Maravi

Rupiah reveals why he wept

COMMENT - What a collection of lost opportunities. He could have used his position to get hundreds of thousands of people jobs. No imagination, and no sense of purpose other than to take whatever he could.

Rupiah reveals why he wept
By Roy Habaalu and Kombe Chimpinde
Fri 16 Mar. 2012, 12:00 CAT

RUPIAH Banda says he cried after losing elections because he enjoyed being President and the travelling aspect too. And former president Banda, who feels he is being persecuted, said before removing his immunity, the government must find ways of resolving matters with him.

Responding to questions from journalists on why he wept after the September 20 electoral defeat by the PF, Banda said he enjoyed being called ‘Mr President' and his loss also meant his friends would have no jobs.

He said he shed tears because it was an emotional occasion for him and that his colleagues would lose jobs and their children would not go to school.

"It was an emotional occasion. I am human like anybody else. I am human, it was emotional. I was sitting in front of you and all of you were there. My colleagues with whom I had worked for three wonderful years were with me. It's a very fair question. It was a mixture of all things and of course I enjoyed working for you. I enjoyed working for the Zambian people, so I shouldn't pretend and say being President I didn't enjoy. Of course I did enjoy to be called Mr President, to travel on your behalf and to make friends on your behalf, so that was a very emotional moment. It was very emotional for me. I was praying for this country to go forward, that there should be no fighting and also you remember that there were people who were sharpening knives and saying that we are going to spill blood if these elections don't go their way. I didn't want any of that, but now the load is off my head," he said during a press briefing at his residence in Lusaka.

Banda said the PF government was persecuting an innocent person.

"Yes I do, I do feel that I am being persecuted but again the beauty about persecution is that it hurts the one persecuting you…than the one who is being persecuted. If I don't sleep because my family is being persecuted, I am sure even those who are planning for me not to sleep even themselves… and I am an old man I should know that that's how life is all about. Even themselves it must worry them because persecution means attacking somebody who is innocent, so they themselves it should affect them," he said.

Banda said every time he was accused of corruption, he told himself not to dislike those that considered what they were doing right but he allowed people to make a judgement.

He said he had not commented on the reversal of his decisions by the PF government in order to allow President Michael Sata to govern properly.

Banda said during a meeting at State House after he conceded defeat, he told President Sata that he should not look over his shoulders when making decisions.

He said the reversal of the privatisation of Zamtel didn't mean that he had become a dummy after leaving the presidency.

"I know how it happened, so I told the President - don't worry about me. If we were wrong by privatising Zamtel the way we did it and they (PF) are right to have taken it over, history will prove that we don't have to quarrel over it. We are one family. If they will succeed and Zamtel will be lucrative, we will all join them in rejoicing with them that our country has gone forward. If they fail, the people of Zambia will judge. I believe, in defence of my government, I believe that we did the right decision by privatising Zamtel the way we did it at that time. Time will prove who is right and wrong. I wish them all the best," he said.

On calls by stakeholders to have his immunity removed and to allow him answer to alleged corruption charges, the former president said the government must find a way of resolving such matters with his government.

He said there was need to respect each other so that the country moved forward.

"After me, the next former President will be Mr Sata. If we inculcate in our people and our children…the mentality is that everyone who goes must be treated the same way as the previous one, we will never stop it. I am not trying to protect myself. If you say something about me, put it there but not out of malice. To give each other respect is not a bad thing. It doesn't matter how old you are. We did those things as a government. So if we were wrong, they must find a way to resolve these matters with us," said a composed Banda.

On the whereabouts of his son Henry who is wanted by police, Banda said his son was safe, without disclosing his location.

He said there would be nothing wrong if Henry was in Kenya because President Mwai Kibaki was his brother.

He said the Kenyan government told him that Henry was last in that country long before last year's elections.

"Henry is very safe and he's not in Kenya as you are always informed. I think it's not fair. I said it but allow me to say it again and I am very glad that the press itself including The Post Newspapers because the question came from The Post, that you always report correctly on what I say. When my wife went for police questioning, I went there to say thank you to the women of our party who had come to support their colleague and while we were there, I was asked the same question about Henry and that time I was a little bit upset with the IG (Dr Martin Malama) at the time because I felt he was behaving in an unprofessional manner," said Banda.

"At that time I felt that he was going too far inciting people against Henry. He's not in Kenya and it's not fair to the Zambian people to be told blatant lies by those of us who have been privileged to inform the country and to tell the President lies. For your own information, none so far have reached him. When I talk to him (Henry), when I talk to his lawyers, they tell me the same (that they have not been communicated to). So let's not misinform the country."

Meanwhile Banda said he would like to be remembered as a president who gave the press maximum respect.

And Banda said his decision to step down as leader of the party had nothing to do with the prevailing political situation within the party.

"I decided to take this decision in view of the latest international programme in which I have the honour and privilege of being invited to take part. My Boston Unversity programme begins towards the end of this month," he said.

"Therefore I won't be in the country to provide day-to-day advice and guidance to the MMD. I have decided to concentrate on my new programme.This programme will require me to be out of this great country for a period of three months, which means I will be out for a long time."

He said he had earlier turned down the university's request for him to carry out lectures for a year and opted for three months.

"You will agree that a political party cannot function without an effective leader for that long. Therefore in all fairness to my party, myself and my family, I found it prudent that I take up this new assignment which will require my time and energies," he said.

Banda also credited himself for being consistent in the running of the party affairs even after losing last September's elections.

"In fact you will recall that I was due to officially leave the MMD leadership in December last year at a meeting held at Protea Hotel in Lusaka," he said.

"However , my colleagues in NEC inisisted that I should stay for a while in order to guide the party."

Banda also said despite being at the helm of the party, he was not privy to how far the party had gone in raising funds for the convention.

Banda was hopeful the MMD would bounce back in 2016.

He thanked the members for the service and respect accorded to him while he served as party president.

"It is my prayer that the next leader of the MMD will build on the structure I have left. I have no doubt that the MMD will rise again," said Banda.

Labels: PF, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 5:40 PM