By Kennedy Limwanya.
As the nation mourns the departure of Zambia’s fourth president Rupiah Bwezani Banda, history should continue being recorded.
Today, 15 March, 2022, marks exactly nine years since 80 Patriotic Front (PF) Members of Parliament voted in favour of a motion to remove Mr Banda’s immunity against prosecution.
The previous day, Mr Banda had petitioned the Lusaka High Court to declare that the National Assembly could not debate grounds for the lifting of his immunity without according him an opportunity to be heard.
But despite the matter being in court, Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini had gone ahead to accept the inclusion of the motion on the order paper of that day.
The following morning, Mr Banda received a call-out to appear before the Anti-Corruption Commission at the Drug Enforcement Commission offices in Lusaka.
The lifting of Mr Banda’s immunity had come exactly one year after the former president had said calls for the stripping of his immunity were ill-conceived.
On 15 March 2012, Mr Banda had addressed a press conference at his New Kasama residence to announce that he was stepping down as president of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy.
In responding to journalists’ questions on a sustained campaign for the lifting of his immunity, Mr Banda had the following to say:
“I am not afraid of losing my immunity as long as those calling for its removal have genuine reasons and do not deliberately persecute me and my family.
“I have avoided commenting on the issue because I want the authorities to make the decision without my interference.
“But removing my immunity will set a bad precedent for future generations.
“After me, the next former president will be Mr Sata and if we inculcate in our people and our children the mentality that everyone who goes must be treated the same way as the previous one, we will never stop it.
“I am not trying to protect myself but if you say something about me, there should be no malice involved.
“I do feel that I’m being persecuted but, again, the beauty about persecution is that it hurts the one who persecutes than the one who is being persecuted.
“If I do not sleep because my family is being persecuted, I’m sure even those who are planning to give me sleepless nights and persecuting my family do not sleep.
“I’m sure the people scheming against me are worried by their actions because they are aware that persecution means attacking somebody who is innocent.
“I have no ill feelings against anybody. Everyday I’m attacked, I say to myself, ‘Please, please, God, give me the strength not to dislike these people”.
The man had a big heart.
Kennedy Limwanya is a Former Chief Analyst for Press and Public Relations at State House under Late President Rupiah Banda.
Leave a Reply