PATRIOTIC Front(PF) leader Michael Sata has received wide condemnation over his statement that late Republican president Levy Mwanawasa's decision to evacuate him to South Africa for treatment was a mere public relations (PR) gimmick.

The PF leader has also been described as a highly ungrateful person and a liability to modern politics.

The MMD, the church, civil society and former PF secretaries general have all condemned Mr Sata.

MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba said it was sad that Mr Sata, who had all along been eulogising the late president could u-turn and make such a statement.

Dr Kalumba said making after-thought statements for political convenience was the worst someone eyeing the highest position in the land could do.

He said it was unbelievable that Mr Sata who had all along been praising Dr Mwanawasa's intervention to evacuate him to South Africa, could make such a u-turn and contradict himself just for political expediency.

"Mr Sata's statement is highly hypocritical and the highest measure of ingratitude. This is the man who has been eulogising the late president and it is surprising that he could make such a u-turn and contradict himself in such a manner," Dr Kalumba said.

MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya has advised Mr Sata to let Dr Mwanawasa rest in peace, instead of continuously using his name for political purposes.

Ms Siliya said the MMD loved Dr Mwanawasa as its second party president and so it would not allow Mr Sata or any politician to continue using the late president's name for political purposes.

She said Mr Sata's statement was unfortunate, unfair and ungrateful of him because the MMD Government used taxpayers' money to take him to South Africa to save his life.

She said the MMD Government decided to put politics aside and resolved to evacuate Mr Sata to South Africa to save his life, but it was sad that the PF leader could turn around and claim the whole thing was mere public relations.

She was sure that Zambians were listening and watching what was happening on the political scene and they would make a choice in 2011 elections basing on what some opposition politicians were saying in the media.

Kitwe District MMD chairperson George Lungu said, as a leader, Mr Sata should be grateful. It would have been more helpful if the PF leader disparaged the action while Dr Mwanawasa was alive.

"Mr Sata told the nation that he had reconciled with the late president just after he came back from hospital. Is he now publicly admitting that there was no reconciliation?" Mr Lungu asked.

The MMD in Kitwe was saddened by the remarks and advised Mr Sata to leave the dead alone.

Three former PF secretaries general Charles Chimumbwa, Edward Mumbi and Edwin Lifwekelo also condemned Mr Sata and described the PF leader as a liability to modern politics.

Mr Chimumbwa said Mr Sata's behaviour goes to show the kind of a person the PF leader was.

"It is good that the people of Zambia are now seeing the inconsistency in a person eyeing the country's presidency.

"In fact, Mr Sata's statement explains the reason why the former first lady Maureen Mwanawasa chased him from Dr Mwanawasa's funeral in Chipata," he said.

Mr Mumbi said Mr Sata was a populist politician who would go to the extent of attacking the dead to get what he wanted.

"This is the person who claimed to have reconciled with the late president but now he has turned around 180 degrees to state that his evacuation was a mere PR gimmick. This is unbelievable. What a pretender," Mr Mumbi said.

He said Mr Sata must have realised that the people close to Dr Mwanawasa whom he thought he would work with, were not interested in doing so, hence his resorting to attacking the late president.

Mr Lifwekelo said Mr Sata had become irrelevant and was not adding any value to Zambian politics, going by his inconsistency.

"His behaviour should be widely condemned," he said.

UNIP secretary general Jemima Banda said Mr Sata's remarks showed his failure to discuss issues and had now resorted to attacking the dead.

Ms Banda said it was sad for a person aspiring to become Republican president to reach the extreme of attacking the dead when he was supposed to articulate issues of national development and to preach unity.

"Without Dr Mwanawasa, Mr Sata would have been a dead issue by now. Mr

Sata has nothing to offer to this country and this is why he has resorted to attacking the dead, which is against African culture," she said

Former United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Copperbelt Presbytery Bishop Committee Njase said various statements such as the one from Mr Sata and other politicians were helping Zambians to know the quality of people aspiring for the presidency.

Bishop Njase said he found it difficult to comment on Mr Sata's statement because it was an indication that he was not grateful for the assistance he was given when he had a heart problem.

"It is difficulty to comment on such a statement because I am failing to understand that people can be this ungrateful. Any way, it is better we know the quality of people aspiring for presidency," Bishop Njase said.