Allow me to enjoy my retirement - Rupiah

Allow me to enjoy my retirement - Rupiah
By Kombe Chimpinde
Tue 05 Mar. 2013, 13:50 CAT

RUPIAH Banda says those calling for his immunity to be lifted must leave him to enjoy his retirement.

Former president Banda told Radio Phoenix from Kenya yesterday that while there were calls for his immunity to be lifted following corruption-related allegations during his three-year tenure, he did the best he could for the country.

Banda said he did not like the idea of lifting of his immunity because it was detrimental to the development of the country.
"I think it's not good for our country that each president that comes, an attempt to remove his immunity is made. In that case, then if there is no need for immunity, then remove it for all of us, so that whoever wants to investigate can investigate," he said.

"Whoever wants to investigate can investigate but to pick and choose whose immunity should be pulled out, I think that is not right."
Banda claimed that the achievements scored during his three-year reign were there for Zambians and those demanding the lifting of his immunity, and prosecution, to see.

"The Zambian people are witnesses to the hard work that I put in. I was in every province, every district to ensure that the programmes we had set out to achieve, like the re-construction of our roads, the new buildings we were building all over and there was an attempt at unifying our people, considering some of the problems that we have always had about divisions…, all these things are very clear to the Zambian people," he said.

"So even if the few colleagues who think that this is a good strategy, to attempt to remove my immunity, they will find out that that one will turn against them. I think that I did my best and that I should be allowed to enjoy my retirement, like I am doing now, working for Africans and the world."
Banda also said he was hopeful that the presidential candidates in the Kenyan polls would accept the outcome of the elections, which opened yesterday.
Banda is monitoring elections in Kenya.