NDC leader and PF founder member Chishimba Kambwili says Dora Siliya’s statement that Michael Sata destroyed the agriculture sector is an insult to the late president.
Addressing the media at his Lusaka residence yesterday, Kambwili warned the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services not to soil Sata’s name like she did in the past.
He reminded Siliya that the ministerial position she was enjoying today was a result of Sata’s sweat.
“When I read the newspaper today, particularly The Mast and what I heard yesterday after I came back from the memorial service of my mentor (Sata), the man I respect so much, the man responsible for all the development you are seeing…imisebo (roads), he made a 20-year-plan. Michael Chilufya Chilufya Sata made a 20-year-plan and what Dora says that Mr Sata destroyed the agriculture sector because kumyabo balya tute, takwaba amataba so tabaishibe ifya fertiliser (In Sata’s native village, they just eat cassava, there’s no maize, so they know nothing about fertiliser) is an insult to Mr Sata,” he said.
Kambwili recalled that it was not the first time Siliya was issuing disparaging remarks on the PF founding president.
“Let me quote what Dora said, my heart bleeds… It says…I just want to go on the portion where it talks about my mentor, my father, the owner of PF. Iyo Dora lelo alimo minister, eyo aya mukutuka nokubepesha ubufi (the PF in which Dora is minister today is the one she is insulting and lying about). It says ‘the eight bags of fertiliser we got under Rupiah Banda disappeared because Mr Sata ate cassava which does not require fertilizer, and you started calling us paya farmer and it is now under President Edgar Lungu that the agriculture sector is being revamped…’ What an insult. Dora wherever you are, apologise for this statement,” Kambwili demanded. “People of Zambia, you may remember very well and I was in the forefront in parliament when the MMD decided to reduce the number of fertilizer bags for FISP from eight to four. You remember my debate in parliament. I said this move is aimed at you sharing the eight bags so that you can have more people being given fertiliser and create a network for people to vote for you. I said it was a political stance and we could not support it as PF and said please mubweseshe abantu (return to the people) eight bags.”
He said the reduction from eight bags to four was done under Banda’s administration towards the 2011 elections.
“…Because they didn’t have money to add more people on FISP, so they just decided to reduce the bags to four so that they could put more villagers on FISP to get four bags but we condemned it as PF,” Kambwili said. “[Justice minister Given] Lubinda you were there, [lands minister] Jean Kapata you were there, so how can you guys sit and relax and be quiet when Dora is saying ba Sata ebacitile (Sata is the one who) reduced from eight bags to four? But nomba natwamba ukufiwamya, nafiwama, please mwilatuka ba (but now we’ve started correcting things, they’re fine; Please don’t insult Mr) Sata.”
Kambwili said Siliya was repeating her disparaging remarks on Sata like she did in 2011.
He recalled that when Siliya was joining the PF he refused to work alongside her.
Kambwili recalled stating that if it meant selling his soul to the devil he was going to do so unless Siliya apologised.
“You apologised but kanshi (so) that apology was crocodile tears but nalelo wabwekeshapo ukutuka ba Sata (even today you’ve insulted Mr Sata). Does it mean abantu abafuma ku (people who hail from the) Northern Province… because ku Northern Province tulalya ubunga bwa tute… Cacine tulalya tute, naba Sata balelya ubunga bwa tute, so nga walya ubunga bwa tute ninshi tawaishiba ukulima amataba (because in Northern Province we eat cassava meal… Yes, we eat cassava, even Mr Sata used to eat cassava meal. Does it mean that if you eat cassava meal then you don’t know how to grow maize) and cannot give people fertilizer?”
Kambwili said in fact Sata before elections suggested that they could be giving people 12 bags of fertiliser but could not do it because they found the coffers empty.
He said up to now the bags of fertiliser have not been increased but wondered how Siliya entangled Sata’s name in the matter.
“Campaign, talk to the people but respect Mr Sata. Nakupapata Dora, nafukama (I beg you, Dora, I’m kneeling… have respect for Mr Sata. That position of minister you are enjoying today is because of our sweat and Mr Sata’s sweat. And I will not sit back and watch you insult Mr Sata and cast aspersions over Mr Sata,” said Kambwili. “Mwaisa naku memorial kwati mwalibatemwa ba Sata (You even attended his memorial service as if you loved him)! My heart bleeds.”
Speaking to about 300 village headmen and indunas at Mwala Hills on Sunday, Siliya said at times those in government go wrong but they need to be forgiven and prayed for.
“Let’s not vote lazily the way we did on Rupiah. We lost him because we are many but few voted and we lost him. Those eight bags of fertiliser we got under Rupiah disappeared because [Michael) Sata ate cassava which doesn’t require fertiliser and you started calling us paya farmer and it’s now under President Edgar Lungu that agriculture has been revamped,” said Siliya while observing that next year’s elections are not going to be easy one. “These elections of next year are not an easy one. It’s war abale anga (my brothers and sisters)! It’s a war, we should make sure everyone registers as voters and vote on 12th August 2021 or else we will lose.”