ZDDM accuses presidential aide of unproffessional conduct

Zambia Direct Democracy Movement P.O Box 34553 Lusaka Zambia E/mail: sakalaedwin92@yahoo.com PRESS STATEMENT We are extremely disappointed with Special Assistance for Press and Public Relation to President Michael Sata, George Chela’s behaviour towards Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) president Dr. Nevers Mumba last Sunday when he attempted to pay a surprise visit to Head of State to talk things out surrounding their differences. George Chela’s job does not include castigating leaders that go to see president, but to create an understanding between the people that have issues with the president and the president himself. In our view, the manner Chela behaved last Sunday when Dr. Mumba attempted to call-on the Head of State to talk things over with the Head of State can be described as unprofessional. If Chela behaved like a professional civil servant of which, he is supposed to be, he should have sat down with Dr. Mumba and taken note of his complain and advise Dr. Mumba that, since he did not have an appointment with the president, he was going to present his complaint to him and arrange for a meeting with him and would get back to him with a good reply than castigate him in front of cameras the way he did. One thing Chela need to know is he was employed a Special Assistance for Press and Public Relation to the president of the republic of Zambia and not president of the Patriotic Front which is the party in power. Chela should know that, Mr. Sata may be the president of the PF but his function as the Head of State supersede those of the party and when it come to performing those functions, and is required to perform as such. When it come to perform the function of being Special Assistance for Press and Public Relation to the president of Zambia, Chela should behave as a civil servant and not cadre PF. It was not PF that employed him. He was employed by the republic of Zambia. Chela should know that, Dr. Mumba is the not the first opposition political party president that went to see the president without an appointment. Prior to 2008, Mr. Sata made a surprise visit to late president Mwanawasa Levy at State house. Special Assistance for Press and Public Relation to Dr. Mwanawasa arranged that he (Mr. Sata) meet the president then and they talked things over and in the end the two leaders reconciled. The whole nation was happy that the two leaders’ people perceived to be sworn enemies had reconciled. The credit went to the person who facilitated the action. Supposing president Mwanawasa’s Special Assistance for Press and Public Relation, Jack Kala had prevented Mr. Sata from meeting the president then or had behaved the way Chela behaved towards Dr. Mumba last Sunday, what could have been the results? Perhaps, president Mwanawasa could have died without reconciling with his sworn enemy, president of the opposition Patriotic Front (PF), now president of the republic of Zambia, Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata. As a result of this action, President Michael Sata received credit from people as a person who loves peace. This act widened his chances of making it to the presidency in the just ended elections. People saw him as man of peace. Today he is president. It was folly for Chela to have prevented Dr. Mumba from talking things over with President Michael Sata. Who known the meeting he aborted could have been the beginning of many good things to come between President Michael Sata and the former ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD). We as a political party condemn the action of performed by Chela to preventing Dr. Mumba to meet the president. We further condemn Chela himself because he is a danger to our growing democracy in Zambia. Our democracy depends on the dialogue Chela is trying to mutilate by preventing a progressive meeting between the president and the opposition political leaders. Edwin Sakala National Coordinator