Maravi

Sata questions Rupiah’s protection of Musonda

Sata questions Rupiah’s protection of Musonda
By Chibaula Silwamba and George Chellah
Sat 12 June 2010, 04:01 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday questioned President Rupiah Banda’s protection of health deputy minister Dr Solomon Musonda who shot and wounded PF cadre Jackson Musaka in Serenje district recently.

Upon his return from a three-day working visit to Mfuwe on Thursday, President Banda said he was sorry for Dr Musonda because he is a professional and there must be a reason that led to his shooting Musaka and that reason would soon be known. But Sata said it was most unfortunate that President Banda could defend his murderous ministers.

“If the President, who is supposed to be the fountain of peace, starts defending his murderous ministers then there is no hope. We don’t even have any hope of justice. We don’t even have any hope of that man being arrested or anything of that nature. It’s most unfortunate,” Sata said.

“Anyway, that is the type of President we have. He has never been on the platform promising the Zambians what he intends to do. So what do you expect from him?”

He said it was unfair that President Banda was praising Dr Musonda, who attempted to murder Musaka.

“If the President is going to allow his ministers to be gunning us, then we don’t know where we are going. We cannot allow people to be gunned and especially using taxpayers’ money, taxpayers’ transport to go and shoot innocent people and being defended by our so-called President. It’s not fair,” Sata said.

“If the President of the Republic of Zambia, who is supposed to be the custodian of peace, is praising murderers then what do we expect, where are we heading to and where are we?”

He demanded that Dr Musonda be taken to court.

“President Banda is not a court. And President Banda as he is not a court let us surrender Dr Musonda to court. Let the court go and decide not Banda,” Sata said.

Sata also stated that Inspector General of police Francis Kabonde was under instruction from the government not to arrest Dr Musonda over the shooting of Musaka.

In a letter to Kabonde dated June 10, 2010, which was also copied to President Banda, home affairs minister Mkhondo Lungu, the chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, European Union leader of delegation Dr Derek Fee and the US Ambassador to Zambia, Sata expressed surprise with the manner Dr Musonda’s case had been handled.

“Re: Shooting of Jackson Musaka by Dr Solomon Musonda. The above-named was shot in the head on 1st June, 2010 by Dr Solomon Musonda who is Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) member of parliament for Chitambo Constituency. Mr Musaka was transferred to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) from Serenje District Hospital on 2nd June, 2010, where he was admitted until 10th June, 2010 when he was discharged. A copy of the medical report from the UTH is herewith enclosed for your easy reference,” Sata stated.

“It is, however, surprising that your office has to-date decided not to take any steps regarding this outrageous criminal act despite the public outcry because the suspect and perpetrator of the crime is a member of the ruling MMD and also a deputy minister in the government. For the last 10 days your office has been hiding behind the principle that the matter is still under investigation and hence the non-arrest and prosecution of Dr Musonda. The truth of the matter is that you have been instructed by those in government not to arrest Dr Musonda.”

Sata stated that the failure by Kabonde’s office to take necessary steps to prosecute Dr Musonda eroded public confidence in the police chief as an individual and the police service at large.

“This is the same government which is supposed to guarantee all the citizens and residents of this country their day-to-day safety and security irrespective of their station in life. As Patriotic Front we take the shooting of an unarmed and defenceless citizen by a minister of government as a blatant violation of human rights and promotion of a culture of impunity by those in authority. I, therefore, challenge you if you are not working under any form of instructions to prove your professionalism and independence by expediting this matter in conjunction with the Director of Public Prosecutions,” Sata stated.

But President Banda said there could be a reason why Dr Musonda 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 Post editor-in-chief Fred M’membe should not go and kill himself in a car and accuse him President Banda of killing him.

Reacting to M’membe’s complaint to former President Dr Kenneth Kaunda that his life is in great danger because 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.”

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.”

Labels: POLITICAL VIOLENCE, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA, SOLOMON MUSONDA

posted by MrK @ 1:02 PM