‘Presidential limouisine was bought by Mwanawasa’
- Monday, November 30, 2009, 18:29
- Exclusives
- 48 comments
The Mercedes Benz armoured state limousine which president Rupiah Banda is using was ordered and paid for by his predecessor Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, it has been revealed.
The Post newspaper is running a story saying ‘UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has described the purchase of a new presidential Mercedes Benz armoured state limousine as a sign that President Rupiah Banda wants to live a flamboyant life.
“Commenting on the revelation that President Banda purchased a new presidential vehicle less than a year in office and in the midst of a persistent fuel crisis, Hichilema said the president had misplaced priorities.”
But sources at the ministry of works and supply have told the Watchdog that the limousine was ordered and paid for by Mwanawasa but only delivered after his death.
Sources said that customer-made vehicles like the one in question take upto a year or longer to be delivered from day of making the order.
Sources said the order was made more than two years ago and the maker had to start building the vehicle after the order was made.
Sources also explained that president Banda first used the vehicle in September this year when he officially openned Parliament.
“That car belongs to the legacy”, said one source.
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Hichilema uletekanya mwaice iwe cuz this ba post guys wuld just end up embarassing u if u keep being remote controlled by their stories.You have no slightest idea what Mmembe & his post hidden agenda is all about so tred softly man!Don’t say you were not warned.
Wow…i guess Zambia has more money than it seems when u look at how the marjority are living. So much for the ‘legacy’. Nice ride by the way.
Return it en u wu build 6 hospitals 4your poor relatives
thanks to the cabbage, Banda has a brand new ride!! YEEHAAA!! Fun times
See HH once again made to look like a fool. HAHHAHAHH HH napwa mwebantu, he has been reduced to a cadre. Sata is more mature as you can see on his comments…yaya game yafauka HH, just leave Sata to rule now, you need to learn not to reply for the sake of, musebany abad uyu guys SHAME ON YOU KA HH AHAHHAH, you should have investigated before commenting.
This is ridiculous. So now what was HH talking about, can some one please give me the numbers of HH’s advisors, you are really not doing a good job, HH is opening his mouth unecessary, wjile others are depicted as more mature. HH do not loose focus!!!!
I dont understand why African leaders are so immersed in these luxury cars. It seems like image is so important than the warefare of the people(Citizens). When the President does something in the country the prase him for that like he paid for the works from his pocket. Thats part of his job discreption, he works for us the citizens. Please sell some of the vehciles and build hospital and roads. We are sick and tired of no proper infrastucture but good ministral 4x4s ans cars, even thier dog handlers have 4×4 paid by the state.The are more 4×4 at the Minitry of Health than ambilances at UTH,Cental Hospital etc combined. Please look after the people that put you in power. Dont bit the finger that feeds you. Thank you and I hope somebody will take notice of this. FAT CATS
Sorry Lelya, HH is an Economist and he understands global trends. He knows what his talking about. Give the man a chance.
This HH chap, busy making accusations for purposes of misleading the masses! If you come in power in 2011, am sure he won’t complain taking a ride in this “flamboyant ” merc!
Let it slide folks! In any case, its a state property, not for MMD!
Time and again I have said it that the so called Zambian opposition by the likes of Sata and his fosterchild Hichilema has no future. Nowhere in the world has “an alliance of two tribal demagogues” allergegic to national interest, peace, unity and social progress ever been for the common good. They are disingenuous reactionaries in the banks of political myth fueled by envy, bitterness and impulsive reactions in an indisputable political-cul-desac. Their kitchen sink politics is nothing but a hype of unresearched hyperventilation.
Its sad that indeed as Mwata has put it, credible and alternative Government opposition party politics went with later Mwanamubotu Anderson Mazoka and Dean Mung’omba into their Graves. Sadly they have kept killing the Zambian opposition spirit against the MMD democratic will of a Zambia with a strong and credible issue driven opposition.
RB 2:0 Legacy
So its the lagacy which bought the Merc that the POST tried to make an issue about.How embarrasing to our deep diggers! Do you think they can retract HH’s story or at least apologise for the insinuations?
But what was the point of taking a Mercedes Benz to Kalabo where the roads are poor? Why soo many choopers accompanying a head of state for a poor country that depends on donations? This is what HH is complaining about.
These disingenuous reactionaries in the opposition hierarchy are allergic to integrity but sublevel politics of lies and insults. Late Mazoka is turning in his grave to see how the party he risked and gave everything for has suddenly become recluse of reason and integrity under infantile Hichilema. Mazoka must be gripped with shame and pain with HH’s irrationality.
Zambia Patriot,
This is the futureless protruding ignorance amongst you PACT kaponyas we keep talking about. In Zambia, when the head of state is visiting any part, there is an advance fleet and team ahead of time.RB being driven to City Airport in his official car does not mean the Benz is seating on the next seat with him on the chopper enroot to Kalabo.When he goes outside Lusaka he uses some SUV already arranged. So cut your drivel street level image building for that infantile and irrational reactionist Hichilema. No wonder Sata calls him a bluffing clueless under five calculator boy.
Veteran:
You are the type of person who would let your family starve simply because you want to continue your life style of drinking expensive alcohol. Prudence management requires rational thinking and it takes a true leader to sacrifice their excessive life style for the good of the masses. A Zambia president can not afford the presidential security measures associated with the likes of Obama. Please be real!!!
HH can complain, because it belongs to the legacy then everything has changed? ok what was wrong with the previous Merc.Benz? lol…..you will find out that its just for show but not necessary. there are also many other perks we dnt see or hear about.
Zambia Patriot,
Can you come intelligently and coherently with what you are struggling to bring out? Plugging in words like financial prudence you don’t understand and can hardly articulate on is not helping you out of your sublevel punditry.Talk what wrong RB has done to receive what Mwanawasa ordered and paid for two years ago.Do you have any basics in business law practices in transaction? What of the process of customized orders? I have time to debate you if you can show some intellectual rigour and frame of your debate.I don’t mind your incoherences but a clear picture of what you are struggling to debate me on.
People the post are inocent. They said nothing but carried a story of HH. Am confident they will soon dig deeper. Just wait. Viva post. On the other hand thats RB’s personal to order car. Leave kamwendo mujila alone. Next trip he is going to the toilet in chipata with 3 ZAF planes full of cadres (ZAF). By the way what benefit has it brought to the many poor zambians? After buying it what next.? What was the mortive behind it? To decolate kamwendo mujila. Leave the legacy alone . All 2days gvt & MMD were part of the legacy, which means they bought it together.
Zambia has some dull chaps like Veteran. He talks alot of cow sh*t. Its either his paid by somebody to write this or just stupid and an intelectal dwarf. The car belongs to the state, but we dont need it cause we have more urgent issues at hand thats affect the people of zambia. I hope you get some sense Veteran.
Zambian Patroit, Im on the same level with you. Please try and educate that Interlectual dwarf called Veteran. Thank you.
Standard practice the world over!!! Presidents need protection and being driven in an armored car is not unique to Zambia.
Also these vehicles cost a lot of money. Anyway, it is State property, when Bwenzani leaves office soon, the cars stays for the next person at plot 1—I don’t see anything wrong with this. The security of any president is crutial, whether or not you like the current man occupying that office!!!
“That car belongs to the legacy”, said one source. Funny quote, it may have been written by either Veteran or his cry baby student. The dead cannot answer, so this sentence is highly provocative and daring!
Ba Veteran,
The bribes no kulya bwino has blinded you. The other thing is that Veteran has no family to care for; this person is alone in the world. Therefore if RB & Co. benefit his interests, he cares not for the real veterans and patriots.
Anyway, eat while you can because the day is coming when the oppressed citizens will be liberated from the likes of you.
When Levy came into power, chiluba never bought the presidential car for levy and we know for security reasons that all presidents have custom made motorcades and thats why Levys benz was custom made for him, his weight, height, girth, breath, position of sitting, and speech all these for him and to tell us that he bought another benz while he still had the other one is FOOLISH thinking and especially this intellectual dwarf called shitzen, or veteran.
we all know that rupia has a different stature all together and so the benz he is trying to shift to the dead one is and cannot be bought by levy. he is dead and will not answer no matter how you accuse him.
simply put, you bought the benz but things are backfiring. just accept that you needed your own custom made car period
So much being done that upsets zambians, pipo in govt will refer it to the Legacy while things so pleasing and rather something to thank govt for,seems to have been propelled by RB how come??? Recent study or is it findings have proved that RB has not built on the ”promise” (the slogan he cheated zambians about) anything above 50%. Meaning this man had no agenda for the nation at all. What is more true is that anything developmental that donors will praise him for is actually a work completed that was began by LEGACY.
In short, RB has riden on LEGACY’S developmental ideas from last October till now. He has done nothing of his own apart from the benz,reducing farmers’ incetives,feeding pipo with bad food at state house etc.
What more do we need to wait for that this RB of yours will change before its already 2011???
Farewell RB… wishing him a continued steadfast life with his ‘wife’ Thandi ku farm ku Chipata
the legacy that was never was!mwanawasa did not leave any legacy. his presidency was just as mediocre as the “The comedy of errors Inc in the GRZ!
You can talk as you wish but the Post knows they have blundered on this one again. Thanks to the Watchdog for bringing out the truth. I checked today’s post printed edition, the story is not there. They withdrew it at the last minute when they realised their next error. They had to hastily find a new lead story. Sometimes i wonder how young journalists at the post feel. Its really uninspiring. Using journalism to fight enemies. But that Watchdog for wonderful work. We depend on you to correct falsehoods and errors. It actually makes sense that the car was bought a long time ago. The post will not say anything further on this. They are done. They will move to the next misinformation
Mucheleng’anga that is the point!!! Sick in their heads Veteran or veteranson from the East.This man reminds me of prof. Mvhunga defendinding KK 91 or what a shame.
Dr. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC was a genius! In addition to ordering this state of the art Benz at US$800,000, Zambia continued to spend more money even after his death…K19.5 Billion US$ 4.4 million? How could someone convince us to spend such cash when he was in effect dead? Now this is indeed some Good Economic and Political Legacy we have to look forward to. The chap was just great at hoodwinking some Zambians. Immortal! The mind boggles! Don’t forget, he also ordered the Presidential Helicopter that cost another US$28 million of state cool cash!!! Especially that the bloody toy Helicopter was a refurbished second hand. You want more?
Try this one…K19.5 billion, how many 50 kg bags of fertilizer? How about aspirins and other drugs for our Hospitals? And how about grading of rural roads at K15 million per km? I see 1,300 km of rural roads graded with this kind of money spent on some funeral. That’s a distance of Lusaka to Kalabo and back or Lusaka to Kaputa and back or Lusaka to Chama and back. What a Legacy indeed!
Now you want to look at how many University of Zambia scholarships may be? Okay at K10 million per year per student this funeral cost us 1,950 student places on full UNZA or CBU scholarships!!! Hehehehe!!! A True Legacy of errors? This Legacy was a fuss!!
Mukundakufwa Wamulume :
Keep those figures to yourself, and speak more coherently
Our ministries can be cut in half. Strengthen ministries that can sit us on the path of economic convalescence. Do away with deputy ministerial positions in all ministries and have permanent secretaries act as deputies in the absence of a minister. This is just one way we can jump start this country. Pieces will fall in place as we start developing.
Mwanawasa or not, this problem is now. How do we deal with it? Those buffoons in govt, today will pass the buck to someone else so as to look impeccant. Look at the cars those things are driving, do you think any one of them deserve that status if the state of the nation is like this. The reason we won’t print/mint ONE NGWEE is coz its not worth the paper/coin would be printed/minted on. That applies to the entire cabinet.
Our ministries can be cut in half. Strengthen ministries that can sit us on the path of economic convalescence. Do away with deputy ministerial positions in all ministries and have permanent secretaries act as deputies in the absence of a minister. This is just one way we can jump start this country. Pieces will fall in place as we start developing.
Mwanawasa or not, this problem is now. How do we deal with it? Those buff00ns in govt, today will pass the buck to someone else so as to look impeccant. Look at the cars this things are driving, do you think any one of them deserve that status if the state of the nation is like this. The reason we won’t print/mint ONE NGWEE is coz its not worth the paper/coin would be printed/minted on. That applies to the entire cabinet.
Thank you to the Watchdog media house for giving us an alternative media covarage which attempts to be objective and impartial. I should tell you that i appreciate the works of both the Post and The Watchdog though am i am not sure of both media houses agenda. What am sure of is that both have agendas best known to themselves. However these two media Institutions have brought an New face to the media fratenity. Watchdog well done- go on and do what you are best known for!
Observant citizens in LSK noticed early last year that all Defence Chiefs were spotting the new 500SEL Merrcedes Benz Cars, soon the VIP was spotting one and word went round that Legacy had ordered one custom made!!! whaoh it is a nice ride!!! Nice choice. You need a head of state to travel in elegance!!! Now they must change the SUV he is currently using and get a VX V8 Toyota Landcruiser
Kalebwe I dont know why you seem so over excercised concerning the Post. The fact is the Post broke the story that there is a new Merc in town. There is completely nothing wrong with this. The govt and even the ZW only got to talking about it and explaining how and who purchased it after exposure by the Post.Ba Kalebwe why assasinate the messenger? By the way the Post are still carrying the story and reporting from both angles! You must be feeling very petty!
I wonder if the end RB will not say “Mwanawasa bought me the presidency!” When a deal goes wrong (The Hearses and now the Limo), then the ghost of Mwanawasa has to pay for it…
The Republican president deserve descent transport and its just right to purchase the vehicle in question. Zedians, its not a big deal and Hichilema must keep quiet and concentrate on his dictatorship with his UPND. Foolish argument.
i think the presidency deserves a decent car world over they are in nice cars at least “olo tulechula” that office deserves something decent.
The legacy haunts RB like in the Haunted House by Eddie Murphy. Thats why he hides in the legacy whenever he fails to logically explain issues. What a government. There is need of overhauling the system for the sake of prosperity and continuity in social political development based on transparency and professionalism. We no longer politicians training to become one while already in plot one. The consequences are grave because the spend the first term trying to build there ego and identity. As are result we lose there services in both financial and human resource. This has been the trend and must be stopped begining with RB.
Nice ride but sorry RB you cant use it on the copperbelt,the raods are bad better you take it back so that we use the money to upgrade Roads on the copperbelt kwati tekufuma a huge amount of Tax but poor Road network especially mu chingola…….ViVa 2011
Manuel please, the issue is not about breaking the story. The issue is about facts. The post wanted to push an angle that the merc was bought by RB so that they continue portraying him as irresponsible. But the Watchdog corrected that error. And that is what we, who are sane, are appreciating.
I alspo don’t know the agenda of the Watchdog. The post are easy to know and we have been with them for years now. They are harmless, loud barking dogs. But its still difficult to say with finality what the Watchdog stands for. Today they will post stuff here which will make you think the editor is the last born of Michael Sata. And the next day, you will find something completely different. They will talk about the UPND/PF pact like they stay at RB’s farm. Such people are dangerous. Its better to know the enemy
Kalebwe, The Watchdog is a symbol of proffesional journalism, its neither pro MMD or Pact, and thats what a media body is supposed to be. So if you want stories flattering Sata and HH go to The Post.
that car is too exepensive and has to be sold so the money cud be used for vital economic issues…
H.H.Said what he knows about the newly bought elephant.Who knows may be H.H had investigated thoughly well and may be the W.D did not do well on this one.All mistakes beeing done in the state house are being caused by the dead.If Mazoka is going to be grieved with H.H in his grave over the Pact then Mwanawasa is going to be more GRIEVED with the state house for shifting of all mistakes to PM sc.Gentlemen let Mwanawasa R.I.P. Always legacy.Please naimwe ba Citizen let umwine Mazoka alale mu cibote chamfumu ngani H.H wamukalifya eo mulelandapo capwa.Let the dead alone.Lastly Mwaice H.H you are wise to in your opinion. Viva pact.2011 see you guys in the offices and liberat Zambia and you R.B travel well in that car.
Mr. God does not abandon the poor but the rich can eat and forgate about them.One day it will happen the way it happened between lazarous and the rich man.in our venacular we say ubunga balinga na menshi it is better to buy car that is at least not very expensive and remember the poor which can lead people to complain.
Granted, every politician wants to make political capital out of any event. Where are RB’s public relations managers to help him? People have been accusing RB for omissions or commissions of the late President Mwanawasa! I feel sorry for the old man.
Kalebwe if the post was not there, I bet you wouldn’t have been too. They saved your life. They saved your money, they saved your family and so show respect and a lot of it for that matter.