Maravi

Rupiah must cage William, says Kabimba

Rupiah must cage William, says Kabimba
By George Chellah
Thu 06 May 2010, 04:00 CAT

Lands minister Peter Daka (l) sharing a light moment with Lusaka province MMD chairperson William Banda and Chris Chalwe (c) after seeing -off President Rupiah Banda when he traveled to kalabo. 28-11-2009. Picture by Thomas Nsama

Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Wynter Kabimba yesterday demanded that President Rupiah Banda cage MMD Lusaka Province chairperson William Banda before Zambians stand up to defend themselves from his extra-judicial activities.

In an interview, Kabimba wondered why William Banda has become so indisciplined under President Banda leadership. He said William was actually a liability to President Banda than an asset.

“He is also a liability on the MMD more than an asset and I do not see how William Banda’s excesses and extra judicial activities he is involved in will make anybody vote for MMD in this country,” Kabimba said, asking:

“And why is it that this William Banda has only become so indisciplined under RB, which he wasn’t under Levy who brought him back from Malawi? It’s because Levy wanted to lead a clean government and party.

Levy made it clear to all that he will not accept extra judicial excesses like these being manifested by William Banda under Rupiah today. Rupiah must cage William Banda before the citizens or Zambians decide to stand up and defend themselves against his extra-judicial activities and excesses and they are prepared to do that if they are pushed against the wall. And the responsibility of such a situation will lie squarely on Rupiah.”

He said William has in the last few months been engaged in obnoxious activities, which should have prompted President Banda to caution him publicly.

“William Banda’s way of conducting politics on behalf of MMD and Rupiah can actually sow seeds of civil strife in the country.

This is a man whose political language is unacceptable and it is discomforting to the citizens of Zambia and yet he appears to be saying all these with great impunity,” Kabimba said.

“Remember the incident where he led the so-called task force on land and actually turned himself into a Commissioner of Lands to evict people from a piece of land without any judicial order even when he is not an officer of government. This is an incident where the President should have come in to reassure the citizens that William Banda’s excesses are not being carried out with his consent.”

Kabimba likened William Banda’s behaviour to that of ANC youth league leader Julius Malema.

“We have seen how President Jacob Zuma in South Africa has decided to cage Malema for similar excesses, which were ultimately suspected to have led to the murder of Eugene Terre-blanche leader of the white supremacist group,” Kabimba said.

“That is the problem when a man like William Banda is left unchecked and when the President thinks that he is playing a role of a blue-eyed boy for him and becoming obviously a threat to the security of the rest of the citizens and even none citizens.”
Kabimba said there was no doubt that William Banda had not transformed himself from a one party state syndrome and habits to a democratic environment.

“He does not seem to fit into the MMD’s pronouncements made by the late Mwanawasa who brought him from Malawi where he was exiled and who laid down the principle that ‘this is going to be a government of laws and not a government of men’,” Kabimba said.

“We were hoping that by Rupiah continuing to preach that he would uphold the late Mwanawasa’s legacy whose cornerstone was the principle of the rule of law, Rupiah was going to ensure that the UNIP syndrome or one party state syndrome being exhibited by William Banda does not show its ugly head under the MMD government.”
He said President Banda does not realise that William’s activities are decampaigning him.

“And it’s not for Rupiah to intimidate none Zambian citizens by saying that ‘these people want regime change and must go back to their countries’.

The world has become one and because we live in a global world under the charters of the United Nations and the African Union, every human being in the world is free to move and to go and live in any country of their choice on this planet,” Kabimba said.

“And that’s the reason why the International Criminal Court was set up to punish those who think that the criminal activities they commit in their own countries shall be confined only to the criminal jurisdiction of their countries and not otherwise.

“The Court was therefore set up to ensure that people are answerable to the larger family called the world, even to criminal activities which they commit within the boundaries of their own countries. So William Banda is actually a liability on Rupiah.”

Labels: POLITICAL VIOLENCE, RUPIAH BANDA, WILLIAM BANDA, WYNTER KABIMBA

posted by MrK @ 4:50 AM