By Daimone Siulapwa

A few days ago, someone posted a link to a story which was published a few years ago by one leading private newspaper in which it really tore Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata to pieces accusing him of being unfit to run for the office of President, and how that he is capable of doing anything to get to State House.

However, one or two persons were not impressed with the posting, arguing that why focus on the past. Rather, what the two wanted discussed are new issues, and most importantly for them, the past does not matter. All they are interested in is change.

Change really!
How that word has come to be loved in Zambia since 1991. In fact, the word change this year has been used (abused) much the same way it was in 1991 during the transition from one party to multi-party State. In fact, a few people are likening this year’s elections to the ones that happened in 1991.

If that be the case, then does it not make sense that the mistakes of 1991 are not repeated this time around. Or unless Zambians are such gullible that they do not learn from their mistakes. The mistakes of 1991 are well documented, but just for the record, we the people of Zambia kicked out Dr Kenneth Kaunda and his United National Independence Party (UNIP) believing that we were being led to a land of milk and honey. But as subsequent events proved, this land was more or less similar to the one in hell or a land forsaken by God.

Question is, are the majority of Zambians prepared to go back to go that path again? Let us hope not. And if that is our hope, then the first thing we should do is to ensure that leaders are made to account for their actions, whether they committed them in the past or the present.

Any leader who has presided over the affairs of this country should account for his actions, this is irrespective of any political party, be it the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD), PF, UNIP, Liberal Progressive Party (ULP) and the United National Independence Party (UPND).

In any case, if we as individuals are made to account for our actions, be it at home or work, why should the same not be the case with politicians, who for most times, are the biggest liars. Like all elections, this year’s is about making choices as to which direction we want our country to go. In fact, it is about making choices for our children. What kind of a future are we bequeathing to our children, one without proper roads, hospitals, schools and employment? The choices are indeed ours to make.

Rightly so, the talk in this year’s elections should not only be about issues surrounding not only incumbents but those hoping to take their place, especially those that have been there before such as Michael Sata, Mbita Chitala, George Mpombo and Mike Mulongoti.

When an individual takes the initiative to run for public office, they must understand that they will be held accountable for their actions, whether they happened 10 or 20 years ago. Understandably, this has not been the case for Zambia in the past, the more reason why huge mistakes have been made. Had we taken time to scrutinize those that were running office in the 1991 elections, it is highly unlikely that the country would have found itself in a scenario such as that which was obtaining in 2001.
That is why those of us who were hurt with the happenings of public office between 1991 and 2001 should ensure that history does not repeat itself. We know what kind of promises were made to us, and how they lamentably failed to keep them without any shame whatsoever. KK had warned us about the people we were electing into office, but we ignored him to a point of insulting him by calling him all sorts of names. If he was not a Christian and Statesman that he is, he would today be laughing at us. But he is above such petty matters, and he can only wish us the best. And the best we can do is to not ignore his advice this time around. He has in the past warned us about certain leaders. And as such, let us not talk about change for the sake of it.

Should the PF be elected into office, will that be considered change? Is that the change that we can proudly talk about?

For some people, it hurts, but these are harsh facts that one has to live with.

Michael Sata, the PF leader was one of former President Dr Frederick Chiluba’s close confidante’s for close to 10 years and only fell out of favour when he was ignored as a presidential candidate for the MMD in 2001 in preference for Levy Mwanawasa.

And for the record, Mwanawasa resigned as republican president because Dr Chiluba was allegedly over-protecting the likes of Sata from prosecution for alleged corrupt practices.

The point simply is this, if the first 10 years under the MMD rule were so destructive, then Michael Chilufya Sata is part and parcel of that. He is the ink with which that 10 year history will be written. He served in very senior and influential positions including that of Minister of Local Government and Housing, Labour and Social Security, Health and Without Portfolio, effectively making him number three in the country.

Some people like calling him man of action, who performed exceptionally well in the positions that he served. Indeed man of action!

Where was he when council houses were being sold for peanuts thereby effectively killing our local government system? Where was he when our mines were being sold to Anglo-American and Binani only for these mines to either close or be put on liquidation?

Where was he when our health system was getting destroyed with the so-called health reforms that only succeeded in ushering a culture of transferring patients (politicians) to Morningside Hospital in South Africa? Where was he when the co-operative movement was being destroyed thereby effectively killing our peasant farmers who are responsible for feeding this nation? Where was he when this discriminatory Constitution was being enacted? Where was he when a law was being introduced in Parliament by then Minister of Legal Affairs Roger Chongwe to deny former UNIP leaders like Grey Zulu their dues thereby effectively rendering them destitute? Where was he when the Presidential Slush Fund was being introduced?

If indeed you want to pretend ignorant, assistance will be duly rendered. Michael Chilufya Sata was a Cabinet Minister, a senor one for that matter.

So, returning such a man to government with all his other weaknesses is what is called Change?

God help this poor country!
Broken promises made by politicians have become an expected outcome after they are elected. This must change.

Accountability is a term which some politicians like using but hardly want practiced on them. That said, we shall make them account for their actions, whether those in the past, present or future in this year’s elections.

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has sued the publisher of Stand Up for Zambia (SUFZ) News, Chanda Chimba III for allegedly publishing defamatory articles about him, including his sickness.

Mr Sata claimed he had been seriously injured in his character, credit and reputation and was demanding damages and an injunction restraining Mr Chimba and his servant or agents from distributing, circulating or selling the said tabloid until determination of the matter.

He said Mr Chimba’s publication alleged that his sicknesses had led to fears that he might not lead the country longer due to his serious medical condition.

In a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court yesterday, Mr Sata said the defamatory articles were under the headlines “Sata is a sick man”, “Close encounter with the Cobra” and “King Cobra spearheads homosexual campaigns”.

Mr Sata indicated that the first article stated that he was diagnosed with four threatening diseases in September 2009 after undergoing 22 different medical tests at a named clinic in Lusaka.

He said a tube was inserted to pump out some fluid around the heart as a consequence of his heavy smoking and that there were fears that even if he was elected as president, he would not lead the country for a long time because of the serious medical condition.

Mr Sata said the second article stated that he would make a dangerous leader should Zambians make a mistake of voting him into office because he was exceedingly tribal and a reckless dictator.

“That Mr Sata lacked any qualification to be head of State and his understanding of issues was limited to attacks, insults and lies,” he said.

Mr Sata said the third article indicated that his desperation for power had turned him into a pro-gay activist.

“Sata is desperate because the Orange Party in Taiwan which bankrolled his last three attempts at the presidency is out of power and is demanding back the money that they spent on him and the land and other things that he had promised.

“Following the loss of power of the Orange Party in Taiwan, Mr Sata has now turned to gay activists and countries that support homosexuality to fund his campaign so that in return he would enhance gay rights in Zambia.

”The PF leader said the article also indicated that he had promised to remove from the Statutes the sodomy and bestiality laws as contained in Chapter 87 section 155 of the Penal Code so that gay rights would be guaranteed and enshrined in Zambia.

Mr Sata said the articles in their natural and ordinary meaning were understood to mean that his health had considerably deteriorated, and that the Zambian electorate should not vote for the plaintiff in the forthcoming presidential election as he was unlikely to conclude his term of office due to poor health.

[Times of Zambia]

The United Party for National development (UPND) has charged that President Rupiah Banda’s regime has lost credibility in the eyes of Zambians and that no amount of damage control will change that perception.

Commenting on the formation of the MMD taskforce in Lusaka province aimed at winning support for President Banda ahead of the forthcoming tripartite elections, UPND Spokesperson Charles Kakoma described the idea of the taskforce as an exercise in futility.

Mr. Kakoma told Qfm that the formation of the MMD task force will not change the people’s perception of the MMD.
He says people are tired of the inefficiency of the MMD government and that nothing will stop Zambians from effecting the change of regime in this year’s elections.

And Mr. Kakoma has accused the MMD of using people purporting to be former high ranking UPND members in order to win support.

He says such political gimmicks will not work as the UPND is getting stronger every time the MMD announce fake defections.
[ QFM ]

PRESIDENT Banda has trashed allegations that he was involved in the US$98 million deal between Zambia National Building Society (ZNBS) and National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA) for the rehabilitation and upgrading of Society House.

Mr Banda told journalists in Lusaka yesterday that he had nothing to do with the deal.

He said as head of State, he is briefed before parastatals embark on such big projects but he has no role to play in tender processes because Zambia has procedures on public procurement.

“I don’t do things that way. In this country we have procedures but of course people say a lot of things.
And when I look at a project and approve it, the rest is up to the technocrats,” Mr Banda said.

He said this at Lusaka International Airport on arrival from Turkey where he had gone to attend the United Nations conference on least developed countries (LDCs).

Mr Banda said as head of State, he neither participates in nor interferes with tender procedures.

“I don’t participate in tender procedures. It is illegal for anyone to interfere with tender procedures just as it is illegal to interfere with the judiciary and Parliament. It is not right. You know this is life and somebody has to be accused,” he said.

Mr Banda said he saw the initial story carried by The Post and response from both ZNBS and NAPSA. He said what the two parastatals have said on the matter is the correct position.

Early this week, The Post alleged that the President was involved in awarding a US$ 98 million tender for the rehabilitation of society house to a Kenyan firm without following tender procedures.

But ZNBS and NAPSA dismissed the allegation and produced a copy of the advertisement for the tender.

The advertisement, issued by the Zambia Public Procurement Authority in the Zambia Daily Mail edition dated August 11, 2010, called for tender applications from interested parties.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has proved that he will be a danger to national security if entrusted with power to run the country going by his failure to uphold confidentiality in his own party.

Lusaka Province MMD task force spokesperson Chiwele Maimisa said it was not surprising that Mr Sata had been discovered by his own central committee members to cause confusion in the opposition party because the PF leader did the same way back during the days when he served as a constable in the colonial government in which he used to leak information leading to the arrest of Zambians.

And United Party for National Development (UPND) national youth chairperson, Joe Kalusa said Mr Sata was a danger to State security and should not be allowed to become Republican president after admitting that he had been personally leaking sensitive information against rival individuals in the country’s biggest opposition party.

On Wednesday, Mr Sata admitted that he had been leaking confidential information within the party’s central committee, saying he had been doing so to promote transparency.

Mr Sata also said he used to do the same when he was MMD national secretary.

Mr Maimisa said it was pleasing to note that Mr Sata had finally chosen to expose his true character of being a danger to national security and an untrustworthy person by admitting to leaking information which had in the end cracked his party hierarchy.

“It is not surprising that Mr Sata’s tricks have caught up with him because this is the man who used to report to the colonial masters every bit of information when others met to liberate the country.

“Zambians should be extremely careful with this man because the liberation he is talking about now may just mean taking the country back to his colonial masters going by the issues he went to advocate for during his recent trip to the United Kingdom,” he said.

Mr Maimisa said it was true that some PF Members of Parliament were currently disgruntled and were planning to leave the party, especially that Mr Sata did not seem to be set to go to the party national convention.

“In fact some MPs are now planning to petition the PF central committee to elect a person to be floated as a presidential candidate in this year’s elections because they feel Mr Sata is undemocratic and wants to continue imposing himself on the members,” Mr Maimisa said.

And Mr Kalusa said an opposition leader who admits having leaked information that is responsible for causing divisions among his leaders could plunge the country into chaos should he assume State power.

Mr Kalusa said even when UPND and PF ran the pact, Mr Sata leaked sensitive information to a private newspaper, a habit which showed lack of leadership skills. He warned Zambians that the country could degenerate into turmoil against other states should the PF leader become president.

He said Mr Sata should know that he would not become president of Zambia and that the challenge would only be between President Banda and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.

Mr Kalusa said the weaknesses that had exposed Mr Sata, including his support for homosexuality, should make the PF leader forget about becoming president of this country.

Mr Kalusa also said in his usual dictatorial way of running the party, Mr Sata whose party had failed to hold the national convention, recently appointed Rebby Chanda as PF Copperbelt provincial chairperson despite having been rejected by the PF members who attended the provincial conference in Mufulira, in preference for former Masaiti PF secretary Sturdy Mwale who had since been suspended for challenging Mr Sata’s preferred candidate and tribesman.

[Times of Zambia]

Dr Machungwa said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that those who supported MrSata have learnt a lesson and the divisions are likely to continue.

He was commenting on divisions which have rocked the opposition party.

“More members will leave the PF because of the bad leadership exhibited by Mr Sata. He will only remain with people who have accepted to be insulted and shouted at,” he said.

He said Mr Sata’s negative attitude towards his members will cost him in the 2011 elections.

Dr Machungwa said Mr Sata’s dictatorial leadership will force all good members to leave the PF.

And Committee of Citizens (CoC) executive director Gregory Chifire said the divisions in the PF are a sign of Mr Sata’s type of government should he be elected president.

Mr Chifire said Kafulafut amember of Parliament George Mpombo, former works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti and former ambassador to Libya Mbita Chitala have contributed to divisions in the PF.

He said the three individuals and Mr Sata practise ‘politics of lies and fabrications.’

Mr Chifire said Mr Sata is good at using people to advance his cause.

He said Zambians are not ready to vote for Mr Sata because he has never been democratically elected at a party convention.

Mr Chifire said Mr Sata’s support for gay rights will extensively divide the party. He said MrSata has nothing to offer and deliver to the people of Zambia as he lacks leadership qualities.

Mr Chifire urged PF members who are still reluctant to leave PF to do so as MrSata is just wasting their time.
[ Zambia Daily Mail ]