President Michael Sata has said some opposition political party leaders that are criticising his decision to appoint opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) to serve as deputy ministers lack understanding of what government was all about.
And President Sata has dismissed allegations that the Patriotic Front (PF) government was obliterating opposition political parties in the country.
He said those criticising the appointment of opposition Members of Parliament lack the understanding of what government was and the concept of inclusivity in the governance of the country.
“They must know that government is the instrument by which people cooperate together in order to achieve the common good. And an authority is needed to guide the energies of all towards the common good,” President Sata said.
Mr. Sata further explained that his administration will endeavour to have a government where all patriotic Zambians can participate in the governance and development of the country regardless of their political and other affiliation.
The President wondered why some opposition political party leaders were against his appointment of opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) to serve in the Patriotic Front (PF) government even when these parliamentarians were Zambians.
This is contained in a press statement released to the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Lusaka today by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, George Chellah.
“Why shouldn’t we appoint them to government positions when this government is also theirs? It is a government of all Zambians,” he said.
President Sata explained that the Patriotic Front was not an ordinary political party hence it was called a “Front” and not a party.
“And the rationale was that we wanted to create a front in which all Zambian patriots can participate in the governance and development of their country,” he said.
He added that, “for us, it doesn’t matter where one comes from, which organisation he belongs to, which political party he is registered with; as long as he is a patriot and wants to come to the front and serve the country and the people, they are welcome. We have many people in government who were politically not with us but are patriots and have joined to serve their country and their people”.
“So why should we prevent these MPs from coming to serve their country and their people? If these MPs are patriots who want to serve their country by joining government, why should somebody have a problem with that? If you are not a patriot, then you won’t understand what they are doing and you’ll have a problem with it,” he said.
He said people must know that government is an instrument by which people cooperate together in order to achieve the common good.
“Those holding their members captive by stopping them from serving their country are failures at leadership and do not have the interest of Zambians at heart,” he said.
And President Sata dismissed allegations that the PF government was obliterating the opposition political parties in the country.
“As government, we find such claims to be misplaced and deceitful. For example, when MMD decided to join forces with more than 15 ‘rebel’ PF Members of Parliament, did the opposition in Zambia die? The opposition in general and PF in particular never died on account of the MMD’s decision to collaborate with a large number of our MPs,” President Sata said.
He explained that it was in fact from that state of affairs that the PF emerged to form government in 2011.
“Let our colleagues in opposition pick a leaf from our vast political experience and become conscious to the reality that it is their responsibility to put their house in order and not the government’s,” he said.
President Sata has since thanked all political stakeholders who have chosen the interests of the Zambian people ahead of meaningless partisanship.
Since coming to power, President Sata has appointed a number of MMD and UPND Members of Parliament to serve in his administration as deputy minister in an effort to promote inclusiveness in the running of the country.
ZANIS
Spot on.The reason can`t get better than this.Do your game King Cobra.Politics are not for the faint hearted.
Four deputy ministers at the expense of money meant for your clinic, you cool with that you foool
@PF Killer…Insult all you want but that won`t make you appear intelligent.It actually shows not only your shallowness but also your inability to debate issues in a level headed way.
You have got to give credit to MCS for his political engineering. However, it is the cost of this engineering that is a concern. At the moment, MCSata has out smarted and punched his opponents into a tight corner! Truth be told, HH and NM have lessons to learn from this hard hitting veteran politician if they are to survive. Watch this space. And please, UPND and MMD dont insult me. I am non partisan but keen watcher of the political theatre and as of now the winner is MCSata.
You must be a fully fledged cretin.whats there to cheer abuse of funds.swinee!
@John Katebela.Where is your maturity brother? We know you can’t agree with everything around you but that shouldn’t make you to start using such language.High time you leant how to debate maturely.
what not appoint the whole UPND
The idea in itself is not bad but it is the agenda behind it which people are criticising.
It is not done in good faith. You mean you can’t see that?
If the punch out was an end in and of itself, we would cheer. But the punch out does not seem to amount to anything we pay taxes for. In essence, it is a waste of our money. So, we don’t cheer. Instead we gnash our teeth in anger, chew out our lips and spit blood.
We will see where this will end up in 2016.
phackeen rubbish…. they are playing with peoples lives and wasting tax payers money on by-elections.
Tell that to Hichilema who is chasing them.
@ kabudo
HH is not like CNP to live with feaces in the backyard
rubbish hypocrite, you are appointing opposition MPs and and the same time insulting their party and Leaders. According to the way this man thinks Zambian’s should have asked themselves whether someone who has failed to take care of his teeth can lead a nation.
Actually, I am beginning to believe there is a direct and tight connection between one’s oral hygiene and wit and general cleanliness. Most of the people I have come into contact with, that displayed a bad smile, happen to be nitwits, very dirty, and careless people. Huh!
Babombe mudala !
We have to really thank God for giving this country such a visionary, nationalist President. The President is a leader of all Zambians irrespective of political party, tribe or race and therefore he should work for the good of all Zambians. It is really pointless for UPND or MMD to hold the followers captive to visionless myopic tribal politics. President Sata is a transformational leader of our time who deliver Zambia to prosperity. All them jealous bitter bantustan politician should learn the art of politics. Viva Sata, Viva PF
Kindly open our eyes to the Vision your president will lead our country with. We see nothing and hear no hope in his voice. We sense hate and fear in his tone , he displays no love and unity and brings no development and wealth to our land. He has not kept promise to the men and women of the land . Hunger and suffering are the order of the day. so please SHUT UP for you know not what you say.
I totally agree with what the president has said.It is only by inclusiveness that we are going to move forward as a country.This will also ensure that the MMD policy of “if you dont support us you will not see development in your area” is burried.The governemnt is for “the people by the people” and not “governement is the party for the party”.From the way UPND are responding to the appointments of their MPs it is clear that if and if UPND formed goverment only southern province would benefit!!No guys lets be serious there is only one Zambia and we have to put our efforts together to develop it.What is wrong with UPND?
Did he allow the so-called inclusiveness when he was in opposition?
How quickly you forget about the rebel MPs (Machungwa and Co.) Which party did they belong too? Check Mate!
THEY CAN’T UNDERSTAND POLITIX. THEY ARE STILL IN NAPPIES AS UNDER FIVES. MAYBE CHIPIMO WHO HAS STARTED HIS OWN PARTY WILL MATURE INTO SUCH A LEVEL. NOT HH AND MUMBA WHO HAVE NEVER PIONEERED ANY POLITICAL PARTY. OR STUCK TO THEIR POLITICAL PARTIES. FIRST BAKASIYE KUVALA MA PAMPAS ABO BANANA.
Iwe chikkalah, read this comic carefully who would you say was the source of the puke.its chellah and its written in a very unproffessional manner.this man is mad
And those praising him already know that those are not his words but Chella’s. We all know what he sounds like. A bald head is a hereditary condition. Rotten teeth on the other hand……
So when Sata was criticising the MMD for not having a lean cabinet he did not understand how the gov’t worked? How can you wonder…. when you are clearly poaching opposition MPs? This man is delusional!!
Balimbe ba Opposition! basangile King Cobra aleteya.
Spot on Mr.President.This is what we want. A government for the people by the people.An inclusive government!!!!!
And why do we need more deputy ministers???? Tax payers money going to waste.Regretting ever encouraging pipo to vote for this govt.
Why thinkmof an inclusive government this late late hour long after 90 days, you want innocent people to be part of your failure to deliver mealie meal, water heatlth sercues and education tothe people, you thought you were wise, take your stinking Bemba tag to Muchinga , who wants you? Munyero kufipa. Stupid scrotum
PF is a ‘front’ and not a party? This is rich! Mr. President, I am beginning to wonder whether you understand the concept of party in power and party in opposition! Ruling party, opposition party, they are all part of the governance of this country and you can’t convince me that you are only a patriot if you agree to serve in the executive arm of government. You need opposition MPs to provide the checks and balances. Any by the way, what did you do to those PF MPs who agreed, not to serve in the executive, but to participate in a constitution-making process?
if mr sata means well then he shud appoint them to be ministers not d/ministers.for now he his playing politics of numbers.visionless president
US OBAMA HAS JUST APPOINTED HIS NEW SECRETARY OF DEFENSE OR MINISTER OF DEFENSE FROM ANOTHER PARTY, REPUBLICAN CHUCK HAGEL, WITHOUT OBAMA SEEKING PERMISSION FROM ANYONE.
HONOURABLES UPND MONDE AND MIYUTU, MPS FOR ITEZHI ITEZHI AND KALABO RESPECTIVELY, HAVE STATED THAT “THEIR INTEREST WAS TO SERVE THE PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT. THEIR CONSTITUENCIES NEEDED SOMEONE WHO COULD WORK FOR THEM, REPRESENT THEM EFFECTIVELY IN ANY CAPACITY”.
WHY DID HH NOT DECLINE AN INVITATION FROM CHILUBA, TO SERVE IN THAT SANGWAPO JOB WHICH MADE HIM AN INSTANT MILLIONAIRE?
So if Obama appoints 10 republican senators into his government, all shall be well? It’s a long-established tradition that only one is appointed and they usually all go to Defence. Why? Because Republicans are traditionally strong there – William Cohen by Bill Clinton and now Chuck Hagel by Obama. That’s it, rational appointments, not this directionless, irrational decimation of the opposition.
Our late President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa made Sata popular by remanding him in prison for 40 days all because of bad advice he was getting from Mmembe and Nchito who had a bone to chew with Sata at the time.Mmembe went to Levy and told him that he had evidence that send Sata rot in jail and Levy was quick to buy that and remember Levy also had a bone to grind with Sata that started along time when both of them served under FTJ.Little did Levy realise that he was marketing Sata and by the time all the charges against Sata failed to materialise because Xavier refused to testify against Sata alot of damage had already been done and Sata was a hero.This is what is happening to HH,Mmembe is using Sata to fight HH but Sata does not know that he is marketing HH the way Levy marketed him.
Misuse of power and resources. This old man is a bully.
Dear Bloggers, kindly dedicate all public holidays to praising the president whether you mean it or not. Please the big man and his followers for a day. You can revert to normal sensible contributions after the public holidays.
We appreciate your efforts mr. President but u cannot force copperation with the people that do not want at the expense of national resources through by elections. You mr. President should ensure that does not happen, serving the interest of zambians also entails protecting its financial resources and not to carelessly make manoeuvre that will waste resources of this country, as a patriotic zambian, it hurts my heart mr. President, please mean well as we want you to succeed and leave a legacy that us and many more to be born will u as a model for a better zambia that time when you will not be no more.
It’s totally ironic and implausible to see the president now advocating for elements of democracy that he once took against. If I may remind the president, in case his mind is being consumed by amnesia or dementia. Is it not you Mr. President who took mmd to court for infusing some of your member of parliament into the mmd cabinet? One can only speculate the abrupt transformation.
UPND Rebels! Who coined the word Rebels MPs in Zambia?
Well done and said Mr. President. Govt like any other entity needs best brains to serve the nation regardless of party of affiliation and wherever that brain may be lying idle. By appointing these opposition MPs into govt you are not committing any crime unless you were recruiting them into PF which the law forbids to cross the floor. Even then, it is still a case of Damnum Sine Injuria. Debate of appointing ministers from outside the ruling party should be history because our fellow Africans like Kenya are already a step ahead of us by forming the cabinet outside parliament. The stage at which we are, we have to learn to live out of box and inspire our opposition leaders to accept the reality. Why expel these obedient servants of the nation? Diversity is bigger than any party/individual.
It takes two to tango. If UPND and MMD had people of integrity, PF would not succeed in luring them.
Well done and said Mr. President. Govt like any other entity needs best brains to serve the nation regardless of party of affiliation and wherever that brain may be lying idle. By appointing these opposition MPs into govt you are not committing any crime unless you were recruiting them into PF which the law forbids to cross the floor. Even then, it is still a case of Damnum Sine Injuria. Debate of appointing ministers from outside the ruling party should be history because our fellow Africans like Kenya are already a step ahead of us by forming the cabinet outside parliament. The stage at which we are, we have to learn to live out of box and inspire our opposition leaders to accept the reality. Why expel these obedient servants of the nation? Diversity is bigger than any party/individual.
@CHIBWE
YOUR POSITION AS SECRETARY GENERAL OF YOUR PARTY WAS AS DIRECTIONLESS. WHICH THINKING MORTAL WOULD JOIN A CLUB WHERE HE IS ALWAYS REMINDED THAT HE WILL NEVER ASSUME THE TOP MOST RANK IN THE CLUB HOWEVER HE IS GOOD COS OF HIS TRIBE!
MINISTER OF DEFENSE PANNETA WAS NOT REPUBLICAN. THEY ARE APPOINTMENT COS OF THEIR VIEWS WHICH IN MOST CASES ARE IN LINE WITH THE PRESIDENT’S THINKING.
THE OBJECTION TO APPOINTMENTS TO CABINET POSITIONS BY YOUR PARTY IS DRIVEN BY HATRED OF THE TRIBE AND NOT BASED ON PRINCIPLE.
I AM GLAD YU HAVE ADMITTED THAT NEARLY ALL POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS ARE “STRATEGIC”.
this mubobo he called his mp as rebels wen they serve in mmd goverment is a crook and not to be trusted
The bottom line is that its the worst kind of misuse of our meagre resources in order to archive sata’s personal agenda. Sata he did not allow his mps to work with the govt of the day he called them rebel mps. What has changed today
Ladies and gentlemen, I see nothing wrong with the President appointing opposition MPs to serve in GRZ. The constitution allows him. please understand that according to our current constitution, the president can only appoint Ministers and Deputy ministers from MPs and this limits his choice to those few elected Honorables- in our case, he has to form government from 140 MPs. If he were to limit himself to members of PF in Parliament, that even complicates his choice. please understand that with the current numbers of PF MPs in parliament, it is impossible to get the cream to serve in GRZ. When we have a new constitution which will permit the president to appoint cabinet from outside parliament, the president will not have to appoint opposition MPs because he will have 13 million of us.
If Ukwa Sata wants inclusive govt why does he not appoint them in cabinet posts than deputies where they just sit and daydream like KK’s governors in the Ministry of decenterization.
sata new name is … a broken record or BR
This is unbelievable hypocrisy .
On Feb. 28 2007 Lusaka Mayor Susan Nakazwe was suspended from PF for receiving Chinese President Hu. Quote: Guy Scott- ” She is going. I will be very surprised if she remains in the party.Unless President Sata who is out of the country has gone for a brain transplant and he comes back a soft man”
On arrival at the airport . Quote: MC Sata- ” Some disciplined Councillors were doing civic duty, they were saying civic duty, what civic duty? what comes first PF or civic duties? The choice is yours , choose now. People with one leg in comfort and the other in the struggle will have to go.”
EXPLAIN TO US how can you have 1 PS who doses the actual work with 2 or 3 deputy Minsters and a Minister. These ministries are Top Heavy . PRESS CONFERENCE…
CADRES its now time u shud realise dat this world is divided into two rooms. One for the devilish ppo like politicians and the other is for religious ppo. CADRES 1st try to luk at urselves u r nt even ashamed of urselves.
U r owas insultin,fightin,killin,dividin etc. Politics make an educated person to luk a fool coz zed politics is dominated by uneducated,old(retired),power hungry,bitter,tribal,kaponyas.
UPND supporters don’t seem to know what they want. Almost all the UPND MPs are Tongas and yet we have UPND supporters who complain about bembas being appointed to government positions at the same time condenming the appointment of UPND MPs to government position. Can we decide what we want? I wasted my vote on HH. we Tongas are not likely to produce a president anytime soon because of our mentality or am I the only tonga who can see that because I did not grow up in southern Province?
Listen to brains like indiginous Zambian.Ubwikute tabucita kasuma weciti ntula ilinso.