Patriotic Front leader, Michael Sata, has challenged President Rupiah Banda to tell the nation how much government spent on the Choma-Namwala road. And Mr. Sata has called for the formation of a ‘Truth Commission’ to reveal how much the MMD government stole over the Choma-Namwala road.
In an interview with QFM, Mr. Sata alleges that the money the MMD government has stolen on the road could have also catered for the Monze-Namwala, the Monze-Siavonga, and the Namwala-Itezhi-Itezhi roads.
He says if the MMD government did not steal any money during the construction of the road, President Rupiah Banda should come out in the open and tell the nation how much was spent for the tarring of the road.
Mr. Sata has also challenged government to explain why it took over 20 years to tar the Choma-Namwala road.
Meanwhile, the United Party for National Development, UPND, says there is nothing for President Banda to celebrate about on the completion of the Choma-Namwala road.
UPND Secretary General, Winstone Chibwe, told QFM in an interview that the tarring of the road was done by the President’s predecessors, and not him.
Mr. Chibwe emphasizes that President Banda has just seen the last drop of the other people’s work.
QFM
My gosh, sour grapes already.
HIM AND HIS KASAMA IS FOR BEMBAS ONLY HATE TO SEE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE THAT DELIVE INFRASTRUTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN OTHER PARTS OF ZAMBIA. TO THIS TRIBALIST ONLY HIS VILLAGE DESERVES TAX PAYERS MONIES AND TANGIBLE DEVELOPMENT.
President Banda said he was very impressed by the caliber of leaders that the people had through their area UPND member of parliament Emmanuel Hachipuka, who was present in the Presidential entourage, and Munkombwe.
Hachipuka, who also addressed one of the meetings, said he was close to President Banda and his clique because it was them that had access to the money.
“I want to thank you for the road. I stay in Lusaka but people within UPND have continued to criticise me asking me why I am too close to VJ, but where can I ask for funds to develop if I don’t get close to you?” Hachipuka asked. “Why am I close to RB, VJ, Mulongoti? Because these are the people with the money.”
Yes let them account!
#2
Gentlemen mulebako objective pakulanda. Whats wrong with asking people to explain how they spent our money? You sound like you are the one who could actually be a tribalist!
HE HATES TO SEE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE THAT DELIVER INFRASTRUTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN OTHER PARTS OF ZAMBIA.
He has opposed infrastrure development in Western, North Western, Eastern and now Southern. During his tenure as Minister of Health he starved these regions to death with resources and opportunity.What a loser!
I thot fourteen of those 20 years RB was nowhere near the tarring on the Choma Namawala road. Infact ten of those years, Sata was number three in the government of chiluba. May be he should tell us how much they stole in ten years and RB should explain the two years of his involvement. Sata should even be ashamed to say this. He speaks as though he has never been in government.
MMD is a system and its policies, projects and visions are institutional not like the one man titular parties of PF where Sata is PF and PF is Sata. Re-hospitalization or Death of Sata means end of PF. In MMD there is continuity after any given leader of a given time. What FJT started, was picked on by LPM and finished by RB selflessness.
Yes Mr Sata can you give your part of the explanation why it took govt 20 years to complete the Namwala/Choma road? Of the 20yrs you mentioned you were in govt with Kafupi for 10 years.
Well spoken Mr Chibwe, RB should not reap were he did not sow. The people of Namwala are grateful for completion of the project though we know it was done for political reasons ie to weaken UPND. Credit should therefore, also go to UPND for posing a political threat to MMD’s continuous rule. This has forced them to wake up and learn not to take people for granted.
#7 You are very right. In those 20 years, Mr 90 days Sata was part and parcel of the govt with Chiluba but nothing happened in southern province. He even wanted Chiluba to have another five years in office! He now has the audacity to challenge the govt on a job well done. Why is it that every time a project is started or completed it becomes politicised. Remember the controversy surrounding the Mfuwe road? As for people saying that RB is only finishing off what LPM started, if that is the case, then don’t turn around and say that RB has abandoned LPM’s legacy.
I’m not pro-MMD butI find it irritating whenever Sata accuses someone of any wrong doing, always “challenging” someone to disclose this all that. If he has facts or information that the general public is not privy to why can’t he just come out in the open with it? He’s living us in suspense, or is it the usual politicking?
I am not surprised by Sata’s latest foaming at the mouth. What would really surprise me would be if he explained PF’s policy on infrastructure development for the whole country and calculations on what such a project would cost and where the incoming PF administration would source the funds for such a project. Is that too much ask from somebody who wants me to put an ‘x’ by his name?
Mwata
tekanya fye, bola panshi boi. Are you a senior member mu MMD? Give us the data how he starved those provinces (you mentioned) when he was health minister. Give us statistics quickly, we want to respond with ALOT of statistics on how you leaders starved us. So, lets start boi……I’m waiting
# 9,why should completion of a road be done to weaken UPND?I shudder when I see how low we can sink as citizens.surely that road will benefit southerners more than RB.such reasoning belongs to the gutter.
Are you guys having intellectual discussions or Zambian Politics? Information should be in public domain really how much the road cost. I am sure RB has nothing to do with the road except stealing the credit and scamming.
If no road is built then people complain. When the road is built people complain. Isn’t it great to be such an ungrateful, whingeing, moaning, never satisfied and sour faced nation?
People should be warned. I think Sata is going senile because he has forgotten that he was part of the MMD govt for 10 years. Maybe that would explain why he seems to have forgotten that he is supposed to be in a political pact with HH and UPND.
Thank you for the road.
But ba shikulu ba Sata na bapwa. Government is answerable to Parliament on expenditure. He should ask his MPs to ask the questions in Parliament.
#14: The question you should ask yourself is why has it taken 20 yrs to complete the project and what motivated or inspired RB’s govt to complete the project now? Is there any connection with Rb/MMD’s freindship with Hachipuka and Chizyuka. We are no dull as you might think for us not to understand that what is happening here is wooing UPND supporters to vote for RB in case Sata leads the pact. So who’e political reasoning belongs to the gutters? For sure it’s not mine.
Anyway in politics you do not praise your opponent and this is the case world over.
Truth of the matter is that the road has been tarred. And I have been on that road several times when it was gravel. I would say thank you to whoever completed it, full stop!
Siily contribution from Sata, while he is in order to ask how much it cost he should be more patriotic and give kudo’s for this development
Anyway I have never taken his prononcements for the last twenty years or so from 1999
He thinks he knows everything pa ZED.Mean while he is JACK OF ALL TRADES AND MASTER OF NONE.
Anyone who knows how much this road cost to build? Also can we compare the costs of the same road in Rwanda, DRC, SA, Namibia. Anyone with this data will move the discussion from all the political nonsense.
Also, are these new roads dual carriage or single? Anyone from RDA please….
this is so funny..the 1st 10 years of MMD..sata was at the helm of the party..what has changed today for him to start condemning it..?MMD failures are also his..Zambians open your eyes and focus on the ball..HH is the man!
When Sata was Minister of Health he fired Nurses and Doctors at will and most of them went to work in the UK and USA. Today Zambia has a shortage of 12,000 nurses whom should we blame? I guess by the high level thinking of Mr Sata its Bondate bo Rupiah Banda. I am tired of this Biza Man masquarading as a Bemba.Masipa ako.
I feel bored at times to ready some of your coments you blogers because you dont even understand what you write about. Sata has challenged the gvt (not RB, as you seem to misunderstand him) to explain why it has taken so long to tare that road. Remember on many occasions sata has always challeged the gvt on infrusture development such as roads. This is not the first time he is saying this and not becuase this road is in Southern province.Sata is not as foolish as some of you.For him to say this, he knows what he is talking about. Do you think he is foolish to ask why it has taken 20 yrs when he knows he was in power within that period?get closer to him and you will get data or else you can continue bluffing….who cares…
#26 you are a fool with your stupid analysis, ask those nurses about which minister changed things in hospitals within 90 days. If any nurse run away from this country because of sata as you claim to lie, it is because that nurse was lazy and could not cope with the hard working Sata!!!! MMD kuya bebele fooooooooooooools
It does not matter how long it has taken, it has finally been delivered. Auditor General must have audited the expenditure on the road for the period that it has taken, audit reports must be there for all who care to see. Whether it is politics at play or not, the general populace stands to benefit more than the politicians. It is a job well done, don’t just oppose for the sake of it. They are the same people who were opposed to the construction of the chembe bridge saying it was being constructed in another country though it was going to benefit Zambians more. Kanshi mwaba shani ba pungwa?
Pa zed pesu says@27: It’s obvious that Sata is foolish when he has to ask such a question. He should be providing us with part of the answer for the period he was in government.
As for how much it cost, I don’t think that’s a state secret as he can get the numbers easily from the RDA.
As for the fact that they could have built other roads from the same amount, how would he know this if he doesn’t know how much this particular road cost.
UTTER FOOLISHNESS!
VJ Rigger says:
August 25, 2010 at 9:26 am
# 9,why should completion of a road be done to weaken UPND?
THIS ROAD TOOK 20 YEARS AS MMD DID NOT HAVE SOMEONE IN NAMWALA WHO THEY WANTED TO IMPRESS WITH FUNDS FOR HIS BOOTLICKING.
NAMWALA M.P HAS SOLD HIS SOUL TO SUGAR DADDY.
The polical engineer simply told RB…Go and tour completion of Choma- Namwala road even if you never initiated the project. You will get alot of support from zambians. they are very dosile people with no brains. cant you see how I have been fooling then arround, come on RB, be a man, cut off these outsides visits for the time being.RB responds..but how can this be FTJ, I have never heard anything about this raod, i dont even know how the project started, by the way in which province is Namwala, central or western province?
sata is going mad . . . .too much dobo!
RB is doing very fine. We are seeing what RB is doing and I am sure beneficiaries of roads are getting excited. Continue with your hard work H.E RB.
SATA benefited from the Choma- Namwala road .Let him tell us how much he and Kafupi stole from that project when they abandoned it after the late Hambayi bye election. For 10yrs SATA and Kafupi did nothing apart from enriching themselves.Kafupi at one time promised 2bn for for prevention of cattle diseases in southern province,the money was never released . SATA should learn to shut up some times. For RB let him not claim for any glory from the project coz there is completely nothing he did to deserve that glory
# 28- you are very right. bebize mudala
Wallow in your hatred and emotional distress Zambians and MMD have won big
Choma-Namwala Road is Something to be Appreciated
EVEN for the most extreme cynics, the completion of the Choma-Namwala Road is something that must be appreciated and lauded.
It is an achievement that all well meaning people should acknowledge because the value of service that it will provide goes beyond cheap partisan lines.
Just for the record, the Choma-Namwala Road has been on the work of administrations since independence and it is only the current Government led by Rupiah Banda that has managed to complete the project.
This is sign of the commitment by the Government that development will be taken to all parts of the country and political affiliation is not a consideration when implementing development projects.
Namwala MP Robbie Chizyuka also outlined several projects that were being implemented in the district and surrounding areas.
It is clear that this administration means business and will take development to the people even amidst malicious criticism from the opposition parties.
Hopefully the people who are the real beneficiaries will judge and separate those who are masters at cheap political rhetoric from those who have the interest of the people.
The people of Southern Province should Emulate Mbabala MP Emmanuel Hachipuka and Mr Chizyuka who have risen above partisan lines and worked with the Government.
The fruits of such co-operation with Government have been seen in Choma and Namwala and clearly United Party for National Development officials who have been condemning Mr Hachipuka must now be ashamed.
However it is not too late for them to change their attitude and work with the Government for the benefit of the people they are elected to represent.
SHIKULU, PLEASE JEALOUS DOWN. DON’T PANIC.WHY ALL THE NOISE.WHY GO FROM ONE RADIO STATION TO ANOTHER OVER RB’S VISIT.THERE IS SOMETHING WHICH YOU WANT TO HIDE.PUT THE BALL DOWN SHIKULU. THE GAME IS NOT OVER UNTIL IT IS OVER.
Sata is not capable of being a state president, HH should seriously consider abandoning this senior citizen. I had respect for Sata and hoped to give him a vote, but with these comments from him my vote will go to RB. There are many people who share my views in Monze , Choma and Namwala. Long live RB.
i cant see the future of our nation with people like most bloggers here…..lets argue with data. the question is, how much did this road cost? we find the answer to this question, we find the truth!! mmd is fond of using projects such this one to steal money. we are happy that the road has been completed but is it worth the money spent on it?
Inherently Sata hates the people of Southern, Western, North Western, Eastern, some parts of Luapula and the Northern such as Mpulungu, Muyombe. With his vuvuzela Mmembe they held incorrigible hatred for Iconic Corporate Executive Mwanamubotu Kambela Anderson Mazoka all the way into his Grave. He hates to see any tangible development in any party of Zambia or sons of Zambia from others parts excelling except those from his village. Not stunned with his bitterness with the Namwala infrastructure breakthrough.
“Meanwhile, Major Chizhyuka distributed a copy of a letter, which was written by PF resident Michael Sata then as national secretary of MMD to then president Frederick Chiluba that the late UPND president Anderson Mazoka should be made ineffective”.
““Mr Sata insulted the people of North-Western, Western, Southern and Eastern provinces hoping that one day he can be president by insulting others. You can’t be president by insulting others,”
“He has insulted everyone, he has insulted the people of North-Western, he has insulted you and he has insulted the President as an Easterner. It is not possible to be president by creating enemies,”
And speaking at the same rally, Major Chizhyuka reiterated that PF leader Michael Sata had insulted the Ila people of Southern Province by describing them as dogs in 2005 and that he had not apologised.
Maj Chizhyuka, who spoke in Ila, reiterated his call for Namwala people to reject UPND and its leader Hakainde Hichilema for associating himself with Mr Sata who had insulted the Ila people.
“Today, Mr Sata has not apologised to Chief Nalubamba, Musungwa and the Ila for insulting them.
“To see HH wanting to embrace Mr Sata today, it is at this point that I differ with HH. I told them that the pact is like ‘a Chilingalinga’ (a Tonga word for a snake with two) heads with no direction,” Major Chizhyuka said.
He said Zambians, particularly the people of Namwala, had a…
At the rally, Maj Chizhyuka distributed a copy of a letter, which was written by Mr Sata then as National Secretary of MMD to then president Frederick Chiluba that the late UPND president Anderson Mazoka should have been made ineffective.
He said he helped to found the UPND because he thought at the time the party would take development to Namwala.
He, however said President Banda had already done what needed to be done and urged the people of Namwala to support the ruling party.
Maj Chizhyuka also said the people of Namwala had given President Banda 21 head of cattle to appreciate his leadership and support for the area.
BA SATA WILL NEVER STOP AMAZING ME, HOW CAN HE FORGET THAT 20YRS AGO HEWAS THE CHIEF CONTROLLER OF MMD HIM AND FTJ NEVER TOOK DEVELOPMENT TO SOUTHERN PROVINCE DESPITE THE PROVINCE SUPORTING THEM 100%. THATS WHY TONGAS BECAME UPSET AND CHIEFS IN SOUTHERN PROVINCE SUMMONED MAZOKA TO RESIGN IN ANGLO AMERICAN TO FORM AN OPPOSITION TO THUGS MMD, IF SATA IS HAVING DEMENTIA LATE HIM CHECK HIS HISTORY HE WAS THE MAJOR CAUSE OF THE BIRTH OF UPDND. FTJ ,AND SATA AND ALFEYO HAMBAYI THEN MMD MBABALA MP MADE SURE THEY DIVERT RESOURCES FROM THIS ROAD INTO FUNDING MMD SO AS TO WEAKEN MAZOKA, SATA MUST BE NAIVE OR STUPID TO CHALLANGE RB ON THIS SCORE INSTEAD OF SUPPORTING HIM. THEY WERE USING THIS ROAD AS A POLITICAL TOOL TO WIN VOTES IN THE TWO DISTRICTS OF NAMWALA AND CHOMA
SATA MUST BE THE LAST PERSON TO CONDEM RB THE LIEAST HE CAN DO IS GIVE RB A CREDIT BECAUSE I REMEBER VERY WELL DURING SATA TENURE THEY DEVIATED RESOURCES FOR THIS ROAD TO FUND MMD BY THEN IT WAS BEN MWILA/CHRISTONE TEMBO WHO SUSPENDED THE TARING OF THIS ROAD FROM CHITONGO/NIKO AREA TO NAMWALA, BY THEN HAMBAYI PASSED AWAY AND UPND; HACHIPUKA WON THE ELECTIONS AND SATA AND KA CHILUBA DECIDED TO PUNISH PEOPLE OF NAMWALA AND CHOMA FOR VOTING IN THE OPPOSITION MP AND CHRISTONE TEMBO SUSPENDED THE ROAD AND THE CONTRACTOR GLINECKER PULLED OUT AFTER MMD DIRECTED THE FUNDS TO FUND THERE THIRD TERM BID. I HOPE I HAVE BRIEFED U BLOGGERS WHO ARE FOLLOWING SATA BLINDLY, THIS GUY IS A DANGER TO OUR DEMOCRACY WE ARE FAR MUCH BETTER WITH HH OR RB. SATA WILL NEVER EVER BE PRESIDENT WITH SUCH AN ATITUDE
Those people deserve that road because they pay tax the way any other does including Rupiah Banda. Actually, they delayed to complete that road because of Rupiah’s lack of vision anyway. This is an area where 70% of meat consumed in zambia comes from as such every reasonable Government need to put much concern. Whatever Rupiah can do in this land, he will never win any elections because many feel cheated by his promise. He promised to bring Magande in 2011 as instructed by Mwanawasa, but not only has he not implemented it he has gone a step further mistreating Magande by instructing his William Banda to beat him up in funerals, Shame on RB. You have to pay for this come 2011.
Those saying bad things about Sata should hang themselves first. Sata has the right to exercise his right to speak freely.