postzambia

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday observed that President Rupiah Banda's instruction to immediately mobilise funds for main roads like the Mutanda-Chavuma in North Western Province is part of official systematic rigging.

And UPND president Hakainde Hichilema said much as the construction of roads was important and welcome, President Banda's corrupt mind was at work once again.

Reacting to President Banda's directive to finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane to immediately mobilise additional funds for the construction of main roads throughout the country, Sata described President Banda's act as a desperate attempt to hoodwink the people of North Western Province to vote for the MMD in the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election.

“Mr Banda is using the same old gimmick of UNIP, and the old gimmick of MMD because, for example, there is a by-election in Mufumbwe, then somebody says 'we are going to look for money, we have hired three contractors to finish the tarring of Mutanda-Chavuma road'.

Where have they been? Where have they found the money all of a sudden?” Sata asked. “Is that not part of rigging? This is part of official systematic rigging.

And Luwingu road is as old as MMD government itself, former president Frederick Chiluba survived 10 years without finishing Kasama-Luwingu-Mansa road; late president Levy Mwanawasa seven years without doing anything on Kasama-Luwingu-Mansa road and Rupiah Banda is just playing with it…nobody talks about Kasama-Mporokoso-Kaputa road.”

Sata said President Banda was talking about the development of other roads to cover up for the current works on the Chipata-Mfuwe road, which passes through his farm.

“It has already brought political upheaval in Eastern Province where major roads like Chipata-Chadiza, Katete-Chadiza have been ignored,” he said.

Sata said people were already aware of the desperate moves from the government because these schemes were applied in Kasama and Kapoche where they sent graders to work on the roads during campaigns, and were withdrawn immediately after the by-elections.

“We remember the sugar-daddy in Milanzi, so this is just an eye opener, people of Zambia must open their eyes,” said Sata. “There is a lot more that is going to happen. Money will come from heaven where they are going to spend between now and 28th April 2010 and after 28th of April they will forget about it.”

And Hichilema said the rehabilitation of the Mutanda-Chavuma road was not President Banda's main interest.

He said chiefs in North Western Province recently threatened not to vote for the MMD if the Mutanda-Chavuma road was not tarred.

“While I think it is important that first Zambia gets the road network improved, I think that is important development, there is no question about that. Mutanda-Chavuma road is extremely important. It is a road that has been going on forever, 20 years, even more… I am sure he can also raise money for the Bottom road which they have been cheating people for 20 years,” Hichilema said.

“But the reason he President Banda is doing that, on one hand whilst it's important that the road is done, but the main reason Rupiah Banda is doing that is simply to buy the votes of the people in those areas.

You are aware that I think some chiefs in North Western Province said 'if the Mutanda-Chavuma road is not tarred completely, they will not vote for the MMD'. I am sure you remember those statements. So really looking at Rupiah Banda's mentality, for him, yes, the roads are important, but for him it's mainly to see if he can buy votes.”

Hichilema said rehabilitation works on the roads being talked about by the government were long overdue.

However, he said people were entitled to good roads and they should not feel indebted to the MMD by giving them a vote.

He said the MMD had failed to work on those roads for over 20 years and they wanted to work on them in an election year.

Hichilema said the plans to commence works on the said roads were also an opportunity for the MMD government to award contracts to their friends and children's friends without following proper tender procedures.
He said the MMD and corruption were inseparable.

“So for them it is actually a fundraising exercise rather than more of helping the people. But I want to say the roads must be done and the roads must be done in an efficient manner, in the manner that the contract must be transparent so the corruption we have seen in Zamtel, we have seen in oil procurement does not prevail in the issuance of contracts,” Hichilema said.

“We want a full disclosure of where the money is coming from so that the people of Zambia are not having to pay for expensive roads as they are paying K40 million per borehole…but after the roads, we want to make sure that people have fertiliser…if you look at a lot of roads that are being done under MMD, you find that a kilometre costs almost twice the price.”

Hichilema said the UPND were experiencing violence on their camps in Mufumbwe but police and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) had failed to do anything over the matter.

“MMD know they will lose the election, they are collecting names of dead people from Mufumbwe Hospital and issuing new National Registration Cards in the name of the dead. Even the people that have relocated, they are making sure that they find a way of making those people vote in absentia,” said Hichilema.

“So what should people like us be doing? Should we just be watching? No, we are going to do everything to stop that, and we will not tolerate anybody saying we are being difficult, because the democratic right of the people of Zambia is being taken away. We reserve the right to do anything we want.”

President Banda was quoted in Monday's Daily Mail as having instructed Dr Musokotwane to immediately mobilize extra money from bilateral and multilateral institutions, specifically for the road sector.

He also directed works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti to mobilize contracts to ensure that the construction of key roads in the country was completed this year.

President Banda said he specifically wanted to see the completion of the Mutanda-Chavuma, Choma-Chitongo-Namwala roads in Southern Province and the Kasama-Luwingu road in Northern Province.