Nalubamba challenges Chiluba to sue

Nalubamba challenges Chiluba to sue
By Patson Chilemba
Wed 10 Feb. 2010, 11:00 CAT

SENIOR chief Bright Nalubamba of the Ila people of Namwala district has challenged Frederick Chiluba to sue him if he has guts to do so.

Reacting to former president Chiluba's threat to take legal action against those who are calling for the stripping of his presidential benefits on grounds that he is back in active politics, chief Nalubamba said he was ready to meet Chiluba in court.

“If he has got guts, he can go ahead. You can't stop people to speak out when things are not going well by threats of that nature. That is not the way to help the country. If he doesn't believe what The Post say, if he doesn't believe what former finance minister Ng'andu Magande is saying, if he doesn't believe what I say, then let him take the right action or the right case,” chief Nalubamba said.

“You know that is the very man who stopped Dr Kenneth Kaunda from receiving his benefits just because Kaunda was speaking for UNIP. You can see when rules or laws are made targeting individuals.

They are shameless laws. At one time some people were saying that for one to be Republican president, they must not be more than 70 years. Now if that law was passed, what would it mean to President Rupiah Banda now? You see let's make laws targeting the nation. The nation should be our priority, the country, not just because chief Nalubamba one day made a statement, which you don't like, so you must shut him up by making a law against him. Next time they will shut you up using the same law."

Chief Nalubamba said Chiluba was caught in the same law he made to target Dr Kaunda.

“Now they did it to Dr Kaunda, it is now on Chiluba, but Chiluba is now saying he has rights more than what Dr Kaunda had,” he said.

Chief Nalubamba wondered why Chiluba was not quick to sue those who called him a thief.

“You see in my view, to be called a thief is more shameful than to be said to have broken that law about former presidents. So if I were him, I would have felt more shameful when people call me a thief. That is when I should have taken action against those people, other than this one. Maybe they are just threatening Magande, but I entirely agree with Lusaka lawyer Wynter Kabimba's statement. We will wait and see,” said chief Nalubamba.

Last Saturday, Chiluba threatened to sue those who were calling for the stripping of his benefits.

Those he threatened include Post Newspapers, Chilanga MMD member of parliament Ng’andu Magande, chief Nalubamba, chief Chona and Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Kabimba.