Vice President Rupiah Banda has asked the people of Zambia to be vigilant on
individuals that were bent on retarding development in the country.
Mr. Banda said every individual citizens must exercise vigilance and jealously guard the public infrastructure against vandalism and also ensure that public funds were used for the right purpose.
He said it was only vigilant people that would help accelerate developmental projects and programmes in the country, especially the rural areas.
Mr. Banda was speaking today when he addressed a political rally at Kamjoma in Chief Manjawanthu’s area in Petauke district.
He is on a campaign trail for the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) candidate, Fashion Phiri in the Kapoche by-election. The Kapoche seat became
vacant after the High Court nullified MMD Member of Parliament’s election, Nicholas Phiri.
The Vice President said for development to take place in the country, there must be collective responsibility from both rural and urban citizens in implementing poverty reduction programmes, using public resources and taking care of the public infrastructure.
Mr. Banda, who is accompanied by among many others, MMD Deputy National Secretary, Richard Kachingwe and Eastern Province MMD Chairman, Lameck Mangani, said the current government was resolved to improve the social welfare of rural people.
He said previous regimes under UNIP and MMD under former President Frederick Chiluba had ignored rural areas, noting that President Mwanawasa’s government decided to provide attractive social services to all areas of the country.
He further said already, a lot of economic sectors that have a direct bearing on the development of rural areas have been revived by the Mwanawasa administration, an indication that there was commitment.
He cited mining and agriculture as some of the sectors that have recorded huge successes in the Mwanawasa regime.
He said the government was now able to collect a lot of money as tax to treasury from such sectors, hence it has managed to start rehabilitating schools, health centres and providing boreholes in rural areas.
Mr. Banda stressed that the people of Kapoche should elect an MP from the ruling party because it would be easier for him to have access to funds meant
for development.
He said the people of Kapoche should not vote for propagandist opposition political parties, some of which have quarrelsome and sarcastic leaders.
The Vice President stated that all other candidates, apart from professor Phiri, in the June 5, Kapoche by-election were representing parties, whose records
were unsatisfactory.
He emphasized that the people of Kapoche should allow government to concretize the programmes it has started by continuing to vote for MMD candidates.
The Vice President also paid a courtesy call on Chieftainess Mwanjawanthu.
Mr. Banda is expected to wind up his campaign to drum up support for professor Phiri, tomorrow.
Other candidates in the by-election are Charles Banda of FDD, Mike Tembo for the Patriotic Front, Sarah Zulu for the All People’s Congress and Levison Mumba standing under UNIP.
Mr. R. Banda is an old poliician who knows little of what he is saying and also tryinng to buy the people of Kapoche. How can you say that unless you vote MMD thats when the people will access the funds for development. MMD stole the votes in the previous election as shown by the courts. SO DONT VOTE FOR MMD AGIAN IN KAPOCHE.
The GOVT thru the VEEP has FINALLY CONFIRMED THAT THEY DELIBERATELY DON’T DEVELOP AREAS WHERE THEY HAVE NO SEATS!! This is a proclamation by a GOVT which boasts of tackling CORRUPTION – IF THIS ISN’T BROAD- DAYLIGHT CORRUPTION ,what does one call it??? ANTI- CORRUPTION COMMISSION there you have it – can you please swiftly dispatch with this case. If I was the opposition, I’d now save my energies for the next by-election after the nullification of this one, upon it being brought to court, or alternatively get the ELECTORAL COMMISSION to prosecute VEEP for ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN/ELECTORAL PRACTICE! This is the problem of recycling politicians who have served beyond their sell-by-dates! Not only that, but who still maintain a very fresh “post-colonial†mentality!! LPM for all your clamouring to be an upstanding statesman who doesn’t tolerate any form of corruption, you really have to act on this one. This is why the new constitution is being held back, the current outdated political mentality!!