A CONVERSATION WITH SATA Interviewer: Mr. Sata, have you seen the people you left here are uprooting your party that you laboured for years to build? Sata: (in a low voice) Yes, I am seeing them…..it’s sad but I knew. Interviewer: So what is your take Sir! Sata: No wander I called them useless ministers….didn’t you hear me say that!! The problem is that they are greedy; they want to continue with their corrupt contracts Interviewer: But you entrusted Edgar Lungu and we hear you wanted him as your successor Sata: They are all hopeless. Edgar is hopeless too. The boy lacks vision. He can’t stand on his own. You can tell him to do anything and he will do it. He is easy to influence. Interviewer: But you chose him as your successor Sata: (In an angry voice) Who told you I chose him? That’s what desperation can do. He was the only one who looked a bit sober…who could obey my instructions. The rest were drunk with power and were capable of taking over completely in my absence. They would have ousted me especially these too boys Kambwili and Miles Sampa. Ask Kaseba if I chose any…I couldn’t trust any. I couldn’t see any one to take over from me. Interviewer: But at least you entrusted Edgar? Sata: I was desperate. I had no one completely in mind. Edgar joined me 4 months after I formed PF. But did I give him as much responsibility as I did in my last days? No I didn’t. He is visionless. Mind you, he is my nephew as well. But at least the boy is easy to use. Interviewer: Is it the reason why most MPs or members of the Central Committee are rallying behind him. Sata: (In no hesitation) Exactly!! Exactly!! Edgar is easy to manipulate. My worry is the people using him now. All desperate. They don’t mean well. They want to uproot the nation. Interviewer: And have you seen your wife, she is standing too? You talked ill about Mwanawasa and George kunda’s wives. Sata: (sobbing) My wife has really disappointed me. I can’t believe Christine has done this to me. She has made history. Please I urge you not to vote for her if she’s adopted on the party ticket. Otherwise, she will set precedence. Other presidents’ wives will start killing their husbands to try their best luck. Interviewer: But then who do we vote for? Sata: There’s one boy who made me continuously spend sleepless nights. The boy is good. He would have made me spend only one term in government. When we formed the pact, he refused to share positions. He wanted us to first harmonize our manifestos. So we differed in the approach and we separated. Interviewer: But you called him so many names. You called him under 5. You said he is a tribalist. Sata: That’s politics my friend. He was the best candidate so you use any weapon you have to bring him down. He is not what I told you. He is principled. He is a visionary leader. It’s like in a fight, there are no rules. I attacked him in all corners. Interviewer: But the post newspaper said the same. Sata: (In an angry voice) Can you trust Fred Mmembe? Can you trust the post newspaper? M’membe is a vulture. Didn’t he attack me before? He attacked me until I pleaded with him and made a deal. I promised him a number of things. He managed to bring the boy down. He wanted Sakwiba to succeed Mazoka. But you see, HH understood the vision of UPND because it was his party. They formed it with Mazoka. He was a businessman so he couldn’t risk his businesses at that time. So he remained in the background but as the main funder. So when Mazoka died, he couldn’t risk the party, he jumped. So Mmembe took advantage of the in fights. But the boy clearly won at the convention. Interviewer: But why are you telling us all this now? Sata: (Crying loudly) Because I can’t risk my country anymore. Take the PF for UNDER FIVE.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 11:36:23 +0000
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