JOSEPH Banda says there is no court in Zambia which can stop President Edgar Lungu from contesting next year.
In an interview in Sinda after he was attacked in Petauke on Tuesday evening, Banda, a resident of Lusangazi district, said it was nonsense to talk about President Lungu’s eligibility because he has only served one term and not two terms.
Banda, who aspires to contest as member of parliament on the ruling PF ticket in Msanzala, advised people who talk about third term to forget about it saying it does not apply to President Lungu.
“The issue of third term is not there. We should forget the issue of third term as there is nothing like third term. We don’t have any candidate as a party – we have one candidate that is President Edgar Lungu. The third term nonsense people should just forget it,” he sarcastically retorted. “There is no court in Zambia which can declare Edgar Lungu not to stand, okay! He has not done two terms. He has done one term because from 2015-2016, he was finishing the Term for the late president Michael Sata. He first became the President as far as we are concerned in 2016. It’s simple mathematics. We are not even worried, even the courts themselves know. This issue of eligibility people are talking about it’s nonsense. They should stop it. We have no leadership crisis in the nation, Edgar Lungu is standing.”
The Republican Constitution prohibits any individual who has held office of President twice going for a third time. President Lungu was first sworn and held office of President in 2015 and in 2016.
And Banda claimed that President Lungu had taken development to every part of the country.
“All these boys who are talking of eligibility, let them form their own political parties and we will meet them in the battle field,” he said.
He added that anyone who would be chosen by people, either Lungu or Hakainde Hichilema would rule as per laws of Zambia.
Banda said the PF were very much confident that President Lungu would win next year’s presidential election.
About the event where unknown people attacked him at Magwillys Lodge in Petauke, Banda wondered how he could be attacked when everyone knew he was a PF member.
“I am surprised why someone can come and attack me when I am a full member of PF and people are fully aware that I am campaigning for President Edgar Lungu. President Edgar Lungu got a lot of votes in 2016 not because of Peter Daka but because of me. Peter Daka never campaigned for the President, he was just sleeping,” he said. “We pushed for the win of the President. The President got about 20,000 votes in Msanzala and Peter Daka got about 7,000. Why should an MP get 7,000 votes and President gets more votes?”
He said 2021 was a hot year politically and that only the mature in mind would stand the heat.
Banda promised never to give up the race no matter how many times people attack him politically.
“When you are a leader, you should be of service to the people. I not giving up. I lost an election in 2016 to Peter Daka, I was a baby then but now I have grown. I am not giving up, I am not going backwards but pushing forward,” he said.
Banda, who sustained a cut on his finger during the fracas, urged his enemies not to fight him physically but politically by taking development to the people.
He said the unknown youths entered the lodge and started insulting him, branding him a Satanist who was using blood money to develop Lusangazi.
A fight ensued between Banda’s boys and the attackers who had a pistol, screw drivers and knives.
When he went to stop the fight, an unknown individual knifed him in the finger.
Chikowa ward aspirant Funwell Tembo sustained a cut on the right hand.
Banda said after overpowering about 10 youths, he and his team went to Sinda where they reported the attack on them.