PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has argued that his government is
committed towards the fight against corruption, contrary to perceptions from the
public that the vice had become rampant since he assumed the presidency.
And President Banda revealed that he was almost beginning to believe people that
are going around saying that his government is doing nothing.
Speaking to journalists at Lusaka City airport shortly before departure for
Southern Province, President Banda said those who were saying government was not
serious over the fight against corruption were just politicking.
“We are against corruption and we have put the law in place to fight against
corruption. If they are talking about the issue of Mr Frederick Chiluba, these
matters are in court.
They have been in court for a long time and that is what is spoiling these
issues in our country. When a matter goes to court then we should wait until we
hear from them,” President Banda said.
“And now they have ruled the way they have done, it is up to people to decide
what they want to do next. But as far as we are concerned we listen to the court
even when they rule against us. Many times court rulings are against the
government, you know that and we accept it.”
President Banda said the nation could not fight corruption unless the judiciary
was allowed to “handle these matters. So the issue of Mr Chiluba is being
handled by the court, and we think that we should not be involved in making
comments about it,” he said.
On gender deputy minister Lucy Changwe, President Banda said: “It was not the
government. You see the problem in Zambia is that everything is government. If
two people are fighting in Kalingalinga I don’t know anything about it. He
pointing at Vice-President George Kunda doesn’t know anything about it. But the
law says people should not destroy each other, they should not burn people’s
property. So they deal with them.”
President Banda said he did not have to tell the police what to do.
He said it was for the police to act if somebody broke the law.
“I don’t talk to them about it. You will prove this as we go forward that we are
a very correct government. And I wonder what kind of country we would have if
the opposition parties were in power because they seem to believe that the
government must give directives on everything,” President Banda said.
“There is the judiciary; there is DEC Drug Enforcement Commission. They are
handled by them, not us. And my Vice-President is just a victim; it is me they
are after.”
On plans by civil society organisations to petition Parliament over the National
Constitutional Conference (NCC) draft constitution, President Banda said they
were free to go ahead.
“Again I have nothing to do with that. This is their country, it is my country.
So if they think they are right let them go ahead and petition,” he said.
President Banda also said the benefits to come from the Choma-Namwala road were
already there.
He said the road lasted 20 years without completion, but government had now
completed it.
President Banda said government had built new bridges and a secondary school for
girls.
“So the MP has asked us to come…the benefit is that the people around can now
move with their products to Choma, to the rest of the country much easier than
they did before. And it is not only there, all over the country we are building
these roads,” said President Banda.
“We want to open them properly so that the people will know that the government
is working very hard to open up this country.”
And addressing a sparse crowd of MMD cadres, government officials and commercial
farmers that came to receive him on his arrival at Choma airstrip yesterday
morning, President Banda said Zambians will remember him in 10 years time.
He said although he may not be there then, Zambians would remember him because
in a decade’s time the country would be much more developed than it had ever
been.
President Banda who initially said he did not want to discuss politics said he
was in the province to celebrate the completion of the Choma-Namwala road.
“I won’t discuss politics with you but I want to say how grateful we are to see
you,” President Banda said.
“All of you who have come to receive us give us great strength as the
government, meaning that you endorse what we are doing in making every effort to
reconstruct our road system.”
President Banda said he had been in politics for all these years together with
Munkombwe, MMD parliamentary chief whip Vernon Mwaanga and others who were their
age mates and that the road from Choma to Namwala had always been a song and
prayer from the people of the area.
“Please fix our road and we have fixed it. Even the one in front of us from
Lusaka to Livingstone is completed. We have finished it. We do not just talk,”
President Banda said.
“I did not come for a meeting today. I was coming to see the road because I was
beginning to believe those who are going around peddling lies that this
government is doing nothing. If building roads is doing nothing we are going to
build more nothings.”
President Banda said he had come to celebrate the new road and the many other
roads that he claims his government had build around the country, with the
people of Choma.
“We want to have more and more of these good things for the people,” he said.
“We will be coming. We are going to keep coming as long as we do something good
we are going to come.”
President Banda said his development agenda was for all Zambians regardless
where they came from or even the political party they were affiliated to.
“Our duty is to unite all Zambians,” President Banda said. “You must feel free
to go to any part of this country to do what you like as long as it is within
the laws of this country.”
President Banda, who pronounced the One Zambia One Nation motto, urged the
people of Choma not allow anybody for whatever reason to separate them from this
national slogan.
“We realize we are national leaders. We are leaders for all…I am President for
all Zambians,” President Banda said.
“I don’t sleep over you. My concern is whatever you need is supplied regardless
where you come from.”
President Banda said people in his government were very much aware of their duty
to the people of Zambia.
“We are proud that we recognize our responsibility to all Zambians,” President
Banda said. “We are your servants. That is why we don’t rest.”
Earlier MMD provincial chairman Solomon Muzyamba said it was good that the party
had something to show to the people through the completion of the Namwala-Choma
road, even as President Banda was visiting the area.
Muzyamba said Choma had a very important political history and that the ruling
party was delighted that President Banda opted to visit the district at this
time.
He said through the completion of the road project, President Banda had done
what all the past presidents had failed to do.
“Southern Province has agreed that the MMD should be supported, so in 2008 you
won in Southern Province. We got a lot of votes,” Muzyamba said.
“It is a blessing that at the time you have come people have something to show.
Choma-Namwala road is a political road. All the past presidents failed to
complete it but because of your policies today you have come to show us that it
is possible.”
And Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe said rebels within the ruling
party would find themselves swimming in the mud during the MMD convention if
they fail to play the political game properly.
Munkombwe said he was delighted that the Choma-Namwala road had been completed
and President Banda was going there to specifically see the beauty of his
effort.
“…to see that you have attracted investors in this country,” said Munkombwe as
he threw his arms allover. “The Bible says, ‘you shall know them by the fruits
they bear’. You will be known because of the fruits you have borne.”
Munkombwe said the road was going to be a link road from Choma to Namwala,
Central Province and Western Province.
“This is not our show. Today it is your show,” Munkombwe said.
Munkombwe then said the MMD would be going to the convention and he assured a
smiling President Banda that he would win at the convention.
“We will not go to the convention in order to accommodate rebels. We will not
beg them, we will not apologise to them,” said Munkombwe.
“If they don’t play the game in a proper political swimming pool they will find
themselves swimming in the mud.”
Shortly, before President Banda’s plane touched down at Choma airstrip, Choma
district commissioner Laiven Apuleni had to cajole a paltry size of singing MMD
cadres to enhance their singing tempo so that President Banda would find a
thunderous welcome as he touched down.
“I expect our party cadres and officials to increase the momentum on this music
so that when the President arrives he will find a thunderous welcome,” Apuleni
urged.
Realising the paltriness of the MMD cadres that came to welcome President Banda,
the masters of ceremony had to ask a crowd comprising mostly children that were
curiously watching a Zambia Air Force (ZAF) plane on which the advance party
came to get closer to the addressing dais.
Some people in the crowd save for the few MMD cadres immediately in front of the
addressing dais, remained non-committal in acknowledging most of President
Banda’s remarks.
A group of marketers displayed a banner demanding for land to build a modern
market in the district whilst on the other hand they were assuring President
Banda that come next year they would vote for him. These formed part of the few
acknowledgers of President Banda’s sentiments.
However, President Banda thanked all the people that left their busy schedules
in order to receive him at the airstrip.
President Banda is scheduled to visit Choma, Itezhi-tezhi and Namwala districts
over a two-day period.
Source: http://www.postzambia.com
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