Maravi

Fourth witness confirms Banda's bribery

Fourth witness confirms Banda's bribery
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Sunday October 12, 2008 [04:01]

A FOURTH witness John Chishimba has emerged to support the Times of Zambia story that revealed that Rupiah Banda bribed late Claudius Sakala with K20,000 for him to defect from MMD to UNIP in 1991.

In a walk-in interview at The Post offices in Kitwe on Thursday, John Chishimba - who was MMD Munali Constituency youth secretary at the time, said Vice-President Banda in fact bribed Sakala, contrary to MMD chairman Michael Mabenga's claims that the money was Vice-President Banda's goodwill towards a bereavement in Sakala's family.

"I would rather say or mention a few names of officials who were in MMD at that time. As I have said, I was the youth secretary, the chairman was Luwena and the others I can't remember; it's a long time ago,” Chishimba said. “The men's group was headed by Mr.

Chibulabamukowa, he used to work for Department of Civil Aviation. He stays in Chelstone. The publicity secretary for the men was Mr. Chabala. He was popularly known as ‘young king cobra’, him even moved to the position of district publicity secretary.

“Then we had Honourable Penza's campaign administrator who was Chilengi - the young brother to Chilengi the footballer in Zambia Army. Lusaka district, the chairman was Colonel Chambula, then Lusaka Province was headed by Mr Mtesa. Then to make things so wonderful is that Friday Ng'ona, the owner of Friday's Corner, was a member of the Mtendere Ward."

Chishimba said it was not true that Sakala had asked for the K20,000 from Vice-President Banda.

"What had happened was that when we were holding a meeting for Zambia Airways employees, captains and engineers, they wanted to hear from Ronald Penza and this meeting was being held at Captain Katongo's house in Chelstone green," Chishimba explained. "That is when Sakala, with a group of four members, came to this meeting and said that they had been offered to defect to UNIP and they have been promised some token."

Chishimba said the executive then told Sakala and the other members that it was up to them to decide whether or not to defect but that Sakala and others assured the meeting that they would not defect to UNIP.

"So we advised him Sakala to get the money first before going for the press conference. From there we organised some youths, close to about 100, who attended the press conference," Chishimba said.

He said his committee organised the youths from Munali, Mtendere and Kaunda Square.
Chishimba said at the press conference at Intercontinental Hotel, Sakala disclosed that he was offered K20,000 by Vice-President Banda to defect from MMD to UNIP.

"The money was being held by his wife; she is also late. So that is what had transpired," Chishimba said.

Chishimba said that two days after the disrupted press conference, Vice-President Banda cooked up the funeral story, claiming the K20,000 he gave Sakala was meant for a funeral.

On Tuesday last week, Charles Manda, a former youth secretary for Mtendere Ward in 1991 was the first one to dismiss MMD national chairperson Mabenga's statement that the K20,000 given to Sakala was not a bribe but meant for a funeral.

Meanwhile, Chishimba said Dr Kenneth Kaunda - during his presidency - rejected a list of names submitted by Rupiah Banda as foreign affairs minister for appointments into foreign service because the names were from one region.

"You people have failed to dig deeper on Rupiah Banda's tribalism. At one time president Kaunda, I can challenge him, rejected Rupiah Banda's list of proposed personnel who were supposed to serve in the diplomatic missions because as Dr Kaunda put it, it

contained most of the names from a certain region. Now, how can he refuse that he is not a tribalist?" asked Chishimba. “I request Dr Kaunda to make known the formula he used to disqualify Patriotic Front president Michael Sata's presidential bid so that it could be used on all presidential hopefuls.”

Labels: BRIBERY, JOHN CHISHIMBA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 4:39 AM