Politics Has Made Me Lame - Nakatindi
The Post (
NEWS
January 29, 2004
Posted to the web
By Bivan Saluseki
POLITICS has made
me lame, Sesheke UPND Member of Parliament Princess Nakatindi Wina has said.
Contributing to
President Mwanawasa's opening speech to Parliament on
Tuesday, Princess Nakatindi urged government to
reconstitute the Human Rights Commission (HRC) because as politicians, they
might need the commission.
"I am now
lame because of politics. My spinal problem started when I was in
incarceration," she said.
Princess Nakatindi said she now had a spinal problem which needs an
operation.
"I am a very
sick woman and anything can happen to me now," she said.
Princess Nakatindi reminded members of parliament that they were
politicians and at some point, they might need the services of the HRC.
"We
definitely need a Human Rights Commission. It does a lot of help when you are
in need," she said.
Princess Nakatindi said during her incarceration, she could not be
allowed to bury her brother who was an MMD member of parliament.
"We
shouldn't be singing about human rights and good governance when you can't even
have a Human Rights Commission," he said.
Princess Nakatindi said she was on a drip nursing a spinal injury
when the state took her to Mukobeko Maximum Remand
Prison.
She said the HRC
helped her during her incarceration.
However, Princess
Nakatindi wondered why there was only one
commissioner at the HRC.
Princess Nakatindi condemned the shooting of a man in Sesheke by Namibian security officials.
She said Kakoma Lionze was shot while
carrying three bags of mangoes.
Princess Nakatindi said the man was not attempting to take hand
grenades or firearms to
"
Princess Nakatindi asked government to discuss with Namibian
authorities so that their people stop shooting Zambians in Sesheke.
"They also
come to us but we don't shoot them," she said.
Princess Nakatindi said Caprivi was part
of
On corruption,
Princess Nakatindi President Mwanawasa's
fight against corruption was not serious per se.
She said the
fight could seem to be merely a political platform to gain political mileage.
"We can't
confine ourselves to the Chiluba administration because
even in this government, there is corruption," she said.
Princess Nakatindi said in Sesheke, for
instance, party cadres were given Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) funds.
She said K120
million from HIPC was abused by cadres who were awarded contracts together with
the district administrator, a Mr. Mwangala, who is an
MMD member.
Princess Nakatindi said she had since reported the DA to the
Anti-Corruption Commission so that they probe him for abuse of money.
She said it
pained her to see government keep quite over the Auditor General's report which
revealed that huge amounts of money had been diverted and could not be
accounted for.
"The
President did not touch on this one. If we don't respect the Auditor General's
office, then I don't know what we are supposed to do," she said.
Princess Nakatindi said President Mwanawasa
was elevating DAs to District Commissioners so that they help him get back to
power again.
She commended
agriculture minister Mundia Sikatana
for the increase in food production.
However, Princess
Nakatindi wondered why the 6,480 metric tonnes of
maize was bought at an exorbitant price of US $180 per ton.
She said freedom
of movement and speech were allowed but the rate at which President Mwanawasa was poaching members of parliament from the
opposition was not fair and did not make sense at all.
Princess Nakatindi said what was important was one's principles.
"If you lose
your principle and move with a flag in town they will not respect you,"
she said.
Princess Nakatindi quoted former Kenyan president
Daniel Arap Moi's speech to
his colleagues in 1984: "I call on all ministers, assistant ministers and
other people to sing like parrots. During Mzee Kenyatta's period, I persistently sang Kenyatta's
tune until people said this fellow has nothing to say except to sing for Kenyatta. I say I didn't have ideas of my own, why was I to
have ideas of my own? I was in Kenyatta's shoes and
therefore had to sing whatever Kenyatta wanted. If I
had sung another song, do you think Kenyatta would
have left me alone? Therefore you ought to sing the song I sing. If I put a
full stop, you should also put a full stop. This is how this country would move
forward."
Princess Nakatindi later explained that the quote was in reference
to the defections by opposition members of parliament to the MMD.
She said the
members of parliament were defecting without knowing what they were up to