Maravi

Rupiah explains Chiluba’s acquittal

Rupiah explains Chiluba’s acquittal
By Patson Chilemba and Chibaula Silwamba
Tue 28 June 2011, 04:10 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday said he had discussions with late president Levy Mwanawasa who felt that something should be done to remove Frederick Chiluba from the “persecution” he was facing.

But this is contrary to then President Mwanawasa’s conditional offer of amnesty to Chiluba upon return of 75 per cent of plundered national resources.
Meanwhile, late Chiluba’s widow, Regina, says her dreams were shattered following the death of her husband.

Addressing mourners at Embassy Park during the burial of former president Chiluba, President Banda said then president Mwanawasa wanted Chiluba to be rescued from the corruption cases he was facing.

“Let me assure all Zambians, if this can help in any way. I was vice-president to president Mwanawasa and I had very sincere discussions with him about what was going on regarding Dr Chiluba.

I can assure the Zambians that he too towards the end felt that something had to be done to remove him from the persecution,” President Banda said.

“However, as we all know even I when I came I tried but there are always people who felt that forgiveness should not be part of our life in Zambia. Therefore, I feel that president Mwanawasa himself, if he had not been taken away, would have said what I am saying.”

President Banda said president Mwanawasa at the end passed the torch to him and it had been carried on with pride.

“Yes, it is true that he faced investigation and fought long legal battles and spent many days and many hours in court, belittling a former president. A guilty man would have run and sought exile in some foreign land. But that was not the nature of this man. He stayed and fought on.

In the end, he was vindicated,” President Banda said. “Let us all remember this day that he enters heaven without a slur against his name. I counted him as a friend. He was always loyal to me, to the MMD and to what its successive presidents have sought to achieve.”

President Banda said Chiluba’s greatest gift to Zambia was the establishment of a lasting and sound democratic system.

“It was Dr Chiluba who gave us press freedoms. That same press often scrutinised him, sometimes beyond what was fair. I am sure that a weaker man would have fought back. But he did not and we respect him for his actions and his acceptance that true democracy often comes at a personal price of being criticised,” he said.

President Banda said the death of Chiluba took many by surprise.
He said Chiluba was a man who was not afraid to disagree with the current thinking of the day.

“In helping form the Movement for Multiparty Democracy, he did it so that it could serve as a vehicle to deliver development to the Zambian people. The people believed in his vision and in November 1991, he became the second president of the Republic of Zambia,” President Banda said.

“Credit must go to both Dr Kenneth Kaunda and to Dr Chiluba for the smooth transition of power.”

President Banda said both he and President Mwanawasa had their own styles but the central core of the MMD remained true to Chiluba’s ideals.

“None of us here are perfect. We all make mistakes,” he said.

President Banda said Chiluba was a human being and those who still harboured ill thoughts against him should set them aside and mourn him with dignity and brotherly compassion.

President Banda said he did not think it was too late for Zambians to ask those who had made it their business to talk about Chiluba to stop doing so.

“It is for their good and I am sure many of them feel guilty and sad that while they feel sorry about the passing of Dr Chiluba but they cannot be here because of what they have said. Let us all forgive each other and proceed forward as one nation,” said President Banda.

And former president of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, said people that might have been offended by Chiluba must remember him with forgiveness and generosity.

Mkapa said Chiluba might have made mistakes but people that felt the effects of those mistakes must not look at his negative side but the positive one.

He said no man was an island and no leader was perfect, and even Chiluba had his shortcomings and could have committed some mistakes.

Mkapa, on behalf of Tanzania and SADC, expressed sympathy and condolences to the Chilubas and the Zambian government.

He described Chiluba as an illustrious son of Africa.
He said Chiluba spent little time of his adult life in Tanzania where he is remembered as a person of great charm, spirited public services and unfailing empathy.

Mpaka said Chiluba shall be remembered for his commitment to justice, fairness and equality of citizens.

He said Chiluba led a campaign for restoration of democracy and was an ardent defender of independence of African states.

“I was privileged to work with him for six years as the two of us led our two countries. In pursuant of good neighbourliness he was a peacemaker,” said Mkapa, singling out the late president’s mediation role in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

And family representative Benjamin Mwila said his nephew died a free man.
“Your Excellency, your love, care and composition for my nephew will continue to comfort us. He died a free man. Free man to pursue his lifelong ambition to improve the lives of the marginalised,” Mwila said.

He said Chiluba worked for peace and believed in doing to others as he would want to be treated.

Mwila said Chiluba shouldered insults and ridicule but never retaliated, opting to suffer quietly and committing all his problems to prayer.

“The man who lies here gave to this country much more than many of us will ever do in this country. He showed signs of courage during trying moments,” said Mwila, adding that Chiluba never contemplated to leave Zambia, even at the height of ‘persecution’.

On behalf of Mwata Kazembe of the Lunda people of Luapula Province where Chiluba hailed from, Chriticles Mwansa said the royal establishment did not want Chiluba’s death to bring divisions in Zambia.

“This is not time to uncover the wounds. Your Excellency, we know that the position you took was not shared by some of our compatriots and we know them.

The demonisation that Dr Chiluba met in certain circles even in moments of sickness and in death shocked most of the world,” Mwansa said.

“We shall never give room to these political spectators who may wish to take advantage and pose as champions of what Dr Chiluba stood for. Dr Chiluba must be left to rest in peace.”

And earlier in her tribute during the church service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross yesterday, Regina spoke of the “biggest smile” Chiluba gave her when she returned from the Copperbelt and found her late husband being attended to by Dr Kangwa shortly before he died.

She said Chiluba assured her that all was well, saying he even asked her to recite Isaiah 53:4-5, I Peter 2:24 and Psalm 23 of the Bible to him, but he died after a short while.

“All my hopes, dreams and plans shattered in an instant of the moment,” Regina said.

She said in the last few days she had mourned Chiluba, she could not help thinking of the times when he was gravely ill but still pulled through.

Regina said Chiluba was often evacuated to South Africa and survived, but she asked why he could not make it this time around.

“I quickly realised it was wrong for me to ask, the Bible says God’s ways are not my ways and it’s not for me to question,” she said.

Regina said Chiluba was her pillar of strength, saying he was a selfless man who loved her unconditionally and she was eternally grateful for this.

She said through the many trials they both went through, Chiluba often referred her to the love of Christ.

She said Chiluba gave Zambians the pride of being homeowners through his housing programme.

Regina said Chiluba was happiest when he spoke about the MMD, the party she said he helped to found and she would continue to support.

She said Chiluba was elated with the last meeting he had with President Rupiah Banda, saying he referred to him as a visionary leader.

Regina said Chiluba’s entire legacy was the declaration of Zambia as a Christian Nation, saying he was overjoyed when his predecessors’, late president Levy Mwanawasa and President Banda, upheld the declaration.
She said she apologised for the times she misunderstood Chiluba.

Chiluba’s son, Darlington said they would miss their father, while his sibling Kaindu said the mourning did not symbolise goodbye as they would meet again.

Their sister, Hulda said it was prayer which saw Chiluba through his most difficult time and had left the children with the legacy of loving God.

Luapula PF rebel member of parliament Peter Machungwa said he was one of the people who had a meeting with Chiluba on the day he died.

He said if Chiluba were unwell on that day then he did his best to keep it from them because he hosted them in his usual manner.

Machungwa said Chiluba’s exit from power had brought more pain than reward.
He said in 2006 Chiluba suffered a heart condition.

Machungwa, who served as a minister in Chiluba’s administration, said the late former president gave latitude to his ministers without overbearing too much on them.

Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Leonard Hikaumba said their slogan was ‘solidarity forever’ to the man who served as leader of the Union for 17 years.

He said some of the decisions Chiluba made contradicted some of the beliefs he held when he was a trade union leader, such as the declaration of a wage freeze in 1998.

Hikaumba said when he and other trade union leaders met Chiluba at State House; he told them that he was looking at the issue from a global view and not a narrow view.

He said issues should not only be looked at from a narrow angle.
Chiluba’s pastor, Bible Gospel Church in Africa overseer, Bishop Peter Ndhlovu said the late president might have made mistakes like anybody else, saying the Bible said every man has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

He said Chiluba loved the nation and was committed towards that cause.
Defence minister Kalombo Mwansa said Chiluba facilitated the signing of peace accords in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dr Mwansa said Chiluba may have his failings like everyone else but should be remembered for the good things he did for the country.

He said Chiluba was a good example of how a hard working Zambian should be, saying the country had lost an inspirational leader.

But while President Banda during his address to mourners said then president Mwanawasa wanted to halt prosecutions of Chiluba, he did not mention the condition attached towards securing his freedom.

During a state visit by then Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo on June 17, 2004, who among other things travelled to reconcile former presidents Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and Frederick Chiluba, President Levy Mwanawasa had offered Chiluba amnesty if he returned at least 75 per cent of stolen national resources.

“If he doesn't want to respond favourably to my response, then we leave it to the courts,” President Mwanawasa said in reference to his offer of amnesty which Chiluba had earlier refused and termed it prejudicial.

Mwanawasa said Chiluba should have been grateful that he (Mwanawasa) was very kind to him by not subjecting him to some harsh conditions for the things he did against the Zambian people.

“He locked up Kaunda for six months, he kept Kaunda for two and half years without paying him anything,” President Mwanawasa said. “I have been paying him ever since I came into government, I haven't denied him bail.”

President Mwanawasa asked President Obasanjo during his visit to inform Chiluba that Zambians were interested in seeing him return their stolen money and that he would forgive him if he brought back 75 per cent of what he had stolen.
He said some of the colleagues facing corruption charges including Chiluba were close to him.

“It does not please me to see him in that predicament. I have offered an olive branch to him. He must return at least 75 per cent of what he had taken from the Zambian people if he wants to be free,” Mwanawasa told Obasanjo.

“I am prepared to exercise my presidential decree to discharge him if he meets this condition. It is never too late for him. As you are going to meet Dr. Chiluba, please pass on this message to him. All what Zambians are interested in is their money back.”

President Obasanjo then held private talks with Dr.Kaunda and Chiluba at their respective residences with the hope of reconciling them before he flew back to Nigeria.

The church service was attended by President Banda, DRC president Joseph Kabila, Katanga Governor Moses Katumbi, Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa, Zimbabwean Vice-President Joyce Mujuru, Vice-President George Kunda, and Uganda’s former first lady Miria Obote and ministers representing southern African nations.

Other governments in the region sent representatives at ministerial level. However, Vice-President George Kunda was not seen at the burial site.

Labels: CORRUPTION, FREDERICK CHILUBA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 4:04 PM