Maravi

Rupiah hunts for Sata, Bush footage

Rupiah hunts for Sata, Bush footage
By Ernest Chanda
Mon 09 July 2012, 13:25 CAT

RUPIAH Banda yesterday assigned people to secure a video footage of last week's meeting between President Michael Sata and US former president George Bush from ZNBC and Muvi TV, sources have revealed.

But special assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations George Chellah says his office is ready to supply as many copies of the video as needed to Banda's office.

During a meeting between the two leaders at State House on Wednesday, President Sata told Bush that his visit to Zambia was payback time for colonialists.

But Banda later apologised to Bush over President Sata's statement, a move that put him in trouble with State House.

Well-placed sources told The Post that following the warning he got from State House, the former president went on a hunt for the video footage whose intended use is not known.

"He instructed his former press aid Dickson Jere and former chief analyst for press and public relations Kennedy Limwanya to look for this video footage. They have been to ZNBC, Muvi TV and all television stations to look for this footage. Whether they have succeeded in finding this footage or not, we don't know. But the two have been going round and we don't know what the former president wants to do with this footage," said the sources.

And when contacted for comment, Jere's mobile phone constantly went unanswered while that of Limwanya was off by press time.

Further effort to contact Banda's administrative secretary Mikatazo Wakumelo failed as his mobile phone was also off.

And Chellah questioned the amount of excitement the meeting between President Sata and Bush had generated in Banda's office.

"We are ready to give Mr Rupiah Banda as many copies of the footage as he needs. The incident in question is a non issue as far as we are concerned; and it is surprising how much excitement it has generated in the former president's office," said Chellah.

"If people are bold, we can help them with the footage but as far as we are concerned they are wasting their time. Let them find more appropriate things to do with their free time; we know they are in retirement."

Labels: GEORGE CHELLAH, GW BUSH, MICHAEL SATA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 1:55 PM