President Levy Mwanawasa has warned the people of Zambia to be wary of people who were determined to mislead them for the sake of getting into power.
Dr. Mwanawasa also asked Zambians to think about what his government has done to better their living standards in the last six years he has been in power.
He was speaking today in Kanyama constituency when he addressed a campaign rally to drum up support for the MMD candidate in tomorrow’s by-election, Mwalimu Simfukwe.
Dr. Mwanawasa said a named political party leader has alleged that government had allocated State House K48 billion in this year’s budget for his treatment abroad.
He said this was not true and that the statement was made by Patriotic Front leader, Michael Sata in an effort to gain political mileage.
He regretted that some people were abusing the freedom of expression by misleading the public and insulting the president.
Dr. Mwanawasa, however, said freedom of expression was good because it exposed liars to the public to judge and understand them.
He said leaders aiming at misleading the public in order to discredit others should not be allowed to rule the country.
He said fears by Mr. Sata that the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) might introduce a law that would bar him from standing for presidency in 2011 on account of age were baseless.
“Let Sata stand, if you bar him, you will be making a name for him. In fact make it 140 years,” he said as people applauded.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mwanawasa has reiterated that the electricity power outages and load shedding being experienced in the country was a sad development for it is affecting, not only the economy but lives of people at domestic level.
He said ZESCO should quickly find a solution to the problem but warned Zambians against putting the blame on the electricity generating company alone.
He said the problem was being experienced through out the Southern African region due to an increase in industries and other activities, which use electricity.
Dr. Mwanawasa, who is also Chairman for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said to this end, he has called for a meeting of chief executives of electricity generating companies, ministers of energy and ministers of foreign affairs to discuss how the problem could be solved.
Earlier, Kanyama by-election campaign manager for the MMD, Brian Chituwo told the rally that there was no allocation of K48 billion in the budget for President Mwanawasa’s treatment abroad this year.
Brandishing a budget book, commonly known as a “yellow book” in his hands, Dr. Chituwo said there was only K6.2 billion set aside this year for specialized treatment abroad for all people holding constitutional offices in the country.
He said the K6.2 billion covered both the president and other people that would need specialized treatment outside Zambia.
Last year, government had allocated K4.3 billion for the same purpose.
“Alleging that government has allocated K48 billion for President Mwanawasa’s medical expenses abroad is a total lie. This is a true fabrication and we must dismiss it with contempt it deserves,” Dr. Chituwo, who is also Minister of health said.
The Kanyama by-election takes place tomorrow.
The Kanyama constituency, which fell vacant in December last year after the death of area MP, Henry Mtonga, is being contested by seven political parties.
The opposition Patriotic Front is fielding Gerry Chanda, the United Party for National Development is fielding Harrison Mukupa while David Kasanga has stood on the Forum for Development and Democracy (FDD) ticket.
Others contesting the seat are hasty Mwachilele of the former ruling party, the United National Independence Party (UNIP), Kenny Ngondo for All People’s Congress (APC), Elizabeth Phiri for United Liberal Party (ULP) and New Generation Party’s (NGP) Chushi Mwewa.
Meanwhile, about 100 members mainly from the UPND, PF and FDD have defected to the MMD.
A Representative of defectors, Edify Shanambe, who was UPND deputy provincial youth chairman, said the MMD was the only party that meant well in the country.
Mr. Shanambe has since pledged support to the ruling party.
Go to hell LPM? we all need special medical treatment!
# 1 mob justice. Sometime is important to keep your stinking mouth shut when you don’t have anything to say.
ba # 1 mob justice, did you even go to school? get a copy of the budget on line, like # 2 said, “Sometime it is important to keep your stinking mouth shut when you don’t have anything to say”.
I just saw the picture of one Andrew Kamanga, the Enfin Solutions managing consultant and have no doubt he is Reuben “khumawa omodzi’s” Kamanga’s son. I also wonder whether this is the same chap who married Dr Mutumba Bull’s daughter which would be a shame because the guy is just too ugly. If you put horns on that chigulumutu of his, is it not a grazing cow we are talking about here? His nose remains the most prominent organ on his face, standing near that guy could result in sudden death from affixia. During my time,such bad seed would be curled
Hey bro just shut up don’t talk of my friend the way he looks like, he did not choose to be born like that but that’s the way he was created.What if it was you who was like that what can you say, it’s bad to tease people if that’s the way they were born. Think twice it might be your own child watch it out, those are stupid words you used
LUSAKATIMES………. USE STORED PROCEDURES FOR YOUR SQL STATEMENTS, OTHERWIZE IT IS EASY TO HACK AND DESTROY YOUR SERVER. I SAW ALL THE ERRORS WITH YOUR CONNECTION STRINGS. BE CAREFULL AND PROFESSIONAL
“Only K6.2b”!!! My foot, Chituwo, you are dull, that kind of money can serve a lot of lives if used at UTH!!
Chi Chuchu you are the one who is selfish spending K6.2 on yourself alone is BU KAITEMWA!!
What sort of politics is this? where you come with a yellow book and declare that you have allocated only K6.2B for treatment of office bearers? what about ordinary Zambians? how many office bearers are there to deserve that sort of money? Zambia twa sebana.YOU CANT STAND UP ON PODIUM IN THE US AND EXPECT TO BE VOTED INTO POWER.
# 1 you are a bit harsh but you have a point.Brian Chituwo you are a disgrace how can a learned doctor support reasoning like that? since when did health care become a right for the privelleged? Health care is for all.It is true in a real democracy like the America such sentiments would have spelt doom for the party budgeting to treat only politicians
NUMBER 8..ONLY IN ZAMBIA?
It is so shameful to see MMD leaders brandishing the yellow book to woodwink voters on the premise that only so much has been allocated for medical services overseas for LPM and cohorts. The people of Kanyama and Zambia at large need to question what is at stake for the Zambian populace. After six years, the national medical delivery system remains the worsed in the region like we are coming out of war.
My prediction of the kanyama election results is that PF will win. In as much as this is not the best party to deserve the win, people dont have much other choice. MMD has not addressed their needs period.
In a democracy politics are competitive and should be seen as such. The political tactics of yesteryear being exhibited by MMD will not work in a cosmopolitan constituency such as Kanyama. The party in power must provide services to the people at all the time and not only when there is a bye election in that particular area. Just deliver or you are out.
ba mob justice you are such an ***** you do’nt even deserve to be a blogger much as we might all not be comfortable with the huge amounts spent on constitutional office bearers what give you the right to insul a contitutional office.my proposition is let us raise the standards of our hospitals and build the capacity of the medical practioners in service delivery against atking these guys to south and england to have their blood tested for malaria paracites and give medication for headaches
Nanga iwe #4 ukamba chani? You are off the topic by the way Mr! When God made man he saw that it was beatiful and he was pleased with himself. Who are to casticate God’s creation. He is ugly only in your ugly eyes.
Nakana # 14 what gives you the right to insult MOB JUSTICE? for you it is ok to call him an ***** but it is not ok for him to tell LPM to go to hell? LPM deserves the scorn because he is a public figure who is accountable to the masses. Let MOB JUSTICE express his opinion he is free to do so.MOB JUSTICE you have every right to be on the this blog, keep on keeping on
MMD should be ashamed of itself…how can it allocate itself k6.2 Billion for OUTSIDE MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR PARTY MEMBERS…How come MMD has that money when they are failing to plan for kanyama floods…I hope the people can teach them a lesson tomorrow by NOT VOTING FOR MMD…
If LPM died today, he would just made the world less crowded and Zambia will be there. So he must not get all that tax money for himself.
Hi zedians,
Sometimes i wonder why we do not hold some primary elections like other well known countries do.We are tired of political parties imposing candidates on constituencies.Why can’t each political party hold primary elections within the constituencies,so that people can best judge the saleable candidate against other competing political parties on the election day.Although,this process is expensive but is a good Democractic practice.
Ba Nkana…. you are now adult and able to blog? thanks to the dedicated zambian doctors that you are insulting? I am not a party cadre and i refuse to engage myself in politics ya mukoboni yaku tobana amabwe? If you able to afford your scheme, well and good.
#20 walasa
#4 Sipopa you are a tribalist,divisionist,anarchist and vile spitting son of Lucifer the horned devil.How dare you denigrate your fellow human and Zambian in such a vicious and cowardly manner? What did Mrs Kamanga do to infuriate you this much? Did you lose out to a better man she saw in him? Fifty years after independence there is no need to try to rekindle memories of the ill-advised, shortlived ‘Umodzi Kummawa’ slogan that followed the contentious tribal fuelled mulungushi conference in 1967. Yes we have problems, but we are not and dont want to be Kenya.So bwana quit smoking whatever you do and learn to respect fellow Zambians who in turn will respect you .
If LPM need $1.6 million for medical care for a year then he is medically unfit to be President! There is a constitutional provision for this, parliament should ask for his records and an independent medical opinion!!!
#23 Watunga ngamuka kela boi!!
SATA!!!! HAS WON AGAIN!!
MMD WILL NEVER WIN CUZ VJ HAS GONE.
#12 Your predictions was right! Are you a phophet girl! Eventhough am I not PF but I congratulate them winning despite their being dictator.
Yah if i was levy, i would have resigned coz this just shows that i cannot get the 51% vote
No wonder chuchu is sceptical to 50 +1% vote.
N.4 You are wrong. Please check your facts. Andrew is not Reuben’s son