By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
EDGAR Lungu would not have conceded defeat had it not been for the initiative of Rupiah Banda to broker a peaceful transfer of power, says Luxon Kazabu.
Asked if Lungu would not have conceded defeat had Banda not prevailed, Kazabu said the fourth Republican president did not want to see bloodshed befall the nation.
“Without doubt, without doubt, Edwin. I followed events even when it had become very clear that the PF had lost the elections to the UPND, the former president Edgar Lungu was not forthcoming in terms of conceding defeat. Your guess is as good as mine over what was happening in his camp,” Kazabu, a former Nkana PF member of parliament, said.
“But when that did happen, the late RB (Rupiah Banda) took it upon himself to prevail over Lungu because the last thing he would have liked to see happen was blood being shed just because of power. That is why he took it upon himself to intervene and many Zambians need to be reminded that it took too long before we could have the former president (Lungu) conceding defeat.”
He said Zambians owe it to Banda for his statesmanship to broker a peaceful change of power from the PF to the UPND.
“So we will remember the late former head of state Rupiah Bwezani Banda for even other contributions he made to the Republic of Zambia,” said Kazabu.