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Kabimba, GBM embrace at Parliament

Kabimba, GBM embrace at Parliament
By Tilyenji Mwanza
Sun 14 Oct. 2012, 14:30 CAT

DEFENCE minister Geoffrey Mwamba and justice minister Wynter Kabimba on Friday embraced. Upon entry into Parliament on Friday just before the budget presentation, Kabimba walked over to Mwamba and the two men hugged each other, amid cheers and jeers from other members of parliament.

But when contacted yesterday to comment on their embracing in Parliament, Kabimba said Mwamba was a colleague and not his friend.

Kabimba said his hugging of Mwamba was an ordinary greeting which he also gave to opposition members of parliament.
He said he had never commented against Mwamba and the hug did not symbolise any reunion between him and the defence minister.

"A friend is somebody who you have personal relationship with; in other words, it's a person who you can go to their house and they can come to yours," Kabimba said. "Mr Mwamba is a colleague, we are in the same party and the government; so he's just a colleague of mine. He is not my friend."
Kabimba said Mwamba was also not his enemy.

"You have not heard me make any comments against Mr Mwamba, never, and as far as I am concerned, there is nothing to be referred to as a reunion. 'Enemies' is a wrong word to be used, it was him who even used that word. I have never used it. Mr Mwamba is a colleague of mine in the party and the government; he's a colleague, that is how I would describe him," said Kabimba.

"You saw me hugging some members of the opposition, they are also my colleagues. If you want to put me in the pact of parliamentarians, everyone who is in parliament is a colleague of mine. There are people in UPND and MMD that I have had a long term relationship with, so they are my colleagues. If you took me to PF, everyone there is a colleague of mine. And if you took me to Cabinet, every minister and deputy minister is a colleague of mine. So Mr Mwamba is also a colleague of mine."

And Mwamba said the perceived problems between him and Kabimba were an in-house matter that would be sorted out internally.
Asked to state whether their embracing just before the budget presentation on Friday was the end of a perceived fight, Mwamba said he would not speak through the media.

"I have no comments to give the media. If I have a comment, I would rather we discuss it amongst ourselves. We will sort our problems within house discussions amongst ourselves than giving into the paper to determine our relationship with Mr Kabimba," Mwamba said.

Labels: GBM, PF, WYNTER KABIMBA

posted by MrK @ 5:42 PM