Maravi

Rupiah denies threats on M’membe’s life

Rupiah denies threats on M’membe’s life
By Chibaula Silwamba
Thu 10 June 2010, 17:20 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has said Post editor Fred M’membe should not go and kill himself in a car and accuse him that he has killed him. And President Banda said he felt sorry for health deputy minister Dr Solomon Musonda, who recently shot and wounded a PF cadre Jackson Musaka.

Reacting to M’membe’s complaint to former President Dr Kenneth Kaunda that his life is in great danger because he President Banda, former president Frederick Chiluba and the latter’s friends were hunting him, President Banda said he could not do that to M’membe.

“Do I look like a man hunter? I think that, I can understand, they say in my language, ‘if somebody is in problems don’t shut his mouth’. So let him say whatever he wants to say but to tell you the truth, I think you know me well enough to know that it is far from the truth,” President Banda said.

“In any case, his current problems are not with me, but between him and the judiciary. I have not jailed him, I don’t jail anybody. He has a problem with the judiciary and the judiciary put him in and he should understand that.

There is nothing personal between me and him. And he shouldn’t go and kill himself in a car because that is the last thing I will do.”

And President Banda declined to discipline Dr Musonda, saying there could be a reason why he shot Musaka.

“I am very sorry also for him Dr Musonda. This matter again as you know it’s in the hands of the police and the DPP Director of Public Prosecution. I have really nothing to say about it. I am of course very sorry for him. He is a professional; it’s a pity that this has happened to him but there must be a reason, we shall know about it soon,” President Banda said.

Asked if he would discipline Dr Musonda, President Banda responded: “No! No! I think you are going too fast, why can’t we wait until everything is clear.”

President Banda also said he was not shaken by the launch of the PF-UPND Pact last weekend.

“They launched it also last year. I thought they are going to tell us who is the leader of the Pact but they re-launched it. They launched it last year. We all knew about the pact all along,” said President Banda.

“No! Do we look like shaken people? And where we have come from you could have seen the people at the airport. I think that’s politics; it’s interesting. Next year it should be very fascinating for the Zambians and those watching the Zambian situation.”

President Banda was speaking to journalists at City Airport on arrival from Mfuwe where he had gone for a three day working holiday.

Labels: DEATH THREATS, FRED M'MEMBE, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 11:35 PM