‘Govt risks failing lamentably to prosecute Fr Bwalya’

‘Govt risks failing lamentably to prosecute Fr Bwalya’
By Patson Chilemba
Thu 27 May 2010, 04:01 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday warned that the government risks failing lamentably to successfully prosecute Fr Frank Bwalya because calling someone umuwelewele is not an insult.

Commenting on the warn and caution statement recorded from Fr Bwalya for calling President Rupiah Banda umuwelewele, Sata reminded the government that they tried to prosecute Roy Clarke on the same charge but failed.

“At the moment theyhave recorded two warn and caution statements on the same issue. This is the second time they are doing it. At one time they tried to deport Roy Clarke for saying ‘elephant muwelewele’, but they failed. There is already a precedence set by the courts, they risk failing lamentably. Anyway, you might not know the Zambian courts,” Sata said. “Calling someone umuwelewele is not an insult.”

And PF central committee member Kennedy Sakeni said it was not defamatory to call the President umuwelewele. He said umuwelewele was a word which was commonly used to refer to somebody who was not stable in the manner he handled issues.

Sakeni said the police service was to blame because of their double standards in administering justice in the country.

“If somebody from the opposition complains, the police rarely take action. You know the threats like the one on Edith Nawakwi and Fr Bwalya, our police seem to be folding their arms. That is a recipe for anarchy, because if police don’t defend us people will find a way of defending themselves,” Sakeni said.

“The police are not an MMD tool or a tool for President Banda and his ministers. It is a tool for the people of Zambia…vigilantes are literally back on the horizon.”

Change Life Zambia executive director Fr Bwalya on Monday admitted having described President Banda as umuwelewele but maintained that the term was not defamatory.

During the recording of a warn and caution statement at Luanshya Central Police Station, second district criminal investigations officer Katongo Mulenga informed Fr Bwalya that he had been summoned to appear in connection with an article published on page two of The Post newspaper dated May 10, 2010 headlined ‘Rupiah should be given a red card, says Fr Bwalya.’ In this story, Fr Bwalya described President Banda as umuwelele who deserved a red card.