PF IN A COLD SWEAT – RB

BY SUFZ STAFF

President Rupiah Banda has said the opposition are now panicking over the development projects that government was undertaking countrywide and has expressed disappointment that the Patriotic Front (PF) had decided to bar journalists from covering the opposition party’s “shame convention.”

Addressing a mammoth rally attended by thousands of Kabwe residents at Comet Grounds in Kabwe’s  makululu area on Friday July 22 President Banda said the opposition were now accusing him of being Malawian because they were panicking.

“They are lying that I come from Malawi, what has happened now.  Since 1964 I have been a leader so why would they want to lie now?  They are feeling the impact,” he said.

He said instead of name calling the opposition, particularly the PF should also tell Zambians what they had done.  He said similarly Zambians should judge the MMD government on their policies and what they had done for the country.  “You must judge us on whether we have kept the promise to give our people fertiliser, have we ensured that Zambia is self sufficient.  We have ensured that we have enough food,” he said.  President Banda said the MMD was determined to defend the gains the Zambian people had made through the government policies in the last few years. 

He said he would continue to empower Zambians with land, houses and creating employment opportunities because the MMD government had a social contract with the people to make their lives better.  He said the government would continue working towards growing the economy so that employment opportunities could be created for Zambians.

“We want to continue growing the economy; we want to continue building more schools from primary up to university level.  We want to make sure that our youths have employment opportunities.

“We are doing this by encouraging both foreign and local investors in various sectors of the economy,” he said.  The President said the MMD government would ensure that Zambia continued to enjoy the peace she was enjoying allowing Zambians to remain united.  He said the MMD would in this year’s elections campaign on the basis of what they had done for the Zambian people.  “We want you to ask us what they had done whether we have built schools, hospitals and roads.  And i think that we have started doing all that,” he said.  President Banda said the MMD government had found the formula for developing the country and that Zambians should vote for the party during this year’s elections.

He said during the last three years that he has been in office; he together with his colleagues in the party had worked hard to ensure that the country was rebuilt.

He said some opposition leaders had criticised the government when government started working on the Livingstone – Chililabombwe road.  “The opposition started questioning what we were working on the roads for.

You wonder what kind of leaders they are who do not want development,” he said.  The president said the economy was growing as evidenced by the number of vehicles and houses that people were building.  He said the government would continue to encourage Zambians to own houses and property.

“The MMD has decided to go flat out to empower Zambians with land and houses because Zambians deserve decent accommodation.  So people are accusing me of politicking when i am empowering Zambians, you have to work for the people if you want them to vote for you,” he said.

He said he had a contract with the Zambian people.  He said as President he had ensured that democracy was maintained in the party and in the country as a whole.

Meanwhile President Banda expressed disappointment that the Patriotic Front (PF) had barred the public media from covering their convention.

“Wherever I address a meeting I allow all the media even those that insult us but what are they hiding?”  He said.  During the same rally 300 PF members from Bwacha constituency defected to join the MMD while 167 members from the UPND joined the ruling party.  The President called on the MMD members to embrace the people that had joined the party.