THE Government has challenged opposition United Party for National Development leader, Hakainde Hichilema to provide evidence that President Rupiah Banda wanted a cut from the US$53 million mobile hospital deal with Chinese investors.
Chief Government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha said Mr Hichilema should provide evidence, as it was not proper for a political leader of his standing to issue unsubstantiated claims.
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that apart from the Government demanding that Mr Hichilema should provide evidence, it would not arrest the opposition leader as doing so would be making him unnecessarily popular.
“Mr Hichilema should provide evidence that the president wanted a cut as failure to do so would prove him to be a liar. As a leader, he should not speak on things that he does not have evidence and he should know that this country is not going to thrive on lies,” Gen Shikapwasha said.
Mr Hichilema was quoted in The Post’s Saturday edition as having insisted that the president had a cut in the deal to provide mobile medical facilities from China and dared the Government to arrest him.
Gen Shikapwasha said the Government would not be arresting politicians and wondered why Mr Hichilema challenged it to do so.
Gen Shikapwasha, who is Information and Broadcasting Services minister, also said the Government was taken aback by sentiments from Roan member of Parliament, Chishimba Kambwili that Chinese investors were not appropriate to run the Luanshya Copper Mines.
He said he was not sure of what really Mr Kambwili was looking for as at some point he was asking the Government to quickly find investors for the mine and now that had been done, he is against the idea.
He said the world over, governments were pleading for Chinese investment.
“The US government is borrowing from Chinese investors because even in the wake of the economic crisis, their economy is picking up and why should Zambia not pick on the Chinese when the whole world is doing so?” Gen Shikapwasha asked.
[Times of Zambia]
oh geez here we go again.
what a comparison huh? borrowing and running a mine? what planet is shakapwasha from?
what proof do you need shikapwasha?
HH, prove it ma’ man! you dont just blah blah in public without giving substantial evidence!
He has dared them to arrest him! Things that are done in the dark always have an issue of “a cut” attached to them. Why single source Mobile clinics? Who gave them the authority to get mobile clinics for us? Do we need them? Are they a priority? RB wanted a cut!! Period.
Typical of losers. This loser called HH has no evidence. If he had wouldn’t he use it to resuscitate his dying party. A president soliciting a bribe is a serious impeachable offence. This is the information all the enemies of RB including the POST and SATA would love to latch on. HH stop this emotional diarrhea please and come back to your senses and move on. You don’t get to plot 1 with emotionalism and lies. This is not 1991. This is 2009 wake up.
No one should be above the law. Mr Hichilema has commited an offence under Defamation of the President. I do not agree with the General that he will not be arrested because that would make him popular. If his popularity comes out of this, so be it. Many an infamy has made one famous but the law should take its course. Arrest him. Charge him. Then let him prove his case in court before a court of law.
That is what Chiluba was saying when he was in Power.The RP capital is enough evidence.What a “reverand”
Sikapwasha can’t eat his cake and still have it at the same time. He said HH’s remarks border on treason. Treason is not a small issue but then he says he is not interested in having the man who made the treasonable act arrested. WHY???, I think he knows all is not well in his camp. More dirt is bound to hit the ceiling.
chiluba took HH to court and demanded 21 billion kwacha as compensation, we all know what happened, chiluba withdrew the case secretly.
the rest has all been said by Ba moze # 5
So LIBEL has now grown into cold feet. How can you with the same mouth Shikapwasha sure say what HH said mounted to LIBEL, defaming a president and then suddenly you say if he is arrested he will be popular, kwena even your children are now moving with low heads coz ubufi mwebafyashi bwafula, what more eko mukakotela sana, tamwakalebepa fye nakutulo sure? ichipingo bafwile baliposa aba batata. bweleleni mucheni cha mfumu yemwe
HH should also read the constitution of Zambia. The President has the power to act in his own deliberate judgement and shall not be obliged to follow the advice tendered by any other person or authority (CAP 1 Article 44(6)) So even if RB wants to buy mobile hospitals, you can criticise his decision as being bammy but you cannot accuse him of being corrupt unless you have evidence of such. If there is evidence, then HH should produce it so that the President can be impeached. The dignity of the highest office of the land must be protected. Mr Hakainde Hichilema has committed an offence and must be arrested.
nayo nkani mwachidule,akuti kuliye chusi without moto baba.yayi a bwezani ndi anzao awa a HH,KUONEKA IYI NKANI IZAFUNIKA A CHIKULILE MONGA A KK kulamulila,zikavutisisa yayi even a kafupi kamba kakuti ali ochepelela ndithu anga thandize,koma vuto monga pali a kafupi ndi iyi, yayi ndiye amuna monga pa nkani ya ukawalala,chikanga uyu zayelo anali kuatungira ma suti,baba analila mu khoti kumangalande,yayi nkani iza vuta iyi,kapena a mandela basi.pakali pano zikomo anzanga nonse pa bulogo.
Why talk? Just arrest the man and let him prove that in a court of low.
With all due respect to HH,it will save his social standing as an opposition leader if only he presented the evidence of the allegations he levelled against RB, for people of Zambia will blame the Justice system for lack of action.It will be humiliating if he doesnt , for he will be bundled together with the likes of Kambwili which wont go well for UPND as a party.Politicians have to be responsible for their utterances in order to distinguish worthy ones from liars.
If HH is not arrested it will go to show that there is truth in what he is saying. This will undermine the donor’s confidence in our executive and the fight against corruption. Once this happens, donor support will dry up and the whole country will suffer again. Please, RB, either come out clean or else sort this man out. I have always understood that any government official or minister who negotiates a financial deal gets a cut. Is that correct? If this is standard practice then the nation needs to know. It should be stopped forthwith. It is like the MP’s allowances in UK. These guys in power make laws that suit them.
Privatisation Benefactor HH. If you dont have eveidence keep your trap shut !
Is this a popularity contest? Why would arresting somebody who has commited an offence make him popular.Bwezani recently publicly announced that he is the most lied to person in Zambia,The issue is why is he being feed lies? Coz he enjoys him
TIE THE MAN THEN LETS HEAR IT. MUMANGENI TIMVELE. AMUMWAANGE TUMVWEE.
I mean, really, how can you accuse a person of treason, defamation and libel at the same time and not have him arrested? kambwili accused RB of corruption over the sale of LCM. What has happened? He has bee summoned to appear for questioning together with two Post Newspaper repoerters. So, why are they failing to arrest HH who, in their thinking has committed more serious offences? They know why they cant arrest him. He probably has something on them that they forgot to conceal! I dare them: Arrest HH!
There is no argument here. HH defamed the character of the president. Can we please throw him in jail.
The truth is HH has been insignificant in the elections. If you look at the past 2 elections since he took over, his performance has been of lower standard so don’t worry. There is no way HH will become more popular.
Please. don’t waste time. Throw him in jail and let us hear him plead his case with backed up evidence in court.
arrest HH
#21 Free- Market. On HH relevance I do agree with you. The under the late Mazoka was NATIONAL but now its very Provincial, thats why they lost in their stron holds as Western and North Western. Only last week the Sinazongwe MP labelled the Catholic Church as deviding the nation because they were preaching in Ichibemba at some Parish in Makeni. It transpired that the said Church did have single Bemba priest but is run by Polish Priests who don even speak Ichibemba. May Polish to this MP sounds Bemba. Now you wonder if aperson thinks like that can he make a good NATINAL LEADER?
Maybe Polish to this MP sounds Bemba. Now you wonder if aperson thinks like that can he make a good NATINAL LEADER?
LOL…This statement made me laugh. I am sure he was hearing what he wanted to hear.
Yangu tata! Our leaders kwena mwandini, kwati fibaiche ka? Very disappointing.
Arrest him azakambila kusogolo… may spill the beans or merely prove that he has clapped for real
On “Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that apart from the Government demanding that Mr Hichilema should provide evidence, it would not arrest the opposition leader as doing so would be making him unnecessarily popular“, I am surprised that Minister Shikapwasha is scared about HH’s bieng popular when he may win the court case after the possible arrest. The most interesting question is: why must GRZ fear about HH’s becoming popular than itself?
As for “As for ““Mr Hichilema should provide evidence that the president wanted a cut as failure to do so would prove him to be a liar. As a leader, he should not speak on things that he does not have evidence and he should know that this country is not going to thrive on lies,” Gen Shikapwasha said, it is GRZ which is aggreved and must take president HH to court to prove that he is a liar or not. President HH has done his part and now I am waitng for those that do not agree with his statement to prove him as a liar.
It simply does not make sense for one person to make a statement and then offer evidence to no-one when no-one takes him to task to defend himself in a court of law. This is where whole GRZ have all lost it. Please, GRZ, arrest and charge president HH.
#21 , HH is a right man in wrong party and most importantly tribe! Thats why his perfomance in the last two elections was not impressive. I d rather he steps down and join the ruling MMD! ,maybe he can be considered but i doubt because its in the blood!
#28 Maestro, i couldnt have agreed more with you on that score! What is the fear on the part of Government in arresting HH? Next time they will say, “we will not arrest HH even if he has committed murder because we dont to make him popular”!
30, Ba Moze, great stuff. What I would like my, our, GRZ to start doing it to avoid running GRZ issues in the media. The failure by our MMD GRZ people to articulate their issues way is a serious problem now as they are showing signs of incompetence.
To this end, I am asking GRZ to consider they wat they rush to the media to defend themselves. Terribly done defence almost cost both Minister of Justice, Vice Presiden, Kunda and President RB Banda to lose their jobs by different methods including impeachment proceedings.
With these few words, I am humbly asking Minister of Information and broadcasting Shikapwasha to stop issuing statements that are embarrassing the GRZ in terms of its preparedness to face the challenges of governments too much talk. LetGRZ be consistent.
HH can not say something which he is not sure about the govt know what they did that’s why they can not arrest him ninsoni fye ba shikapwasha trying to defend their master.
HH is a master at receiving cuts…he has experience from the privatisation of the mines
I think the General must just keep quiet if anthing he must be retired immediatelly.He is wasting our time too much becuase if some one is wrong let LAW just take its course by arresting the cuprite and prove his case before the courts of law.Not just talking too much at the same time doing nothing.
There is no smoke without fire!
Ba saint its like you have a share as well pantu na muzanda, we know the truth hurts. Even if the constitution allows RB, it should be in the interest of the nation, not those useless hospitals in canters. Zambia is not RB’s private company. Posterity will judge them harshly.
I concur with calls to arrest HH. What he says is a most serious allegation that brings the highest office of the land into disrepute. Whether it is true or not true, the damage has been caused and there is only one way to go. The truth must come out and if HH is right so be it, but the sacrifice of either HH or RB for the sake of truth is better than the suffering of 12 million people as a result of this. The LAW must take its course! Sata was thrown into prison by LPM and soon after that he reconciled with him. People who are careless with words must be made accountable for their utterances. HH is not a kabova at KMB. He is an internationally recognised person and what he says is taken into consideration in Europe. The UK Liberal Democrats support UPND.
1. “A person is guilty of treason-felony and shall be liable to imprisonment for 20 years who- (a) prepares or endeavours to procure by unlawful means any alterations of the law OR POLICIES of the government…”
2. ” Any person who- …utters any seditious words…is guilty of an offence and is liable for … imprisonment for 7 years, or a fine… or to both” A seditious intention is an intention … to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the govt as by law established.
I would read this to be the case here when a lie is told about the head of State in order to alter government policy. Somebody must throw the book at HH. 3 Offences: 1 Defamation 2. Treason-felony 3. Sedition 4. False news to alarm the public
The political amateur has to prove it. What an amateur he is.!
The Gambino
Thanks for your comment. I do have a share in the interest of Zambia,and so do you and RB, I believe. Only one of us is President with the power to make decisions. My point is that if we do not agree with a decision that the President makes, we should shoot it down with arguments not with insults and accusation of corruption. HH has disappointed here. Sata has tried better.
The political amateur is desperate. The fact is he is never going to win an election.
Zambia has moved from being a major copper producer and potentially one of the continent’s richest countries at independence in 1964 to one of the world’s poorest. Zambia needs young blood, new ideas, people with the energy and hunger to thrive in an ever changing and advancing world, while preserving the traditional ways. We are who we are Africans, we can live with our traditions while enhancing ourselves to accomodate the rest of the world. All those old ministers and people that have wanted to rule since 1964 should sit aside and allow fresh minds, young men and women who put the interest of the poorest Zambian before their greed rule. I wish Mr Rupiah Banda would have let one of his sons rule. Its time to put the ancient world where it be
thats just true…RB wanted a cut!!
I really support #6. Leave the RB alone please. Us Zambians wanted the current Government and we are very happy they way we are being ruled. Ni Pankoloko Chabe!