Rupiah is muzzling the judiciary – Fr Bwalya
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Mon 13 Sep. 2010, 14:00 CAT
CHANGE Life Zambia (CLZ) executive director Fr Frank Bwalya has said it is clear in the eyes of many Zambian people that President Rupiah Banda is muzzling the judiciary.
Reacting to President Banda’s statement last week that self-anointed spokesmen for Zambians had been viciously and unjustifiably attacking the judiciary, Fr Bwalya said it was President Banda himself who had been undermining the operations of the judiciary and in some cases dictated the outcome of critical cases involving his political allies.
“I find it totally misplaced that he should blame people that have been raising critical voices against the judiciary. In my view those of us who have been critical of our judiciary have actually directed our criticism primarily at Rupiah Banda because he is the one who is muzzling the judiciary,” Fr Bwalya said.
He said President Banda’s statements clearly showed that that he was the one who had made the judiciary lose respect in the eyes of the public.
Concerning President Banda’s remarks that some people had anointed themselves as spokespersons for Zambians, Fr Bwalya said the President had also anointed himself as a spokesperson for Zambians in propagating very unpopular positions.
“I remember for instance him saying that he was happy that Zambians had accepted the acquittal of Frederick Chiluba by magistrate Jones Chinyama. This is an example of Rupiah Banda appointing himself as a false prophet. What he should appreciate on the other hand is that for us we champion the true cause of the people,” Fr Bwalya said.
He said Zambians who were demanding that government takes the registration of the London High Court judgment against Chiluba back to court were shocked by the kind of decisions the courts were making.
Fr Bwalya said if President Banda believed that disgruntled self-anointed spokespersons were creating problems, he should allow a public hearing for him to gauge the true sentiments of the people.
Labels: CHANGE LIFE ZAMBIA, FRANK BWALYA, JUDICIARY, RUPIAH BANDA
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Fr Bwalya to counter Chanda Chimba’s documentaries
By Kombe Chimpinde
Thu 19 Aug. 2010, 14:10 CAT
Change Life Zambia (CLZ) Executive Director Fr Frank Bwalya has disclosed that he is set to produce and release a series of documentaries focused countering issues raised by freelance journalist and MMD sympathiser Chanda Chimba III. And Fr Bwalya has said the MMD will feel the impact of the red card campaign in the 2011 elections.
Speaking in an interview, Fr Bwalya said his decision follows a series of documentaries produced by Chimba and aired on ZNBC and MUVI TV denouncing him and the Catholic Church, the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) and Post Newspaper editor-in-chief Fred M'membe.
“Am collecting as much information as possible from various sources in order to expose Chanda. The Catholics and I have been greatly injured by those documentaries aimed at scandalising my name and my church and even imputing criminal conduct on my part,” Fr Bwalya said.
Fr Bwalya said his documentary would be limited to his what he termed “findings on Chanda Chimba's dirty dealings” and his association with the ruling MMD who he accused of having funded his operational and production costs stressing that the documentaries will also signify the disgust by him and the Catholic church.
In his text message to Chimba accessed by The Post online last month, Fr Bwalya warned Chimba that he would soon “taste the bitter taste of his own medicine.”
“Dear Chanda Chimba III, thanks for scandalizing my name and my church. I have a lot of information about you from people that have been hurt because of you defaming them. I can't believe that many people know your scandals.
I am making a documentary on you. It will be ready soon. So look out for it. You will soon taste your own bitter medicine,” the text read.
Fr Bwalya said he his main objective was to reveal the motivation behind the documentaries that have so far been produced.
He cautioned however that the documentary is only an action that has been taken by him to defend himself and the Catholic church emphasizing that others have since taken legal action against Chimba.
And Fr Bwalya has disclosed that he has circulated 50,000 red cards since his famous red-card campaign kicked off.
He said that this figure excludes cards produced and distributed by other civil society organizations and the public.
“The red card campaign is still on and strong contrary to assertions by President Rupiah Banda that people have shunned the campaign. It may seem like we are not working but we feel we are on course .
People appreciate that the objectives of the campaign is anchored on strong principles which is to denounce the government's failure to govern the people of Zambia according to expectations. The campaign is unstoppable and is spreading like a bush fire,” said Fr Bwalya.
Labels: CHANDA CHIMBA III, CHANGE LIFE ZAMBIA, FRANK BWALYA, MMD, PROPAGANDA, RED CARD CAMPAIGN
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