By Lambwe Kachali
First republican president Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s family has demanded that Lusaka province minister Bowman Lusambo apologises for insulting their honest and integrity.
And the family has asked President Edgar Lungu to discipline Lusambo for demeaning and disgracing the office of the President.
Lusambo last week accused Dr Kaunda’s family, singled out Colonel Panji and Kaweche of being frustrated who lost an opportunity to make money and better their lives when their father Dr Kaunda was president for 27 years.
Lusambo’s statement followed Colonel Panji’s letter to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to institute investigations into the source of income for President Edgar Lungu’s daughter Tasila who paid K2 million cash to purchase 600 hectares of farm land from Reverend Ben Zulu.
In his defense for Tasila, Lusambo said K2 million was nothing because such an amount can be used just for shopping.
He described Dr Kaunda’s family as frustrated who missed a golden opportunity to amass wealth when their father served as republican president for more than two decades.
“Those are frustrated guys, they missed their opportunity in 27 years when their father was president. They would have also managed to put their lives in order. You can’t be a son to the President for 27 years and you find yourself in that situation, which means your brain doesn’t work well,” Lusambo said. “President Kaunda was the president for 27 years, 27 solid years. Panji Kaunda, those big boys, they used to be big boys and they were supposed to put their lives in order, so whatever things which you have seen from Panji Kaunda those are frustrations.”
But speaking with Daily Revelation, Colonel Panji’s brother Kaweche defended the integrity of his family, saying, “that if (not) bettering our lives is living a clean and honest life, and not taking advantage of the poor people of Zambia, then he is all talking rubbish. And that (is) an insult basically, we were not thieves. That because our father was president for 27 years, we should have stolen?” he wondered. “What we did, we lived clean lives. That is why we are still here in Zambia (today).”
He said only dishonest and greedy children with criminal and thieving minds would take advantage of their parent’s political position to steal from fellow citizens.
“If we had been thieves and stolen, the people of Zambia would have been left with nothing. Look around Africa, not far! Look around African what happened. Some families have been in office and owned the whole country. We could have done that. Our father had more power, and we could have easily done that. But we couldn’t because we respected what our father was doing for the country and the region. God help us! If Bowman’s father would ever have been president; God help the people of Zambia what would have happened,” he imagined.
Kaweche said all his siblings were content with what they have acquired and very proud for not having used their father’s position to steal from the Zambian people.
He added: “Basically, being president (or president’s children) doesn’t mean it’s an opportunity to steal. All of us are educated; all of us have choices and that’s the wealth our father gave us. Right now, with what our father did and with (the) respect our father had earned, I can go anywhere in the world and they accord us with that respect because of our father. Not because we stole money, or because I have got K2 million in my account, that is not respect. All of us are content with what we are doing. There is not one of us who is not content with what we are doing. But this did not come as a result of having stolen from the people of Zambia.”
He called on President Lungu to sanction Lusambo and discipline him because potentially, his statement demeans the office of the President.
Kaweche said if left unchecked, Lusambo was sending dangerous message to the young people by implying that when one was a president, it was an opportunity for the children to amass ill-gotten wealth.
He noted that people like Lusambo were not fit to be in public offices. He observed that K2 million was a lot of money to majority Zambians and it was unacceptable for Lusambo to describe as nothing.
“What is he telling the people of Zambia when he goes to campaign? That K2 million is nothing when poor people in the villages are not even able to have K5, and he is saying K2 million is nothing? That is an insult to the people!” he charged.
Kaweche demanded that Lusambo apologises to the Dr Kaunda’s family and the people of Zambia at large.
“What Bowman has done is a big insult to the family; and an insult to people of Zambia that when you are president, your family must steal; this is what his message is telling the people. How do you talk like that?. Because what will young people learn (from his statement), that the Kaunda’s missed an opportunity when their father was president for 27 years, they never made money? What are you telling them? That whoever is going to be president, their children must steal. So, he owes the people of Zambia and apology; he owes our family an apology,” demanded Kaweche. “And if he is going to counter what am saying, let us meet face to face and discuss this in public (on radio or TV). Not where he hides behind the newspaper and pretend as if he has done nothing wrong. This is a big insult and he owes the people of Zambia and apology and he owes us an apology. We are not thieves.” -Daily Revelation