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Pressure has forced Rupiah to fire DR Musonda - Sata

Pressure has forced Rupiah to fire DR Musonda - Sata
By George Chellah and Moses Kuwema
Fri 18 June 2010, 04:02 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday said public pressure has forced President Rupiah Banda to fire health deputy minister Dr Solomon Musonda for shooting a PF cadre.

Reacting to President Banda’s decision to dismiss Dr Musonda for shooting Jackson Musaka in the head two weeks ago in Serenje, Sata welcomed the President’s decision.

“Rupiah has done a good thing. But I must say congratulations to the Zambian people because without them, Rupiah would not have conceded. This is what public pressure can do. Without public pressure, Musonda would have had a field day. He would still be walking our streets as a free man,” Sata said.

“We solicited for support to hype the pressure on Rupiah from so many people, including some of Rupiah’s own supporters who wanted justice to prevail. Rupiah just couldn’t stand the pressure from the people. That’s why he had to take this route. The public pressure was just too much for him to ignore. If there wasn’t enough public pressure, Musonda would not have been fired.

“Do you remember what Rupiah said when he was asked about the shooting? Rupiah sympathised with Musonda and not the victim. He further suggested that there was a reason why Musonda shot that innocent boy. That confirms my argument that Rupiah wasn’t willing to act in the manner he has done. But the pressure compelled him to do so and Rupiah is currently faced with so many problems and he didn’t want Musonda to be another problem for him.”

Sata said PF would closely be monitoring the events that would follow Dr Musonda’s dismissal.

“I must say that The Post really played a major role in ensuring that injustice is exposed. Now that Musonda is fired, we are waiting for the police to do their part as well,” Sata said.

“It’s up to the police to do their job professionally and independently because we know that before things got to this extent, Rupiah was sending them to Serenje to go and destroy evidence. But their evil ways have failed to deliver. We can only hope that justice will prevail in this matter up to the end.”

President Banda yesterday fired Dr Musonda for shooting Musaka in Chitambo Constituency.

According to a statement issued yesterday by State House special assistant for press and public relations Dickson Jere, President Banda relieved Dr Musonda of his duties as deputy minister of health with immediate effect.

“The President Banda said he has decided to relieve Hon Musonda of his duties after receiving a report indicating that the Director of Public Prosecution has recommended for the prosecution of the deputy minister following a shooting incident in his constituency,” he stated.

“President Banda said he wanted Hon Musonda to concentrate on his case. The President said he also wanted the judicial process to take its course in the matter.”

And home affairs minister Mkhondo Lungu said Dr Musonda’s case had taken long because the Director of Public Prosecution was out of the country the time the shooting incident occurred.

“We always want the law to take its course so there are processes that need to be followed. The DPP was out of the country a few days after the incident occurred so now that he is around we have to wait for him to advise us on the next course of action,” Lungu said.

On gender and development deputy minister Lucy Changwe’s case where she bounced a cheque amounting to K10 million in a property purchase transaction, Lungu said the law would have to take its course.

“It’s a new thing that has just happened because I have just read about it today yesterday but the law will have to take its course…we always want the law to take its course but in the meantime we have to follow the procedure,” said Lungu.

Meanwhile, President Banda has returned former science and technology minister Gabriel Namulambe as mines deputy minister. President Banda fired Namulambe a few months ago for defending late president Levy Mwanawasa’s legacy.

Labels: MMD, MURDER, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA, SOLOMON MUSONDA

posted by MrK @ 5:37 AM