RENOWNED politician Mwenya Musenge says those making comparisons between late president Michael Sata and President Edgar Lungu are hypocrites who have already forgotten what the former achieved.
Last Tuesday, Lands Minister Jean Kapata argued that President Lungu had outgrown Michael Sata’s shoes.
But commenting on her remarks, Musenge, the former Nkana PF member of parliament, said all current PF members were “swimming in the glory created by Sata,” adding that no comparison could be made between the two leaders because Sata originated all the PF’s infrastructure development agenda.
“The Patriotic Front of Michael Chilufya Sata is dead. The Patriotic Front of Michael Sata focused on human development. Hence the reason why it was talking about lowering taxes, putting more money in the pockets of the Zambian people and creating more jobs. Meanwhile, that does not exist and nobody talked about this. And I can clearly say that now we have three political parties. Three MMD parties; we have the MMD party being run by Nevers Mumba; we have the MMD party being run by (Felix) Mutati and we have the MMD party being run by Edgar Chagwa Lungu. So, when you look through the so-called Patriotic Front, who are they and where are they from, you will see that they are from the MMD,” Musenge, a former Copperbelt Province minister during Sata’s government, said.
“The Dora Siliya’s of MMD are the ones who are calling the shots in the PF. So, in essence, it is probably what I would term as a wolf in a sheep’s skin. Hypocrites! And this has created total dissent from those who were patriotic to Michael Chiluya Sata, to us who were committed and loyal to his leadership and what he stood for. And, therefore, it is painful when you hear such people make such statements and compare and make, pledge themselves above Michael Chilufya Sata. If I can tell you that Michael Chilufya Sata was a great leader, I don’t think there is anybody, it would be very difficult for me to pin-point among the political leaders that we have today that can really fit in his shoes.”
He stressed that none among the current crop of politicians could be compared to president Sata because he conceptualised the country’s modern road infrastructure.
“What is there that we can point to that we can say, ‘our colleagues have done far beyond and surpassed and outgrown the shoe of Michael Chilufya Sata?’ There is nothing. Because even when you go to his political history before he was even President of this Republic, you will look at a lot of things that he did. Even this fly-over bridge, the three that we have were done by him when he was governor (of Lusaka District in the 1980s). He came up with the idea and today we have again these two bridges in Makeni, the other one at Arcades. Those were the ideas of Michael Chilufya Sata,” said Musenge.
“Opening up the country through the Link Zambia 8,000…You know, our colleagues who are now benefiting in PF were the ones who were laughing at him! They were saying, ‘there is nothing, it is undoable,’ but they are driving on those roads today. Teachers, today, are able to buy a car and build because of Michael Chilufya Sata. Now, can they tell us what they have done that we can say, ‘this can equal what Sata did?’ In fact, they are just sleeping in the glory of the late Michael Chilufya Sata and trying to create an impression like it is them who are doing it.”