Maravi

Kabwela’s acquittal has totally embarrassed Rupiah – Nkombo

Kabwela’s acquittal has totally embarrassed Rupiah – Nkombo
By Patson Chilemba
Sat 21 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT

MAZABUKA UPND member of parliament Garry Nkombo yesterday said Post news editor Chansa Kabwela's acquittal has totally embarrassed President Rupiah Banda. Commenting on Kabwela's acquittal on a 'pornography' charge, Nkombo said it would have made sense for President Banda to have consulted before taking such a flimsy case to the courts. He said the people surrounding President Banda were misadvising him.

“I think that we have seen it in the past, Presidents tend to operate on the belief of the clique of people around them.

So I imagine that, yes, it has caused sufficient embarrassment to himself as a person, but I think there is need for people to look a little bit under to see who actually brought this matter to the attention of the President,” Nkombo said.

"So the people who advise the President have been totally embarrassed. As a head of state, I think also he has been embarrassed. And just a little advice to him that this country belongs to many people. It is jointly owned by all Zambians and even before commencing such a flimsy legal action against Ms Kabwela, he should have done consultations. Even the Director of Public Prosecutions, it is also an indictment on him to have taken the matter to litigation.”

Nkombo said the acquittal was a big statement to Zambians who believed in what he termed as disclosure of what was happening. He said the trumped up charge was an attempt to ground the flow of information in the nation.

Nkombo said there was nothing irresponsible in what Kabwela did because she just highlighted to the authorities the grave crisis that existed at the time.

He said the violence which resulted in the injury of many people as a result of the Kabwela case should be blamed squarely on those who, in the first place, took the matter to the police.

And National Revolution Party (NRP) president Cozmo Mumba asked the investigative agencies to operate professionally and not work on instructions from anyone.

Mumba said NRP regretted having supported President Banda during last year's presidential elections because he had not fulfilled what he promised to the youths.

He said President Banda had failed to honour the agreement to appoint more youths to deputy ministerial positions and to take back the K40 billion youth empowerment to the Ministry of Sport.

Mumba also asked Parliament to repeal the K3000 ZNBC TV licence fees because only those from the MMD were being given coverage.

Labels: CHANSA KABWELA, GARRY NKOMBO, RUPIAH BANDA, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 12:23 PM