SATA/POST STRATEGY OF GOING NEGATIVE BACKFIRES!

Voter turnout low in Lusaka and Cooperbelt, Rural Provinces better than expected!

Early returns that our reaching us are suggesting that the Sata/Post campaign strategy of going negative with personal attacks on MMD candidate Rupiah Banda has backfired against them. Conducting a negative campaign, such as the recent Sata campaign, carry a huge risk. Negative campaigns tend to suppress voter turnout. This is especially true in the case in more rural and affluent electorate. In 2006, Sata’s support was clearly in those two provinces.

Sata has already begun crying crocodile on AlJazzera, and for that matter anyone else that will listen to him. He is suggesting that somehow this election has been manipulated at his expense. Nothing could be further from the truth! What is becoming infinitely clear is that Sata and his mates over at the Post have been a bunch of numpties and have sabotaged their own campaign! Sata, you have no one else to blame but yourself!

ITS TIME TO KILL THE COBRA!

Dear Readers,

It has been a interesting month in the lead up to the elections. Thank you for all of your support and comments - we have one last thing to ask from you:

Go out and vote tomorrow! Take your family, your uncles and aunts and your neighbours - fill up your cars with people and take them to the polling stations. Your vote is a right and it has been given to you so that you can improve your lives.

Whoever you vote for HH, Rupiah Banda or Miyande - remember to select the candidate who will continue taking Zambia forward. As economic crises loom globally, now is the time to choose someone who will be sensible, someone who wants the best for the country not just for themselves.

Get out there...vote and together lets make sure Sata doesn't win!!

The Kusila Kwa Cobra Team

Leave Religion Out of Politics

Yesterday's PF mouthpiece The Post newspaper reported Sata as saying that God had sanctioned a change of government and that he had Divine support to be President.

Zambia is a deeply religious nation and they will not look kindly on an old desperate politician claiming God is on his side. Such claims of those of desperate man who knows he will not win on Thursday. Sata's words are almost blasphemous and he should be condemned by all religious leaders in Zambia. Since when did God support political parties in any country, Zambia would be the first.

If God is supporting the life and times of Sata then why did he give him a heart attack in April? No Mr Sata you cannot have it both ways, God does not support you.

When it comes to politics God is impartial and woe betide any scheming politician who uses His name in vain.

Sata: A Terrorist

As the election day draws near, tensions are mounting.

One topic the Kusila Kwa Cobra team has heard repeated in conversationson the streets of Lusaka, Livingstone and in the Copperbelt; is the worry that with total disregard of the actual results, Sata will declare himself victor.

An outsider would wonder why people are concerned about this, when it is certainly likely to be another free and fair election - due to the continued efforts of ECZ and the number of impartial observers already in Zambia.

But such concerns as not unfounded, as many of you had heard the stories about Sata in the 2006 elections. We have spoken to people who were there at the time and can confirm that it was all true.

A day after the elections Sata, with his motley collection of heavies, pushed their way in to the court house. Threating the staff there, he declared himself the true winner of the election and the next President of the Republic of Zambia.

At that particular moment he wanted just two things; to change the inaugeration ceremony from the usual venue of the court to Independence Stadium. And he also demanded the complete list of all the acting civil servants so that he could start compiling his new government.

One can only wonder with horror, what other orders he would have given over the next 24 hours if his grand designs had not been disproved by H.E. Mwanawasa and the election observers. And his dreams of ruling the country had not been taken away from him by the true democratic decision of our voters.

But the good news is that the world is watching Sata, and this time they know what kind of slippery snake they are dealing with. The Terrorism Research Centre has already posted a blog warning the international community about his possible reaction this week to the results (http://www.terrorism.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=93584)

Over the last century, we have watched dictators and terrorist destroy the hopes and ambitions of entire nations in a matter of years. We can not allow Zambia to be tricked in to believing that Sata will achieve anything positive for the country.

This man has not changed - Sata is ignorant, rude, violent, uneducated and now he has been identified as a potential terrorist! Protect yourselves and your family on Thursday; ensure that you and the people you know DO NOT VOTE PF.

POLL

Far too often in Africa, polling is a misunderstood art. Either politicians reject the polls for being inaccurate or expect the outcome of an election to follow exactly the poll. Opinion polls shouldn’t be viewed either way. The way opinion polls need to be regarded, is as a snap-shot of what people are thinking of on the day the questions were asked.

In the case of the recently released opinion poll by the Steadman Group, there are a couple things to keep in mind. The Steadman poll was in the field from October 10-15. As the old saying goes, a week is a long time in politics. It is usually in the last fortnight of the election campaign is when the electorate truly begin to firm up their choices.

The other thing that must be kept in mind in regards to the Steadman poll is there are some real oddities that must be taken in consideration when judging the validity of the poll. When the poll is broken down by region there are several questions that arise. For example, in the poll, Steadman has Rupiah Banda ahead of Michael Sata in Sata’s heartland of Lusaka.

It is also worth questioning how the poll put Michael Sata is doing as well as suggested in the Western Province, a region that the late President, HE Levy Mwanawasa did exceedingly well in 2006.

To anyone following Zambian elections over the past 8 years, most would find it hard to believe either that Michael Sata would be able to win the Zambian presidency without taking Lusaka or on the contrary that Rupiah Banda would win in Lusaka, but not win the election.

So, what conclusions can be drawn then from the poll? The answer is that it is hard to tell with polls.

However, as another old saying goes, there is only one poll that means anything and that is the one on Election Day.

Sata's Plan

Michael Sata continues his attack on the reputation of the Election Commission of Zambia and again accuses them of preparing to rig the forthcoming election.

His tirade is nothing more than a desperate attempt to inflate the expectations of his cadre and bait them in to reacting violently when (and not if) he loses the presidential by-election.

This is hardly a new tactic for a politician who has built his reputation by being a bully! If anyone needs a reminder of Sata’s past tactical thinking, they just need to review this BBC article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5396884.stm) and look at these photos to remind themselves of the sort of thing that the PF candidate is planning.

The Sata strategy is one that is employed when a candidate knows he is going to lose the election, but wants to unfairly affect the outcome through a program of intimidation once the results are announced. Normally this strategy would be expected to have little potential success but recent events around Africa, namely the elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe, prompt concerns. Because their election results were set aside and an ‘Africa Solution to an African problem’ was negotiated through mediation. It is not by accident that recent stories have been placed in our media trying to set the expectation that a Kenya or Zimbabwe government of national unity will be necessary after the election.

The actions of Sata and his followers have not gone unnoticed, as reports in today’s paper have stated. The Inspector General of the Police, Ephraim Mateyo has summoned the Anti-Rigging of Zambia president, Kelvin Bwalya to report to police headquarters or face arrest. The Inspector General intends to warn the Sata supporter that stern action will be taken against those who continue to make statements of their intent to take power through unconstitutional means.

This is actually what the Sata campaign is attempting to do and is something that Zambians need to be aware of, it is your duty to spread this message; the Zambian people do not want a coup d’etat, they want a smooth transition and a true democratic election to find someone to fulfill the Late President’s term.

Treason

Often, when politicians make a statement we, the electorate, tend to ignore the words that are being spoken.This is especially true during campaign period, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘silly season’! This is the time when politicians seem to want to promise us the world, knowing full well that they could never deliver on these pledges. Yet we take no notice of these empty vows and continue to vote for them.

However ever, once in a while a politician makes a remark that we all need to sit up and take notice of. Michael Sata has just made just such a comment. This weekend Sata announced that there would be no elections in 2011 for president, because he feels that the 30th October by-election will give the winner (whom he thinks will be himself) a full term to serve for five years.

This statement is tantamount to treason!

If Sata were to carry out his demand and extend his term beyond the mandated period of time as set out in Article 88(6) of the constitution, he would be committing a treasonous act by orchestrating a coup d’etat.

One of the many reasons why this statement is so concerning is that this is not the first time the PF Presidential candidate has shown scant regard for the Zambian constitution. In 2001 it was Sata that proposed that President Chiluba disregard the term limits set in the constitution, amend the bill of rights and run for a third term. Thankfully the constitution withstood this ill-thought out and dangerous challenge. But what other attacks would our fundamental principles have to endure if Sata were to be elected president?

What Sata’s comment demonstrates is that he truly represents the old style African politician. African history in the post-colonial period has been rife with leaders who have disregarded their nation’s constitution, rejected the rule of law and presided over their country with total impunity. Since 1991 and even more so since 2001, Zambia and its people have fought to be a nation based on the rule of law, where all citizens are equally protected and not only those who are part of a certain politician’s cadre. This is something that we as a nation we should be very proud of and something we should defend.

Michael Sata represents the bad old days of history, to bring such a dated politician in to power after several years of great progress in Zambia would provide another yet example of how the promise of a nation can be taken single handedly by an individual’s ego and greed!

Constitutional Reform – An Electoral Perspective

Why are we having this election? Think about it. No, your first answer is wrong. It is not because Levy Mwanawasa died.

It is because our constitution does not allow for a Vice-President to take over and complete the term in office. In Zambia Vice-President’s are chosen after Election Day, so have no electoral mandate themselves. This is exactly why we are now holding this by-election; Rupiah Banda needs a mandate from the people to govern. This Constitutional deficiency has given people like Sata and HH another chance at getting elected – for them this loophole in the Constitution is a gift.

In America the Republicans have John McCain and Sarah Palin on their ‘ticket’. The Democrat’s ‘ticket’ is Barak Obama and Joe Biden. When JFK was assassinated in Dallas Vice-President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as President on the plane back to Washington. So within hours America had a new President. Government continued and although the American nation was in mourning it was not in crisis. When Richard Nixon was forced to resign over the Watergate scandal Vice-President Gerald Ford took over with immediate effect.

Had our constitution allowed for Rupiah Banda to be sworn in as President the Zambia would be in the same situation. We would not have to be spending billions of Kwacha on printing ballot papers and other paraphernalia required to hold an election. So when this is all over can we please get back to reviewing the Constitution. Can we please change the law so that a Vice-Presidential candidate is known before polling day? Let that person also have an electoral mandate to run the country in the event of the untimely demise of the President.

Choosing a suitable running mate will tell the people a lot about the Presidential wannabee. We would be able to compare the ‘tickets’ of the parties involved and we would know exactly how genuine they are about the political agendas. Mind you it is worth remembering that Sata tried to change the Constitution in favour of a Chiluba third term – perish the thought. Had he succeeded we would not have this Constitutional crisis; we would be living in a dictatorship.

Zambia Must Not Sleepwalk Into An Electoral Nightmare

With ten days to go all three parties are conducting the usual campaign trail travels. UPND is targeting the Southern Province, Lusaka and to a degree the Copperbelt. PF are concentrating on Lusaka, Copperbelt and occasionally visit places like Northern Province. It looks like the MMD is the only party conducting a national campaign. As you would expect allegations and counter-allegations are being made.

All candidates are saying only they have the solution to our countries problems and we have to vote for them, and so on. So all in all it is business as normal; in that respect Zambian politics is actually quite healthy.

Where the differences do appear, and quite starkly, is on how they are predicting the outcome. We hear the usual “…hard battle ahead but we are confident we will win” sort of lines from the relevant spokesmen. What is interesting is that PF, and more recently UPND seem resigned to defeat. How else can one explain the allegations of vote-rigging, predicted electoral corruption and impending malfeasance? Similar allegations were made following the last election in 2006, and readers may well remember the violence and rioting by PF cadres. This time around the allegations are being made well before polling day, why?

The answer lies in the question ‘Do PF themselves think they can win?’ The apparent answer is ‘no’. The considered opinion is that PF, knowing it cannot win has looked to recent events in Zimbabwe and Kenya for an electoral solution. PF strategists have concluded they cannot win an outright victory so the only option available is to get into government by stealth. Such strategy and such talk is defeatist and begs the question, “Why is PF in the running at all?”

The answer can be found in Kenya and Zimbabwe. In both cases the winner of the majority vote was robbed by the second place candidate. Both Raila Odinga and Morgan Tsvangerai should be President’s of their respective countries, but they are not. The real victims in all of this are not the politicians themselves but the voters of Kenya and Zimbabwe, not forgetting democracy itself. If our democracy is hijacked in this way then it is us, the Zambian people who will have been robbed.

Our country will enter into uncharted territory; how would a MMD/PF coalition actually work, how long would it be before there is a split and we are once again going to the voting stations? Can you really see HH in government? What position would Guy Scott hold? Would Sata really be prepared to go as No. 2 to Rupiah Banda?

Many of these scenarios are too ludicrous even to contemplate. Already we see that the Zimbabwe ‘coalition’ falling apart – actually it cannot fall apart as it never really got going in the first place. The prospects are not good for that country. The message is this: Zambia must not sleepwalk into an electoral nightmare.

Zambia has a healthy and well respected democratic history. It is to be remembered that the PF allegations of 2006 were proved to be unfounded by both the Zambian Electoral Commission and the International Observers who oversaw the elections. If any political party has fears of impending electoral malpractice it should go directly to the Electoral Commission, SADC Observers and EU Electoral Mission and voice its concerns. To create political mischief and make allegations from the sidelines damages not only themselves but also Zambia as a nation, and that would be wrong.

BREAKING NEWS: Why Is the Post Being So Vicious?

BREAKING NEWS:

Over the last month a shift has taken place at the Zambian Post, it coincided with Zambian officials announcing the need for a by-election to select a President to stand for the remainder of the term left open by the recent death of HE Levy Mwanawasa. The Post, a long time supporter of the late President has switched sides. They chose not to endorse the Acting President, Rupiah Banda; rather they threw their support behind the challenger Michael Sata.

This shift seems even stranger when you consider the fact that for many years the Post has vehemently and consistently attacked Michael Sata for being a charlatan, a crook and a thief. The reason for this sudden reversal was the fact that Post has financial problems. Zambian Airways is owned by The Post (30%), along with a subsidiary of Seaboard (National Milling Corporation) (12.5%) and JCN Holdings (57.5%).

Their relations are even closer than they seem, as inquiries discovered that the chairman of National Milling is also the chairman of Zambian Airways and furthermore sits on the board of the Post. Zambian Airways are in serious financial trouble - this is no secret. They are in arrears to the Airport Corporation at a rate of about $225,000 US a month. The extent of their financial difficulty was demonstrated recently when Zambian Airways had to announce they needed to cut back their flights, suspending their Lusaka to Mfuwe service.

The Post initially supported the MMD, but expected the Finance Minister, Peter Ng’andu Magande to win the nomination. Magande had been sympathetic to a bailout plan for the doomed airline. However, when Rupiah Banda secured the MMD nomination, the Post’s position did a complete about turn and they began their unprecedented and mainly unfounded attacks. This was because Rupiah Banda has supported the position proposed by Transport Minister Dora Siliya, proposing a business based solution rather than a government bailout.

It is rumored that a deal has been struck with the opposition candidate and the Zambian Airways Group. In return for this deal to bail them out after the election, the Post has jettisoned all sense of fair journalist practice and started an unmitigated smear campaign against the Acting President Rupiah Banda. Banda has filed for and has been granted an injunction against the Post, but this has had little effect in curbing the newspaper from continuing their unethical campaign to defame and discredit his character.

An unknown in this ongoing and incestuous saga, is the position of the American conglomerate Seaboard. Are they complicit in their shareholders, Zambian Airways and the Post’s attempts to manipulate the outcome in the upcoming presidential election? Until now, Seaboard has been conspicuously silent on the issue. Their Corporate Social Responsibility should, one would think, implore them to make their position on this issue clear.

If a situation like this arose in the current presidential election campaign in the United States, would Seaboard sit by and be as mute on the subject as they are here, in Zambia?

Cobra Finally Showing Us What He Would Do If Elected!

Sata’s campaign for the by-election to choose a President who can serve the remainder of the late HE Levy Mwanawasa’s term has, for far too long, been dominated by the Post newspapers attempted character assassination of the MMD candidate and Acting President Rupiah Banda.

What has been missing is a proper discussion on the issues. At last it looks like the hyperbole is settling down and Sata is going to give us a proper look at his positions on the issues. Now the electorate may finally have the necessary information in order judge which candidate to choose, based on what they stand for. A good example of what a Sata presidency might look like came in a recent campaign declaration, whereby Michael Sata announced that if elected he would force foreign companies to set aside 25% of their investment for locals. At first glance this may seem like a good idea. But what would the long term effect of this policy be?

There seems to be general consensus in Zambia that the economy has been doing well for the past 7 years. The key to that success, was recognition by the late President Mwanawasa that economic prosperity in the modern world is based on a countries ability to attract foreign investment.

The astute President understood that foreign investment was a fickle bedfellow, much like the fairytale goose that lays the golden egg. With both the goose and foreign investment, if you squeeze either too hard then they will stop laying for you. Sata’s proposal to force 25% religuishment of international inward business, is an action that will squeeze Zambia dry of foreign investment.

There is no doubt that Sata is a populist politician, trying to get votes by making promises that will be impossible to deliver. However this policy is also sending a message to the greater world as to the type of people that a Sata presidency will be seeking and taking advice from. This policy is taken from one of his great political hero’s Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe.

The same Robert Mugabe, that has steered his country to almost total economic collapse and a world record inflation rate of over a trillion percent. After the recent economic success and growth in our country, Zambian voters may not think that a Zimbabwe meltdown is possible here. But remember; Zimbabwe was once the breadbasket of Southern Africa and in only a few short years has become the basket case!

PROTECT ZED - DON'T VOTE SATA!

Canadian Journalist Tries To Hide Sata Bribe Scandal

Kusila Kwa Cobra reported recently that Michael Sata was at Yatsani Radio station handing out K50,000 notes to people. One of their intern staff, Ms Eliasha Stokes reported these illegal actions on a website called Journalists for Human Rights.

Ms Stokes now wants to have her work removed, Kusila Kwa Cobra will consider her request. Her blog has subsquently been removed from the Journalists for Human Rights website; maybe they spotted the hypocrisy of her story? When you see what she has written then you will see why. Ms Stokes letter to us can be found under the story called 'Sata Exposed for Bribing Journalists’. Kusila Kwa Cobra’s reply to Ms Stokes is here:

Ms Stokes,

Thank you for contacting me via the Kusila Kwa Cobra website. You did not leave your email details so this is the only way I can communicate with you. This is of course a very public forum and its contents may be picked up by other journalists, newspapers, radios etc, so I choose my words carefully.

I do not understand your concerns about false ‘investigations’, naming names, “putting false world [sic] into my mouth” as you put it and your right with regard to copyright. You withdrew your article after it was challenged which suggests that you were aware of your mistake. I however totally stand by my work. Let me explain.

First you raise the issue of our investigation proving “absolutely false”, far from it. If I am wrong then I urge you to address the following:

• Deny that you were working at Yatsani Radio when the ‘politician’ attended the premises to “buy air time for an interview”;

• Deny that you took Kw50,000 from the politician;

• Deny that four other people also took money (we accept that they were not journalist, indeed we understand that they were not employees of Yatsani radio but we do have their names);

• Deny that the politician in question was Mr Michael Sata, Presidential Candidate for the PF Party;

As you will see my ‘investigation’ is well informed and I am more than happy to furnish any authorities you choose with the evidence I have uncovered. The authorities I am thinking of are the Electoral Commission of Zambia, the Zambian Police and the Immigration Department. Should you think of any other do let me know. Of course if I am wrong then you will have no problems defending my charges. If I am proved wrong then you have my word that I will retract my story and apologise to you on the Kusila Kwa Cobra website. It would be the professional thing to do.

Your second point is that I put false words in your mouth. Again far from it. I attribute no names to you. I named Yatsani Radio and I named Michael Sata. I could name other names but I will hold back for now, unless of course you want me to.

Thirdly, that your article is not political. Your article is about political corruption, namely bribery. You yourself use the expressions, “a very prominent politician”, “the election is coming”, “The politician reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wad of K50,000 notes (about twenty dollars). He hands a note to each of the journalists”, “I know it is unethical for a journalist to take money, especially from a politician.”, ““That’s our future President”, remarks one of my co-workers.”, and finally, “Future President or future dictator?”. Ms Stokes you are a journalist, you know the power of words and you know the meaning they can convey; it is you who made the story political, not me.

What this really boils down to is your own hurt journalistic ego. It was you who took money off a politician during an election campaign. It was you who was silly enough to write about your stupidity and then publish it on the web. You are either very naive or you deliberately placed your story so as to attract attention to yourself as a journalist who has witnessed electoral bribery at first hand.

What is most depressing is that after conducting yourself in such an unprofessional manner you choose to hide behind imperialist USA laws. I may well have to remove your text from my website but this story will not die. Kusila Kwa Cobra is monitored in the USA, South Africa, Norway, UK to name but a few, and of course it now has a keen following in Zambia. As a journalist who has taken money off a politician I would have thought you would want to keep a low profile, not raise your head above the parapet.

This issue has nothing to do with copyright. This is a story about political corruption and your involvement in it. You are an accomplice to Mr Sata’s actions, your refusal to go to the Electoral Commission or the police damns you. In Zambia we have a problem with corruption and we expect learned people like yourself to help us in our fight. You are a Canadian; would your actions be acceptable in your own country? The answer is ‘no’, so why do you come to our country and get involved in such illegal actions.

You are nothing more than a cheap journalist who takes money from bad politicians; maybe you should go get a job at the Post.

The Kusila Kwa Cobra Team.

Bye Bye By-Election - Can Sata Face The Raw Truth Of Kanchibiya?

In today’s edition of that PF mouthpiece ‘The Post’ it is reported that the MMD were trounced in the recent by-election in Kanchibiya in Northern Province, with PF getting an incredible 70% of the vote. What a great headline for Sata and his supporters. But as usual with all Post stories the truth rarely matches the headline. Closer inspection of the figures reveals that it is Sata who may be crying on 30th October.

Turn out for the by-election was a poor 33% and the reality is that it was PF people who could not be bothered to vote for their man. The fact is that the PF candidate received 2195 votes less than their 2006 candidate. The MMD candidate was down by only 492 votes. In terms of percent of votes lost PF is down 30% and the MMD only 23% when compared with the 2006 elections. After you do the maths one discovers that the MMD closed the gap on PF by 7%.

Alarmingly for Sata this by-lection took place in Northern Province, which after Lusaka and the Copper Belt is one of his strongest regions. If his vote is down 7% in this region then he is going to be in big trouble nationally. If the Kanchibiya result is replicated across Zambia on 30th October then it will be bad news for the King Cobra

Further analysis of other results show even more bad news for Mr Sata and the PF, proving that the Kanchibiya result is not a one-off either. Earlier this year in the Kanyama (Lusaka urban) by-election the PF crashed in support again. Votes won were PF 30.5% vs 40.7% in 2006, so down 10.2%; UPND 22.3% vs 33.1% in 2006, up 10.8%, and MMD 27% vs 22% in 2006, up 5%.

For some reason Sata’s people are staying at home. Is it because he is not attracting them this time around? Has he lost his sparkle? Is it because his negative campaigning is annoying even his own supporters? Are his policy u-turns driving people away? And more worryingly why is he being hammered in both the rural and urban areas? Who knows, and quite and frankly who cares, but I’ll bet a few kwacha that Sata is a very worried man; the people are rejecting him.

Stupidity & Xenophobia – Sata has them by the bag full.

A little noticed comment by Michael Sata should worry Zambians very much, in fact there were two very telling comments made which should cause sleepless nights.


One was on his education policy whilst the other was on foreign policy. Between them they are probably the most ignorant and damaging policy ideas from a politician in modern history. Today’s Mail (16 Oct) reports on Sata’s visit to Mansa yesterday at which he made the two comments, judge for yourself: Education – The Mail reports Sata as saying that his government would do away with basic education and instead promote secondary education by constructing more schools.

How on earth does Sata intend to fill these secondary schools if he has done away with basic education? We are not all born with basic education. Every person knows that the most important time in a child’s life, in terms of health and education, are the first few years. Will his next education policy be to scrap secondary schools and build more Universities? So, Zambians, if you want to be an uneducated, illiterate nation just go ahead and vote for Sata. Make the most of it because after a few years of his rule hardly any Zambian will be able to read a ballot paper!

His second slip up was on how he views foreigners. In the 2006 elections he professed hatred of foreigners, especially the Chinese. This time around, actually from about four weeks ago he suddenly says he loves all foreigners, even posing for photos with Chinese people. This site highlighted Sata’s interview with extreme right-wing British journalist Peter Hitchens (see blog of 6th October). In that interview he clearly goes back to his foreigner hating roots. Well yesterday he was back on form again when he said, “We don’t need to run to China to come and develop our country, Zambians are the owners of the resources and they are the first investors”.

The man still does not understand what it takes to develop and run a modern economy. It is a fact of life that in today’s world countries invest in other countries, foreign companies invest in foreign countries. Sata’s ideas for Zambia’s economic future are well and truly stuck in the dark ages. I wonder if he will spurn all that foreign aid money which flows into Zambia each year. After all things like Malaria and Aids are under control in Sata’s world. At least he can say ‘no’ to all that money which goes into education…he will have no basic schools to invest it in! If Sata gets his way then Zambia will be isolated on the international stage, and that cannot be right.

If you think Zimbabwe has gone down the drain, just wait until you experience Zambia under Sata. What an ignorant man!

The rule of law or the law of rule?

There are certain skills and understandings a potential President should posses. The most important of which, no matter which country the individual seeks to govern, is the understanding of the rule of law. The judicial processes and the organs which enforce the law should remain untouched by political shenanigans and meddling. All citizens of a country, from the very top to the very bottom should maintain a healthy respect for the law of the land. Without it officials and friends of those in power soon think they are above the law, corruption flourishes and the reputation of the country dives into the gutter.

It is most interesting then to review the stances taken by the three main candidates on the issue in this election (alas Miyanda does not really count). Both HH and RB remain fairly onside on the issue, neither has threatened to abuse the legal organs of the country and neither has threatened to arrest those who do not agree with them. Threatening to arrest people because they do not agree with you is a sure sign of a megalomaniac and a person with dictatorial tendencies.

One would think that someone with a legal background would understand all of this and indeed, would be a champion of the country’s legal system. Michael Sata was once a policeman so he should fit the bill. After all we expect the police to uphold the law, don’t we? Alas no, he seems to think that the legal system is for him to play with and to use as is his want. Only he has threatened to arrest somebody, you will not be surprised to hear that RB and top MMD officials are his intended victims. That PF mouthpiece the Post newspaper ran a headline ‘Banda to face arrest for corruption if Sata wins’ (3rd Oct 2008). Mr Sata was quoted as saying “I will deal with them and sort them out, sort them out clean”. He also went on to say of Mike Mulongoti that he would be arrested for trying to stifle freedom of the press and for dictating what the press should write. What is most worrying is the ‘I’ in all of this. Had he said ‘I will ask the police to investigate’, or, ‘I will ask the ECZ to look into the allegations’ then we would have nothing to worry about. But no, it is the ‘I’ that damns him as ignorant of the rule of law, as an abuser of power. Nobody will be safe if Sata becomes President on 30th October.

Some great politicians have been to prison for their beliefs or allegiances. Think of the twenty-seven years of incarceration of Nelson Mandela, our own Kenneth Kaunda was locked up by Chiluba, so was Rupiah Banda. Michael Sata too has been to prison but sadly for Zambia not for political beliefs or for any revolutionary struggle. His time in prison was for theft. Sata is a common criminal with a criminal record to prove it. He is certainly no material for a future President.

The most worrying thing is that his friends at the Post can say what they like, they never retract the false statements they make about other candidates; as far as they are concerned Sata can do no wrong. This is all the more strange when one considers that until a few weeks before the campaign it considered Sata one of the most evil and corrupt people on the planet. So why then do Sata’s newfound police powers not seem to apply to the Post? Why has the Post suddenly converted itself into the ‘I love Sata’ fan club? These are questions the Zambian people would love to know the answers to. As for me I have a word of warning to those at the Post, beware strange bedfellows.

WHAT IS TO BE DONE ON 30TH OCTOBER 2008?

When all sloganeering, political rhetoric, rallies, campaign excitement and any other activity that goes with the election are finally brought to a stop, as Zambians we shall at the end of the road stand and begin to look up to the leadership that we will have put in power for the prudent, effective and smooth running of the affairs of our great country.

Now this is a very sobering and humbling thought as it gives us an idea of what will be the state of our minds and conscience in the after math of the October polls after we have finally elected a president. At that point all the political curtains will have been rolled down and in our sight shall stand a leader that we shall be stack with for the next three years.

With this line of thinking, what is to be done is take precautions against detrimental elements to the achievements made by this regime as has been the general consensus and also the potential we have to do much more. The following constitute the dangerous elements to the future of our country:

• Corrupt, inconsistent and dictatorial leadership that is bound to take our nation backwards. This is the leadership that Michael Sata has stood for most of his life in politics as evidenced through the political maneuvers that he has engaged in up to this point. To start with, everyone fully knows that Mr. Sata only left the MMD after being beaten by the caliber of the late Dr. Mwanawasa for the party candidacy. His departure was therefore not based on any policy differences but purely on his selfish ambition. The only thing that remains consistent about this gentleman is his selfish ambition for the presidency. Now ask yourself where does he get the moral authority to criticize the party (MMD)? He only left after being rejected because of the competence, integrity and honesty that the party was looking for in a successor to FTJ. Now he thinks Zambians have suddenly lost their memory. This should be clearly REJECTED!!!

• Today Mr. Sata claims to be so much concerned about the plight of the poor people and that he enormously cares about them. Does he also think that Zambians have forgotten that it was him who went around mistreating the poor during his time in government? As local government and housing minister, Sata dismantled certain compounds and left poor people in the cold without giving them any alternative or any where to stay. This he did without any compassion and empathy for the poor. (Weekly Post, Tuesday, February 22, 1994). This hypocrisy should be rejected!!!

• Where is Sata and the Patriotic Front's commitment to the poor when his councilors and Member of Parliament have failed to simply address the plight of the people of Mazyopa but busy politicking about the whole issue when they have the power and responsibility to act on behalf of the poor. Where is the so-called ACTION when the PF dominated councils are failing the people by not acting responsibly? He has failed to show leadership apart from mere talk in the press.

• Sata is certainly a riotous character, his coarse, blustering ways and rude domineering style makes him less democratic and not fully qualified to be president. Sata has probably been subjected to more beatings in his adult life than any other politician in the world. Because of his misbehavior in 1992 he was stoned at a funeral gathering and also floored by fellow minister Dawson Lupunga and equally nearly beaten by another opposition leader. (Weekly Post, Tuesday, February 22, 1994) This is not the kind of character that Zambia wants in a president. With this behavior, the nation can easily be plunged in problems through having such a person in the highest office. It is this kind of conduct that even made the Lusaka city councilors in 1993 have a show down with him over his continued interference in the administration of the civic authority's affairs and his involvement in the corruption of the Merzaf housing scheme of which he has never apologized to Zambians.

• Zambia will need someone who has experienced national governance at a very high level and has a lot of soberness. Even in countries where they have elected leaders who are relatively young it has not been at the expense of experience. The perceived young president of Tanzania for example acquired experience at parliamentary and ministerial level before he ran for the presidency. It was not a trial and error arrangement. Running a country should not be reduced to running a company of less than one thousand employees. Zambia is not a toy such that anyone can come from nowhere and say they want to be president. Even Barack Obama was Senator before he ran for president (probably equivalent to MP in Zambia).
Above all, what should be done is elect someone who is most familiar with the policies that are being implemented right now, someone sober, experienced and forward looking. All the conmen that are pretending to bring change should be stopped by all means so that the achievements that have been made are not in any way reversed. Electing someone who knows the pattern means continuity and the desire to see much more done.

Where was Mr. Sata Hiding?

A memorial service to celebrate the life of HE Levy Mwanawasa was held in central Lusaka this last Sunday, and there was one very conspicuous individual who failed to attend.

The absence was not conspicuous just because this was a national event and the absentee is standing as a candidate in the upcoming by-election that will serve to select the successor of the recently passed President.

The non-appearance of Mr. Sata was so blatant because it was clearly a personal snub of the man who only recently saved Mr. Sata’s life!

While Mr. Sata was lying in hospital in Lusaka after suffering a massive heart attack in April of this year, who was it that arranged for the acerbic politician to be airlifted to South Africa to receive cardiac care?

The recently deceased President, that’s who!

Is this how the man that wants to be the next President of Zambia pays his respect? The memorial was not a political event, it was a country bidding farewell to a beloved President.

The memorial was supposed to be a time when political leaders put their partisanship aside and be just leaders; leading the people in mourning.

If Sata were to become President of Zambia, would he not show up at a SADC meeting or an AU summit because there were going to be people there that didn’t like him?

Would he avoid addressing the UN in New York, because the Chinese are on the Security Council?

Leadership is not a popularity contest; one must be able to lead those that are supporters and non-supporters alike.

Think carefully Zambia, before you vote!

Spot The Difference...?

Michael Sata gets ringing endorsement from leading Western Journalist for being Xenophobic!

Michael Sata recently picked up a rather dubious endorsement. In an article published in The London Daily Mail and then this weekend in the Post, Journalist Peter Hitchens backed Mr. Sata in the upcoming by-election for the presidency of Zambia on October 30, 2008.


The reason for the endorsement was based on Mr. Sata’s avowed dislike of the Chinese living and working in Zambia. The logic behind Hitchen’s endorsement is that by supporting Sata, it will be a knock for what Hitchens has called a new Chinese Imperialism that he claims is bringing more corruption to Africa.

There is no doubt that development in Africa has been held back by corruption, but endorsing a politician that has never been able to keep a Ministerial job because scandal has followed him everywhere is ludicrous!

Dating back to the early 1990s scandals and corruption have followed Sata like stink follows a rubbish tip. Putting Michael Sata in charge of Zambia and expecting him to clean up corruption in the country is like putting the patient in charge of the asylum.

Ironically, the endorsement has come just at the time that Michael Sata has found it politically necessary to flip flop his viewpoint on the issue of the Chinese in Zambia. Only recently did the Post publish an article about him being friends and welcoming Chinese investors and here he is now, wanting them out again. Such puerile turncoat behaviour is hardly suitable for someone who wants to lead a nation. World leaders and the international community would condemn such inability to be decisive instantly.

Michael Sata also lacks the necessary skills to be his country’s leader. He has made his name as a stone thrower, a party wrecker and a rebel. He is not a man that works well with other people; the city of Lusaka is presently without a mayor because he has sacked the previous incumbent. 26 MPs and 380 members of the PF have left the party in disgust. They now have come out and are publicly supporting Rupiah Banda’s campaign to be President.

What Zambia needs is leadership that can continue the recent success that has brought economic stability, and not a Michael Sata presidency that will return Zambia to the bad old days of corrupt and abusive government which plagues so many African nations.

Sata's Attack Dogs Sent Packing!

The Lusaka High Court has ruled that Acting president, Rupiah Banda, should continue to enjoy presidential privileges and benefits.

This is in a case in which the Anti-Rigging Zambia Limited sued Mr. Banda claiming that he had ceased to be vice president from the time he filed in his nomination papers for the presidential elections.

The Anti-Rigging Zambia limited had contended that Mr. Banda was not entitled to perform presidential functions or the benefits of that office or use public resources to fund his campaign.

But Lusaka High Court judge, Philip Musonda, ruled that article 43 (1) gave the acting president absolute immunity from having proceedings instituted against him in any court of law in respect of anything done or omitted to be done in his private capacity.

The judge ordered that Mr. Banda will continue to act as president and enjoy the privileges and benefits attached to that office until the democratic process resolves the issue of the presidency.

Judge Musonda noted that the case was a constitutional matter that had raised a novel issue.

Attorney General, Mumba Malila, submitted that according to article 43 (1) of the constitution, a person holding the office of the president was not amenable to criminal or civil proceedings in respect of anything done during his tenure of office.

The Anti- Rigging Zambia Limited was represented by Lusaka lawyer, Kelvin Bwalya, who is also a member of the NGO, launched recently.