Maravi

Namulambe refuses to be intimidated

Namulambe refuses to be intimidated
By George Chellah
Sat 28 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT

SCIENCE, technology and vocational training minister Gabriel Namulambe yesterday warned that he will not be intimidated by anyone because he is neither a coward nor a lightweight in politics.

Reacting to MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande and newly-appointed Lusaka Province MMD chairperson William Banda's attacks that he was being tribal, Namulambe stood by his earlier observations on the late president Levy Mwanawasa's legacy.

“There is nothing tribal about what I said. Those were just facts about the late president's legacy and what people feel in Lambaland,” Namulambe said.

“Therefore, I will not even lower myself to go into their tribal talk. Those were facts and there is nothing tribal about that.”

Namulambe dismissed Banda's allegations urging him not to twist his well-meant statement.

“William Banda is elderly enough. If he says 'I must discuss in Cabinet', he must equally not go to the press to attack me. If it's William Banda, those are the same people who misled Dr Kaunda but I am not the kind of person who keeps quiet when things are wrong,” Namulambe said.

“And let them not twist those hard facts I have presented into tribalism because that's far from it. There is nothing tribal about that.

“They are elders, we are young ones. As elders, the best way they (Banda and Kaande) could have done was to call me and sit with me so that I explain to them as opposed to reacting to me in the press. What manners are they teaching the young ones?”

Namulambe said there was need for William Banda to show gratitude to the late Mwanawasa.

“William Banda should even be the last one to say that because he was brought back from Malawi by the late Mwanawasa and therefore he is supposed to join in the defence of Mwanawasa's legacy,” Namulambe said.

“For Mr. Kaande, if he is defending the legacy as he claims then he must realise that the statement I made doesn't amount to tribalism. In fact, what I said is what the Lambas are saying because the Lambas are the ones I have been speaking to and a lot of people, non-Lambas have even joined in defence of the legacy. Haven't they been following what people from there have been saying after I said that?”

Namulambe said he would not be intimidated by anyone.

“William Banda and Kaande will not intimidate me because I am not a coward. They must not think that I am a lightweight. I am young, yes, but I am not a lightweight as they think,” said Namulambe.

Yesterday, Banda was quoted in the public media as saying that Namulambe should realise that Mwanawasa was not elected President because of being a Lamba.

“It is sad that Mr Namulambe could be dragging the entire Lamba tribe into tribal politics. Or maybe is he the spokesperson for the Lamba speaking people he is referring to or was there any meeting where he was chosen as spokesperson for the Lamba-speaking people for him to insinuate that all Lambas are hurt?" Mr Banda asked.

And Kaande described as unfortunate Namulambe's remarks. He said much as he also did not like people insulting the late president, Namulambe should desist from dragging the late president's name into tribal politics because Mwanawasa was not a tribalist.

Namulambe had earlier said that the Lamba people feel so frustrated, hurt and injured that some people have publicly declared that they hated Mwanawasa whom they allege was corrupt.

Labels: GABRIEL NAMULAMBE, MWANAWASA

posted by MrK @ 12:33 PM