THE MANGANI DEFECTION SAGA....PF SAID HE WAS CORRUPT.

BY SUFZ CORRESPONDENT

Recent political events have been very interesting and they have left many with several unanswered questions.

Former works and supply deputy minister Lameck Mangani resigned from the MMD and joined the Patriotic Front (PF).

One of his reasons for resigning is that MMD has been in power for 20 years and that when there is a serious competitor is that chances of a political party winning an election after 20 years in power were minimal.  But the real reasons for his “defection” are obvious.

First of all, he did not take President Banda’s decision to demote him graciously.  In 2010 President Banda dropped Mr. Mangani as home affairs minister on account of incompetence.

President Banda disclosed that he has demoted Mangani because he had become too open to abuse.  He was too exposed and people began to take advantage of him thereby endangering national security.

He said Mangani was not ready to work as Minister of Home affairs describing the ministry as a difficult one.

“If I am satisfied that a minister is not performing up to the standards that he should especially in your ministry, I have no choice but to move.  You have to protect yourselves.”  So it is obvious that Mr. Mangani has had a bone to chew with President Banda but he decided to gloss over the frustration and put on a brave face for a while.

Following his demotion, there were a number of reactions from politicians such as PF president Michael Sata and PF Kabwata MP Given Lubinda who alleged that Mr. Mangani was demoted because he was a liability and was a corrupt politician.

Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) President Edith Nawakwi said Mangani should be reported to the police if he had done any wrong that led to his demotion. Mr. Sata said he was a liability to the government.

“The whole point is that we have been vindicated that he has more liabilities than assets,” Sata said. And then the PF spokesperson Lubinda said that Zambians were at liberty to speculate that President Banda demoted Mangani for Corruption.

“What Mr. Banda has done is to transfer a compromised man, an exposed man; a man who doesn’t have a stiff backbone from home affairs to Science, Technology and Vocational Training.  It’s transfer of problems,” Lubinda said.

“We as society will be at liberty to speculate that Mr. Mangani acted in an improper manner or that he is corrupt because Mr. Banda’s statement insinuates that Mangani was exposed to corruption, to nepotism, to impropriety, to ineptitude or to failure to perform?  If he is willing to tolerate his deputy ministers who are corrupt, it points at him that he is condoning corruption.”

Now that Mr. Mangani has defected to PF, Mr. Sata has embraced him without any qualms and in his usual style he showed no shame.

A few months ago, Mr. Sata and his party machinery were busy denouncing Mr. Mangani as being corrupt and incompetent.  But today he is the darling of the PF, what a turn around, just like the Cobra of the course!

Nawakwi observed that President Banda was reaping the results of having appointed inexperienced people to cabinet.  She said Mr. Magani’s attacks at the time on perceived political opponents of President Banda were meant to disguise his own wrong doing.

She retaliated that she had warned president Banda not to appoint inexperienced people to ministerial posts but he did not heed the advice.

“I think you will recall that I said that some of these people the president he is employing have never actually worked in any office.  He exposes people to a serious ministry like home affairs,” she said. “Ministry of home affairs is about internal security, about looking after the armoury of this republic.  How can the president give that ministry to someone just because he needs a job?  That is what you get.  You get what you put in.”

Nawakwi said corruption in the ministry of Home Affairs had led to the increase of illegal immigrants in Zambia.

The other reason for Mr. Mangani’s defection was his suspicion that he might not be adopted for the Chipata seat on the MMD ticket.

Going by his own admission, he said he heard rumours that President Banda was looking for a candidate for the constituency and feared that he might not be adopted, forcing him to look for an alternative party.

“After I found out that it was true, I concluded that here there is a problem of trust.  The trust between me and my president is broken.  There is no confidence and I felt so vulnerable that i cannot continue under those circumstances.   So, I had to look for other alternatives.  Hence the decision to resign from the MMD,” he explained.

But we now know that from the MMD Eastern Province from the MMD Eastern Province Chairman Kennedy Zulu that Mr. Mangani fanned the violence in the Mfumbwe parliamentary by-election last year.  Zulu revealed that he orchestrated the violence.

So, it would seem that he has a violent character just like Mr. Sata wwho was the architect of violence in Chawama by arming MMD thugs with machets and guns to hack opponents when he was MMD national secretary.

Mr. Mangani has said the MMD should have reported him to police when he was still in the party if the allegations are true.

The former deputy minister is also heavily in debt and he has failed to pay rentals for his house in Chipata, a matter that has attracted the legal suit.

We are beginning to know his true character.  He cannot even manage to pay house rentals amounting to K37 million.  This is according to a write of summons filed in the Chipata High Court by the Tobacco board of Zambia (TBZ).

The TBZ is demanding immediate possession of the house at Plot. 1463 Umodzi Highway in Chipata.

The TBZ claim indicates that Mr. Mangani has rent arrears from 2009 and he has ignored several demands to settle the outstanding amounts and has not expressed interest to renew the lease agreement which expired on 31st December, 2010.

It was also interesting to hear Mr. Sata say in Chipata that his prime interest was to serve the people of Zambia and not to enter State House.  Like it happens in every election, Namakando is giving Mr. Sata exaggerated media coverage creating the impression that the PF is overtaking the MMD in terms of popularity in the country.

When he featured on Feel Free Radio later he was emphatic that going to State House was not his main pre-occupation but that he was more interested to leave a better Zambia.

But during the 2006 and 2008 election, Sata was busy harassing the secretary to the Cabinet demanding to be sworn in even before the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) finished counting ballots!

What can someone call that action or behaviour?  Definitely, his pre-occupation is not serving the people but to get into State House!

This is because he envies the President and he is worried that since he is in the twilight of his life, this will be the last chance to give it another try.

His selfish desire to force his way into State House was manifested then.

He even attempted to discredit the sale of houses to sitting tenants.  What a shallow mind!

DEMOCRACY FAILS IN PF ADOPTIONS

By SUFZ Correspondent

The Patriotic Front (PF) which since inception faced difficulties in finding candidates for parliamentary and local government seats during general elections finds itself in yet another dilemma.

This time the problem has been caused by the PF's unelected leader Michael Sata imposing of candidates who are unpopular on the ground. If there is anything that Mr. Sata fears, it is to be surrounded by credible and intelligent people. This was clear from the people he handpicked to be in his Central Committee at a poorly organised General Conference in Kabwe. Mr. Sata is also said to be sidelining high caliber candidates who had applied to stand on the PF ticket. He prefers relatives and tribesmen and women. Unlike the MMD which has adopted professionals from a cross-section of society ranging from public administrators, medical doctors, lawyers, accountants to business people, the PF has opted to fill its structures with Mr. Sata's bootlickers. This only strengthens the view that PF was formed by one person who wants to go to State House without any set of ideas to develop the country. In essence this is the main reason the UPND/PF Pact failed because UPND always emphasised the development of an economic programme before choosing the pact leader while PF emphasised on who should be president of the PACT.

PF gravitates and is centred on one person who if he was not there, the entire party would not be there. Hence, even the adoption process is based on Sata's preferences.

Although he has told the grassroots to interview people, none of the interviewed will be adopted. For instance in Munali Constituency of Lusaka, Nkandu Luo who did not attend the interviews is poised to be adopted leaving out the candidate preferred by the grassroots structures.

The youths in Munali are up in arms and have threatened to defect to MMD because of these undemocratic tendencies by Mr. Sata. The Patriotic Front in Isoka district, Northern Province have equally rejected a Caritas Mpika employee the party has imposed on Isoka West Constituency as parliamentary candidate. Other PF applicants in Isoka district have now petitioned their president and the national secretariat over irregularities in the adoption of candidates in Northern Province.  In Matero constituency, Mr. Sata is poised to feature his nephew Mr. Miles   Sampa who   is   a   former director at Finance Bank during the now embattled Dr. Rajah Mahtani chairmanship of the Bank.

This again proves how PF is undemocratic in all its operations and tries to hoodwink the electorate. Many political observers have indicated that because of the poor process of adopting candidates, the PF will lose to MMD by a big margin because it is as incorrigible and arrogant as its leader. It is therefore logical that the MMD will win this year's Presidential elections without problems. It is even shocking that a party that has always failed to field 150 candidates and several councilors always claims that elections are rigged. The PF has been a bad loser because whenever they lose they find an excuse to blame others for their failures.

How can a party that has failed to field all candidates expect to win national elections?

In 2001, it only fielded less than 30 candidates at parliamentary level and claimed that it won those elections. In 2006 it only fielded less than 99 candidates and still claim to be a big party.

PF cannot win elections anywhere which is why even their internal elections are flawed. The Central Committee is not elected but selected by one person who also selected himself without being subjected to elections contrary to the provision of party constitution which is clear that all structures of the party shall be elected.

If a party cannot exercise internal democracy, how can it exercise democracy at the national level? It is a shame for PF in its current form to even mention the word democracy, as it adheres to no democratic principles whatsoever. Lack of democracy is self destructive because where there is no democracy there are no systems and no rule of law but the rule of men. Individuals matter more than institutions and legalities.

Individuals are prone to error while systems are not. This explains why the PF is a diminishing entity; its life span is based on one person whose agenda is to go to State House. When PF loses the forthcoming election, it will be no more.

 

Mr. Sata has run out of ideas; there is no message to tell the people that he has cheated over a long period of time. It should not be surprising that Mr. Sata has been failing to address meetings, his rallies only last for fifteen minutes after that it becomes difficult for him to say anything else. Some people have said that his radio programmes and rallies have been becoming shorter and shorter because of his poor health. While that may be true, he has equally run out of ideas.

THE WEEKLY POST – DECEMBER 11, 1992 BY FRED M’MEMBE

CAN YOU REMEMBER?

BAROTSE AGREEMNET IS A VARIANCE WITH MODERN POLITICAL ORDER

THE WEEKLY POST – DECEMBER 11, 1992 BY FRED M’MEMBE

The debate on the Barotseland agreement 1964 has been on for some weeks now, with media coverage centring mainly on those advocating for its restoration.

Our politicians, including some of the most vocal ones, have been reluctant to make their positions known on the issue, and among the few who have come out openly for the restoration of the agreement is Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika, the movement for multi-party democracy (MMD), member of Parliament for Mongu Central.

Vice President Levy Mwanawasa might have summed the government’s position when he said that the advocacy for the restoration of the agreement were free to take the matter to court, but whatever the decision the court makes would have to be respected by both parties.

Most prominent citizens have refused to comment on the matter openly arguing that their honest comments may appear to threaten national unity.

The Barotse Agreement was a product of political expediency to have Northern Rhodesia to proceed to independence as one country and that all its peoples should be one nation.  Taking into account the civil war which was ragging in the Congo, national unity was a necessity.

There is an urgent need to review our system of provincial governance.  The history of Zambia over the last 28 years on independence shows that the governance of the provinces have never been looked at critically or even discussed. 

Economic development of the provinces, especially the rural ones has not only stagnated by declined and has resulted in the unstoppable drifts to the urban provinces of skilled young men and women.  If this trend is not stopped, the future of the rural provinces is bleak.

An appropriate system of provincial governance needs to be found which can enhance and advance democracy and development and make the young men and women have a meaningful participation in the economic and political life of not only the district councils in which they reside but the provinces as well. 

A survey last June by the weekly Post on how provinces should be governed showed that people wanted more independent administration of the provinces by elected officials and not by deputy minister appointed at the centres.

The Barotseland Agreement authorises and empowers the Litunga, an unelected person, after consultation with his council, to make laws for Barotseland and be the principal local authority for the government and administration of Barotseland.

This system is clearly undemocratic.  It might have made sense in 1964 when the issue at hand was independent and not necessarily democracy.  It will negate the political achievement the people of Zambia have made to date.  For whatever national unity consideration, the Barotseland agreement cannot be restored at the expense of democratic ideals.  Democracy is a more important national ideal to strive for than national unity.  The latter is not the human ideal; it is a matter of political expedience in the struggle for political power.

 The case for the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement has been based on the failure to appreciate that the price of modern political order is calculated on the basis of democracy and human rights, and not obscure customs of convenience.

The political, cultural and economic interests of the people of Western province are far too complex and by far larger than similar interests of the Lozi Royal establishment, the Litunga and his councils and the Indunas combined.  Failure to realise this constitutes part of the explanation why those advocating for the restoration of this Agreement are prepared to waste time and energies on a dead issue which if honoured will only save to restrict rather than broaden democracy in Western Province.

It is negative conservatism to assume and believe that the Litunga and his Council and the Lozi Royal Establishment can have the final and perpetual solution to all the problems of Western Province. Such conservatism has no existential basis.

I hope the MMD government will not make the same mistake the United National Independence Party (UNIP) made of abandoning the goal of the struggle for democracy in favour of an ill-defined quest for national unity.  The people of Western Province like those of all other provinces of Zambia need a better system of Provincial government than they are currently subjected to but definitely not the restoration of the out of tune and outdated Barotseland Agreement monarch type of provincial government.

The issue of concern now is not the issue of the Barotseland Agreement by the advancement of democracy for the whole country.  This is where time and energy should be directed.

WHY FOREIGN RECEIVER? ASK EX-ZAMBIAN AIRWAYS WORKERS?

by SUFZ Reporter

Some former employees of the defunct Zambian Airways have accused Post Editor in Chief Fred Namakando M’membe, Mutembo Nchito and Nchima Nchito of deliberately appointing a foreign receiver so that they could disadvantage organisations and individuals that the company owed.

And Finance bank Zambia had instructed SNB legal Practitioners to demand US 4, 208, 938. 28 from Mines Air Services limited trading as Zambian Airways outstanding balance on accounts held by the defunct company.  Employees of the defunct airline which is equally under investigations by investigative wings told SUFZ news that the directors had deliberately appointed a foreign receiver Mr. Kieran Day a Kenyan to disadvantage the people owed by the company.

“We think it was deliberate the Directors to have appointed a foreign receiver because they knew it would be difficult for people to reach him.

Infact we are interested to see how this debt demand by FBZ will proceed because there is no record or minute to show that there was a resolution that they should guarantee the loan.

“There was so much dirt going on in that company” said the employees who sought anonymity.

Meanwhile FBZ has instructed SBN Legal practitioners to formerly demand US $4, 208,938.28 outstanding balances from the defunct airline liquidator of Kenya to be paid within 10 days.

According to a demand letter addressed to Mr. Day and obtained by SUFZ news, FBZ is demanding the outstanding amount.

“We have retained as advocates for Finance Bank Zambia Limited (FBZ) in the matter.  “FBZ has instructed us to formally demand for Mines Air Services Limited T/A Zambian Airways (in receivership) due payment of US$4,208,938.28 outstanding balance on account held by Mines Air Services Limited T/A Zambian Airways,” reads the letter dated July, 20 and signed by Mr. Sunday Nkonde. The debt is made up of US$2, 096,846.68 accrued through ESCROW Fuel account and US$ 5, 112, 095.60 on the main account.

ONCE MORE, M’MEMBE SPLOTS IN VAIN

BY SUFZ STAFF

Post Newspaper Editor in Chief Fred Namakando M’membe has directed senior management staff at the institution to ensure that they “do” everything they can to ensure that the MMD loses this year’s elections if the paper is to survive.

During a recent management meeting at the Bwinjimfumu offices chaired by Mr. namakando M’membe senior editorial staff were directed to ensure that they exploit to the maximum the opportunity presented by the differences between President Rupiah Banda and his friends like Sebastian Zulu and George Chabwera.

“We are told that we must ensure that we fight the MMD.  He (Fred) told us that we must not blink because we had taken a suicidal stance to endorse the PF and Mr. Sata.  In fact he was saying that if the PF loses then we are in trouble as a newspaper.

“So he has directed that we must make sure that reporters speak to Mr. Zulu and Dr. Chabwera and portray a picture that Eastern Province had gone to PF.  There is so much desperation he can even see how he panics on editorial comments,” one of the senior managers said.

The manager, who sought anonymity for fear of victimisation, complained that Mr. M’membe was unfairly treating them and using the newspaper for his personal political gains.

“On one hand he will always be bragging that he has nothing to lose because he has made so much money while on the other hand he says we need to fight this government.  The newspaper is now run from Farmers house (The PF Secretariat) before we run a story reporters have to be dispatched to Mr. Sata’s office to get a comment.

“Some of us feel it’s enough and we are just waiting for these elections to move on with our lives for we are being treated like kids who do not know what we want.  Imagine the man has the audacity sometimes to insult some tribes! it looks like the most important thing for him now is to push for a bemba, his auntie (Mrs. Inonge Wina) is just being used,” said the source. 

During the same meeting Mr. M’membe directed that Mr. Amos Malupenga should immediately get the accounts department to prepare funds for a reporter Roy Haabalu to travel to Western Province.

“The statement by the President on the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) did not seem to be very welcome to Fred and Mr. Sata.  The idea is to ensure that we painted the MMD black to the people in the Western Province so that they can vote for PF so when the statement was issued by State House immediately we had to dispatch a reporter to counter.  The other Reporter Mwala Kalaluka who had gone for the Mututwa funeral was recalled,” said the source.

The senior manager said he felt pity for the young reporters who are being used for Fred’s personal political interests.  “ I pity those young reporters whose names are being tarnished some of who are so ill-qualified that they can never work anywhere else if they lost their jobs at the Post today,” said the source.

PF RESORTS TO BRIBES IN LAMBALAND

BY SUFZ CORRESPONDENT

A plot by the Patriotic Front (PF) to win over the Lamba vote has suffered a setback through the airing of a recent episode of the widely watched TV Programme ‘Stand up Zambia’ which showed the PF leader Michael Sata insulting the late President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa.

Sources have revealed that many locals of the Copperbelt rural are incensed with the PF who are attempting to use the influence of the Baptist Church to infiltrate the area.  The PF turned to the church when they saw that they were not making any headway with the chiefs who have openly declared support for RB and the MMD.

Sources further revealed that the PF is busy strategising on how to approach the church because a number of local church leaders are said to be pro-MMD.

The PF wants to lure the Lambas using the church through all sorts of offers including the promise to field Lamba candidates in all the Copperbelt seats.  The Lambas are incensed with the PF which has a habit of using churches as campaign tools.

The PF is targeting the Lamba vote to help to cover up the loss the party has suffered in Luapula due to their blunders over the funeral of former president F.J.T Chiluba.  The one who is heading this campaign is a local businessman who is busy attending funerals and buying coffins.  The named businessman, a Mr. Mwale who runs a lodge has also promised to sponsor an air ticket to enable sick chief travel to Nigeria for prayers in Nigeria in return for his support for the PF.

But the locals are standing together with their chiefs who have endorsed RB and are grateful for the Stand Up for Zambia program for reminding them what sort of man Sata really is.  The Copperbelt vote has become an important factor ever since the late levy Patrick Mwanawasa become president.  He was born of a Lenje father and a Lamba mother.  But Levy was widely accepted as a Lamba because he grew up on the Copperbelt and spoke Lamba most of the time.

DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY THE SERPENT – MUTETEKA

BY SUFZ STAFF

Former local government and housing Deputy Minister Moses Muteteka has said Zambians should not be deceived by the patriotic front (PF) leader Michael Sata because he has no vision except for his pre-occupation to enter State House.

Mr. Muteteka who is also MMD national youth chairman said in Lusaka that the only reason why the opposition leader had left the MMD was because he was not adopted as its presidential candidate by the late President Frederick Chiluba.

“If he was selected as the candidate he would still have been singing praises of the party.  The man has no vision for the country except wanting to go to State House.

“This is the same man who was busy singing praises for the party so Zambians should not waste their time and votes on him because all he wants is to be president,” he said.

Mr. Muteteka said it was for this reason that the opposition was failing to articulate his vision because all he wants is State House.

“The PF is failing to explain to the Zambian people what they want to do.”  That is the more reason why the MMD will win this year’s elections,” He said.  He said the MMD had demonstrated that it had the people at heart as demonstrated by the various development projects the government had undertaken in the last three years under President Rupiah Banda.

Mr. Muteteka urged the Zambian people to vote for the MMD in this year’s elections.

He said the MMD had given Zambians the best parliamentary candidates.

“I would like to urge the youths to ensure that they vote for the MMD and President Banda so that government can continue with the development projects,” he said.

Meanwhile MMD National Secretary Major Richard Kachingwe has said the party would not rescind its decisions on the candidates.

Maj. Kachingwe said the party had consulted with the grassroots and that those that had been adopted were the best.
“So many factors were taken into consideration when adopting the candidates these are people that will ensure the party wins,” he said.