waiting to be attended to by senior personnel while junior health workers stayed away.
At Chimwemwe clinic, student nurses were seen helping out the senior nurses who were on hand attending to patients.
At Kitwe Central Hospital, senior health personnel assisted by student nurses were on hand attending to patients.
And in an interview, Ndola District Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CSAWUZ) chairperson Joy Beene said health workers were still on strike.
Beene, who is also spokesperson for the unions representing health workers in the district, said the labour leaders in the district were brainstorming over today's meeting with Liato.
He said the union leaders were not consulted over the meeting and only heard it on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) television.
And speaking after health workers union leaders met yesterday to strategise over Liato's visit to Ndola tomorrow, Beene said the government leader would be wasting his time if he planned to intimidate workers.
"Let him come," Beene said. "If he will come to intimidate us, then he will waste his time. Where we have reached, we just want solutions."
He also denounced Siulapwa for telling health workers to get back to work.
"That young man should stop commenting on the strike," said Beene. "These small parties don't understand leadership... He doesn't understand leadership and governance. There's no way he can be going to UTH [University Teaching Hospital] and saying those rubbish things. He's just wasting his time."
Liato meets health workers in Kitwe today and in Ndola tomorrow.
Health workers, who have been on strike for over a month now, have rejected the 15 per cent salary increment that their unions agreed with the government and are demanding salary increments of K1.5 million across the board and housing allowances of at least K800,000 among other improvements in conditions of service.
Labels: HUMPHREY SIULAPWA, NURSES, STRIKE
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Siulapwa apologises to Sata, M’membe
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Thursday, May 28, 2009 2:47:30 PM
NEW Generation Party president Humphrey Siulapwa has apologised to Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata, Post editor Fred M'membe and other Zambians over his disparaging remarks against them during the campaigns for the MMD last year.
In a walk-in interview at Post newspapers offices in Lusaka on Tuesday, Siulapwa said he regretted his disrespectful remarks against Sata, M'membe and other Zambians and therefore sought their forgiveness.
"I remember during the campaign especially during the final rally of the MMD in Mandevu, I used a slogan which unfortunately has not gone down well with a cross section of people.
The slogan was in Bemba: “Nganalanda ati ba Sata, imwe kwasuka ati lishilu. [if I say Mr Sata, you answer that he is a mad man]," Siulapwa said. "I have decided that I apologise and I have written a personal letter to Mr Sata to find space in his heart to forgive me."
And in his letter dated May 20, 2009 to Sata, Siulapwa stated that he regretted that he had insulted the opposition leader, his wife and the entire family.
"Yes, you have not complained to me but a cross section of people has spoken to me on your behalf. They say my slogan was disrespectful to an elderly person like you. Some have actually gone a step further to say in our culture that was tantamount to insults. I feel bad and guilty when I reflect on this issue," Siulapwa stated.
"It is with this background that I request you to find space in your heart to forgive me. Kindly also apologise for me to your wife and your family."
He stated that he would look up to Sata as his "father" and senior politician. "Where we go wrong, kindly feel free to advise and direct us," stated Siulapwa. And Siulapwa said he had offended M'membe and asked him to forgive him.
"The other person that I feel I must also publicly apologise to is Fred M'membe. I remember on one radio interview I did personally attack him," Siulapwa said. "I have also realised that I must avoid personal attacks as much as possible but concentrate on tackling issues. That is my new resolve."
Siulapwa said he had also realised that in his political career, he had knowingly or unknowingly verbally attacked and offended many other people apart from Sata and M'membe hence he wanted them to also forgive him.
"Zambia needs reconciliation. It is only when people have reconciled and they are able to discuss their differences that a number of our problems can be found. This reconciliation needs to start with leaders - political leaders, civil society, the church, professional leaders, etc. Since in the recent past I have been calling for reconciliation and people to use better language, I feel I am obliged also to do my part and apologise to the people I have offended," said Siulapwa.
"Having apologised, I would like to say that I will continue criticising constructively with facts and with respect due to all human beings."
On Sunday during a press briefing, Siulapwa said MMD had been abusing him and his colleagues for the last five years to campaign and defend government programmes without benefits.
Labels: CADRES, FRED M'MEMBE, HUMPHREY SIULAPWA, SATA, THE POST
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MMD has abused me – Siulapwa
Written by Chibaula Silwamba in Livingstone
Monday, May 25, 2009 3:41:58 PM
NEW Generation Party president Humphrey Siulapwa yesterday said that the MMD has been abusing him and his colleagues for the last five years to
campaign and defend government programmes without rewards. And Siulapwa said President Rupiah Banda would like to seek a second term of office because State House is magical.
Addressing the press at Hotel InterContinental Lusaka, Siulapwa, who last year vigorously campaigned for President Banda and the MMD, said
he had not benefited a single thing from the MMD government, and threatened to de-campaign the governing party in 2011.
"Yes! Actually, they are using us and we are not prepared to be used forever, only a fool can be used forever. I, as president for the New Generation Party, am not going to accept to be abused or used forever," Siulapwa said.
"We want a portion of the national cake to come to the New Generation. Ici Bemba chitila ati, pakwakana ubunga tapabenshi? Tapaba insoni. Batupeleko na ifwekalya ka K40 billion [In Bemba they say: when sharing mealie meal you should not feel shy. They should also give us part of that K40 billion]."
He said he and his colleagues in the party had nothing to show that they had benefited from the MMD after campaigning for its candidates.
"There is too much selfishness in MMD. As the New Generation Party, as you all may be aware we have been supporting government and MMD for the last five years but we have got nothing to show for it. Me, in particular, I have put in everything to support government, I have been called all sorts of names as a person who has been bought by the MMD, people think that I chew with MMD, I don't and I have never chewed. They eat the national cake alone," Siulapwa said.
"I have even risked my life to ensure that President Banda is in State House today and the MMD continue as the ruling party but today the leadership of MMD - the ministers, the party leaders they can't even see me. During campaigns they were open 24-hours, we could call them even at 2am, and they would say, ‘young president come here,' and we do the programme and campaigned but today they are too busy. You phone them, outside coverage area."
He observed that it had become a culture of the MMD to abuse others and after the President wins the elections he becomes "too busy."
"When President Banda went to State House, I had an opportunity to meet him once on 4th December last year and we agreed that we have to meet again to discuss the issues especially pertaining to empowerment of the youths of this country," Siulapwa explained.
"But every time I phone requesting to meet the President they say, ‘no he is busy.’ I have even gone to the airport to see the President and he is willing, he said, 'Mr president I want to meet you.' But when you phone State House desk, it's another story. We are being denied access to our President and we are not happy. The President now has become a luxury. The MMD has failed to look after us as the New Generation, we need jobs but they have failed to create jobs for us."
Siulapwa said the MMD government had "killed" the jobs left by UNIP government.
"A youth must either be in school. If that youth is not in school that youth must be working. Unfortunately in our country today, the majority of the youths are not in school and they are not working. If you look at the learning institutions that we have; first of all they are not adequate, secondly when they are available they are expensive and beyond the reach of the majority of the young people," Siulapwa said.
"But the greatest need of a youth in Zambia today is a job. The majority of the young people who are supposed to be working are not working. Every morning when they wake up, they have no plans, they don't know where to go and what to do, day in day out."
He recalled that when the MMD came into power in 1991, in its manifesto it promised to create jobs but it had not done so to date.
"When the UNIP government was going out there were about one million formal jobs but today as we speak there are less than 500,000 formal jobs. In the last 18 years that the MMD government has been in power, they have killed more than 600,000 jobs," Siulapwa said.
Meanwhile, Siulapwa said it was clear that President Banda wanted a second term of office contrary to his promise last year.
"Mr President, you told me and you told Zambians that you only want to rule Zambia for three years. As president of the New Generation Party, I stood on the platform and I told the young people of this country ‘vote for President Banda, the man is now old he just wants three years and after three years you will take over.' Do you remember that? But it looks like things have changed. It is now very clear that President Banda is going for a second term," Siulapwa said.
"Mr President, we have no problems with you going for a second term, it's your legal right but Mr President you have to show reasons why we as the New Generation must support you in 2011. Mr President, you need to do something very drastic to win our support."
However, Siulapwa said he could not say that President Banda lied last year when he said he would only serve for three years.
"You know State House is magical. I have never been there but I have already heard that it is very magical. What you think before you go there is different from what you think when you go there," Siulapwa said.
"The most important thing is that, is he legally allowed? After all the Bible says, 'a wise man changes his mind'. He has changed his mind."
He demanded that the MMD justify why the New Generation Party should continue supporting it after being disappointed for five years.
"If things continue the way they are in the next two years, I wish to state categorically today that the MMD must forget about forming government in 2011. The same vigour we used to campaign for them, is the same vigour we will use to de-campaign them," Siulapwa warned.
"President Banda should take stock of the people around him both at State House and in government. Mr President, these people, if you don't check them out they will bring problems for you and they will bring you down."
Siulapwa accused ministers of accessing huge funds from the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) at the expense of ordinary Zambians.
"I am told there is a minister who got K1.5 billion, another prominent person who got K1 billion. Is that morally fair? No!" Siulapwa said.
He said the youths had not benefited from the Youth Empowerment Fund.
Siulapwa also demanded that the Electoral Commission (ECZ) start voter registration within three months, failure to which his party would take radical actions.
In September last year when he endorsed the candidacy of then Vice-President Banda, Siulapwa described the MMD candidate as a gift from God.
"We subjected each candidate to factors like the Constitution, prudent financial management, diplomacy, foreign policy and good governance, we feel Rupiah Banda is Zambia's gift from God," said Siulapwa adding: "We have seen what the MMD has done especially for the youths in the country. Mr Banda has promoted youth empowerment and a better manifesto than any other candidate."
Labels: HUMPHREY SIULAPWA, JOBS, MMD
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