Luapula Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Machungwa has accused Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata of diverting public attention from the failure of his party’s pact with the United Party for National Development (UPND) by continuously cricising the sale of Zamtel.
Dr Machungwa said in an interview that Mr Sata should desist from gaining political mileage by using the part-privatisation of the telecommunications firm.
He said Mr Sata was attempting to deflect public attention from the failed PF-UPND Pact and was now spending his time attacking the Government over the sale of Zamtel.
He said it was wrong for Mr Sata to continue attacking President Rupiah Banda and the Government over the sale of Zamtel and Zanaco.
Government recently announced the sale of 75 per cent shareholding in Zamtel to Lap Green Networks of Libya.
[pullquote]“Government embarked on the privatisation process in order to save some of these parastatals like Zamtel and Zanaco from total collapse and ensuring that they remained viable.
“Their sale was inevitable looking at the circumstances and their performance. The two parastatals were not making profits, and so it is wrong for Mr Sata to come and make negative statements about the whole process and threaten that he would re-nationalise the companies if he came into office,” he said.[/pullquote]
Dr Machungwa said the PF leader should not pretend not to be aware of conditions that necessitated the sale of parastatal companies in the country.
He said the sale of Zamtel was important in ensuring that it remained viable and able to contribute to the well-being of the Zambian people through job creation.
He said the Government decided to sell the company in the best interest of the country to save Zamtel from collapsing.
Dr Machungwa cautioned opposition parties against constantly attacking investment
initiatives, saying such actions would scare away would-be investors.
“Government embarked on the privatisation process in order to save some of these parastatals like Zamtel and Zanaco from total collapse and ensuring that they remained viable.
“Their sale was inevitable looking at the circumstances and their performance. The two parastatals were not making profits, and so it is wrong for Mr Sata to come and make negative statements about the whole process and threaten that he would re-nationalise the companies if he came into office,” he said.
He urged Mr Sata to concentrate on the pact and avoid unreasonable attacks on Government policies.
Dr Machungwa also said the launch of the UPND-PF Pact last week did not bring anything different to the Zambian people and only exposed the fact that the two leaders had failed to agree on who should stand for the position of president in next year’s general elections.
Meanwhile, the Committee of Citizens has condemned former vice-president Enoch Kavindele and PF spokesperson Given Lubinda for their criticism of the part-privatisation of Zamtel.
In a statement in Lusaka yesterday, Committee of Citizens executive director Gregory Chifire said the privatisation of Zamtel was the most successful deal in the history of the privatisation process in Zambia.
“We are therefore surprised by the petty and childish attacks made by Mr Enoch Kavindele and Mr Given Lubinda against Ms Dora Siliya merely designed to embarrass and not to build the country and its progressive policies and programmes,” Mr Chifire said.
He said that in 2002, Mr Kavindele was vice-president when Konkola Copper Mines was sold for a ‘scandalous’ US$25 million, the money he said the mines was able to generate in a week.
With the rise of copper prices on the international market, the $25 million was made in few days.
[ Times of Zambia ]
“Dr” Machungwa should resign from the PF if he has any morals and not in Parliament because of monentary gain.
Every sensible Zambian should question the sale of ZAMTEL as it has been seen not to be transparent, what with the government failing to release the valuation report so that the issue can be rested. Why is the scared of releasing this information?? How could the sale of a national asset, the people’s property, be state secret?
Machungwa is a disgruntled MP whose writing on the wall are clear. He knows that come 2011 he will be no where as an MP. He should have resigned and not have run to courts for protection if he was popular. He should tell the nation what he does with the Constituency development funds in his Luapula Constituency where he has done nothing. He must be ashamed of himself. We will come and investigate his Lunga house we haven’t forgotten the 2billion saga he store from parliament for MMD convention.
“He said that in 2002, Mr Kavindele was vice-president when Konkola Copper Mines was sold for a ‘scandalous’ US$25 million, the money he said the mines was able to generate in a week”.
Thats Gregory putting facts straight..lol
Sata IQ is so low .. . . .
Some one please tell me the difference betwen Lusaka times and Peter Machungwa? I do see anything to report from his vomit!
Is this the Machungwa who stole K2billion from parliament with his mate Mandandi?
but again if he was not a PF rebel mp,he could have been in line for a ministerial post in the event that the PACT won the elections next year,if he played his cards right and became sata’s blue eyed boy like nsanda,which makes PF a big risk,hope HH will flex his muscle,im sick and tired of these old politicians taking advantage of the poor
I have no respect for Machungwa what makes him different from Mpombo whose blood MMD members are calling for, sitting on one ticket and criticizing the same hand that feeds him, he cannot resign because he knows that come by election he would loose, the same applies to his group. The man is morally dirty, I remember working up one day just to find his car in a ditch behind our apartment because he was having an affair with someone leaving in a servants quarters. Some people should not even be ruling us because they have such dirty backgrounds – these are the people that make politics more dirty.
What does Machunga mean ‘failed pact’? The pact is still intact and viable entity for 2011 elections. Last week was not dubbed as the pacts annoucements of its presidential candidate, but was the offical launch and also a case of reassuring all the Zambians that turned up in large numbers that 1 year after is birth on 04 June 2009, it is still in place, contrary to MMDs wishes that it will disband.
Cifire should just shut up….
I agree with Mr. Machungwa. This PACT is a union to nowhere and its launch is the joke of the century. No one from the PF camp can explicitly elaborate what was launched. Can someone please explain what exactly was launched as I saw nothing but a PF rally where Mr. Hichilema and Mr. Sata where competing on who can hurl the most insults at the govt and its officials.
The PF is known to criticize anything to gain political mileage. They are simply against anything the govt does. They can no longer be viewed to be objective. They also do not keep their promises. Till today the PF report on PF led councils has not been released even after they promised us this. The PF is a political movement to nowhere and anyone who supports it supports it blindly.
Just shut it you little Orange (Machungwa -Oranges in Bemba)!!
mr machunga shud learn how to rebel. that is not the way they do it man. the first thing u shud have done is to resign from PF and then join yo party MMD and attack yo enemy properly
Machungwa, your claim of the PACT failing is wishiful thinking…..You should have attended the Launch on Saturday……..I’m sure you could have developed a stroke………Whether you like it or not the PACT is winning next year’s elections……..Then Kafupi,Nyamasoya and all other plunderers will face the courts!!!!!!**==
Machungwa, my elder brother which PACT are you talking about? What is the connection between Pact and sale of Zamtel? You cheated President R. Banda that you would make Luapula an MMD strong hold and after failing you want to look for ways to placate the ever beleiving RB by confusing subjects. PACT has not failed it is MMD that has failed. Just a reminder MMD will be nomore as soon as it fails to win elections in 2011. Unlike Unip, the MMD is just a quick money making venture for individuals. That is why people are falling over each other in praise of RB even when there is no single reason to do so. Some like GK dance even when there is no music when they RB.
dr flat fanta what part of “you are fired” do you fail to understand even up to now?
‘WISE & SELFLESS’ who can believe this from the two plunders.
Dr. Machungwa your PHD has not helped you in analyzing issues logically. It can’t be an engineering PHD because in engineering 1+1 is always two. It is only skin deep. Surely if you are against the party and its president that elected you to parliament the honourable thing to do is to resign from the party and seek reelection as an independent or through a party of your choice. Why cant you emulate Hon Charles Milupi? I await your immediate resignation if you are a man of principles.
Dr. Machungwa, please do us a favour by resigning and joining the MMD
This Peter is PF but it seems he supports MMD why can’t Sta and company get rid of him because to me it does not make sence for him to still remain in PF.
They also do not keep their promises. Till today the PF report on PF led councils has not been released even after they promised us this. The PF is a political movement to nowhere and anyone who supports it supports it blindly.
WE ALSO WOULD LIKE THE PRESIDENT TO KEEP HIS PROMISES.
A.G REPORTS!
R.P CAPITAL REPORTS
P.F COUNCILS WHO WERE STEALING MONEY AND GOING INTO THEIR OWN POCKETS.
PRESIDENT THROWS CHANSA INTO JAIL FOR PORNOGRAPHY AND DOES NOT APOLOGIZE.
(This one is for Veteran who says executive decisions are never made to jail anybody and that tubby rupiah never influenced a court case)
PROVE IT CAPITALIST MORON.!
On “Dr Machungwa also said the launch of the UPND-PF Pact last week did not bring anything different to the Zambian people and only exposed the fact that the two leaders had failed to agree on who should stand for the position of president in next year’s general elections,” this is the only observation which makes the article above useful for it is now clear that the MMD does not know who will be the 2011 PF-UPND PACT presidential candidate between UPND 2011 presidential candidate and PF unelected leader MC Sata.
It is sad for PF supporters that they can be writing “… the fact that his [RB’s] 35,000 vote margin between him and Sata has already been swallowed up, by the over 400,00 votes H.H. acquired in 2008 Presidential by election…” in the POST…
On “Rupiah and his MMD are jokers because if they were serious we could have seen change in the last 18 years.”” reported in the POST under the title “Rupiah’s shielding of Musonda baffles Sata” I am glad that Mr PF Sata MC has acknowledged that he is part of the MMD jokers that have ruled us for now about 19 years. I hope he will now take time to apologise to the Zambian people who he lead when he was in MMD for 10 years as opposed allowing his cadres to write “… the fact that his [RB’s] 35,000 vote margin between him and Sata has already been swallowed up, by the over 400,00 votes H.H. acquired in 2008 Presidential by election…” in the POST as they did in the POST for last lask in their hope that president HH will let Sata led the PACT…
why was klavindele fired by levy????
and what is this about cheap sale of kcm???
Regina – What is the verdict? LT tell us
PF expelled the rebels but they went and obtained an injunction cause they know that without the backing of PF they are nothing. They would any bye elections that would result to the Pact. On the other hand MMD is afraid of expelling its rebel MPs Mpombo and Magande for fear that MMD will lose the seats to the Pact should by elections be held. So it is fallacy for Machungwa, Chifire, Siliya, MMD or for anyone to claim that the Pact is not working when they are dead scared of any bye elections as they are aware the Pact will win the seats. How else would they explain the tolerance they have exhibited of Mpombo and Magande. Why are they afraid of expelling them but instead telling them to resign. PF expelled its rebels, so why dont the MMD do they same?
if sata keeps on popin up on the radar , the party wont do too well sata as to sit it out, time is gone and he needs to go and do farming so that some young intel and brit minds can do the job.
Thief Machungwa needs to be shackled
The idea of asking bloggers what was launched by PF and UPND as a Pact is foolishness. No body here sits on their high ends to find out what was launched. We all know that PF and UPND entered into some form of political relationship. Just like marriage, you court, engage and then marry. That is what happened between these two credible and well organized people’s parties. So, if you capitalist have a problem conceptualizing the launch, it is not our duty to re-explain the Pact. You just have to wait until next year when your party will be in the periphery just as they are even now. But worse when MMD will be a party of Eastern Province just like their pact counterparts UNIP.
#28 Please do not equate “a form of political arrangement” with marriage. This analogy is very erroneous. Your response to the question of what was launched is typical of you pact supporters – always on the defensive. You fail to realize that some of the people asking these questions are actually undecided voters. They may appear to be polarized but in reality they are not. Your failure to rationally respond gives an impression you have nothing new to offer – a very effective turn-off for any undecided.
If you # 29 cannot conceptualize the analogy as simple as I have put leaves me with no doubt in mind that you must be in need of a second brain. Meaning you need to ask those that do understand simple analogies as straight forward as I have put it. Turning off people like you from the Pact is nothing but a blessing knowing who you are and your MMD support. What in my analogy did you fail to understand? The two parties have now married. Probably you think marriage is word reserved for male and female. No, it is not. And I will not spend time explaining the word marriage. I have more important things to deal with than your cadre ignorance. I am very very sorry if you feel offended by this plain truth.
Machungwa, you are a better off quiet. If you are really a Doctor, please reason like one.