By Brian Mulenga
MOST Zambians of a certain age only got to know Rupiah Banda when he came out of retirement to become Vice President under Levy Mwanawasa and subsequently rose to the position of President.
However, RB was a very prominent person in Zambia and very famous too in the UNIP era. He was always a larger than life character and was the more sophisticated side of the UNIP government of KK.
Everyone has heard of the very young Vernon Mwaanga becoming a diplomat in his early 20s. Well VJ was just part of a group of young men who were like KK and UNIPS diplomatic secret service.
RB knew everybody. When he was a student in Sweden he organsied scholarships for other students from Zambia, Zimbabwe and other African countries.
For instance, Sidney Sekeremayi, a man who was to be a minister in Zimbabwe and was in every cabinet from 1980 to 2017 and who had a fearsome reputation like Emmerson Munangagwa aka the Crocodile was a beneficiary of Rupiah Banda’s efforts to help African students. He became a lifelong friend of RB’s.
The group of these UNIP Young Stars so to speak included Mark Chona, Vernon Mwaanga, Rupiah Banda, Moto Nkhama. This group was to form Zambia’s Foreign Policy for the period 1964 to 1974 and were the backbone and creators of the Zambian Foreign Service.
RB for the first 5 years or so after Independence served abroad as a diplomat and Presidential trouble shooter.
When RB came back to Zambia, he served in several parastatals and other political posts, but he also went into business.
The first locally owned bank, Africa Commercial Bank, was created by RB and as a major shareholder and director was to remain in operation for a decade before failing to due to contagion. When another bank called CAB collapsed amongst rumours of shady deals in the confusion a run developed against ACB and it too had to close its doors as depositors fled!!!
RB was the most fanatical soccer fan amongst the political elite of the 1970s. He had a group called Bola Bola and organised high profile groups to cheer Zambia in their matches abroad.
The Bola Bola group using personal funds would charter a plane and bring friends along and fly to wherever Zambia was playing. That they could charter a whole Boeing 707 and carry up to 200 fans was a testimony to their financial muscle !!!
RB was also a staunch City of Lusaka fan and through City of Lusaka, was to be a member of several FAZ Executives. He was FAZ Vice President at one time and was in several FAZ Executive Committees.
One incident sticks in my mind when he was FAZ Executive Committee member. AT the time my father was also in the FAZ Executive Committee.
After a Zambia game, he and my father decided to go to the team base and congratulate the team.
We drove to Andrews Motel along Kafue Road. My father had bought a piglet, four crates of Mosis and an assortment of spirits. RB showed up a few minutes later with his son Nenani. He proceeded to write cheques for each of players. K500 each if I remember correctly.
A lot of money at the time because it was like the salary for a Graduate Engineer in the mines. I still remember feeling rather sheepish that RB really outdid my Dad.
The captain, Jones Chilengi, gave a speech, thanked RB and my father for the gesture, and proceeded to open the first bottle of Mosi and baptised one of the players with it!!!
A few minutes later other FAZ Exco members also arrived with tokens of cash and drinks and so on and a party developed. The FAZ Accountant and a lady who worked for years at FAZ called Ms. Molly Ngambi, also arrived and they proceeded to pay the players their official match bonuses.
By that time the piglet was being was being demolished and drinks were flowing!! Mr. Hadjipetrou the owner of Andrews Motel also passed through to congratulate the players. He did not seem mind that an impromptu party with drink brought from outside had developed by the poolside in his motel.
The incredible thing was all the players knew RB. All of them chatted freely with him even the rather quiet and shy Alex Chola!
Another incident I remember, which showed the character of the man was when then Sports Minister General Kingsley Chinkuli dissolved the FAZ Executive by decree.
My father was in the FZ Committee dissolved. It just so happened we ran into General Chinkuli along Kafue Road near the junction going to Monty’s bar a hideout the day after it had been announced.
My old man got out to chat with General Chinkuli. The main topic was the dissolution of FAZ. My father had been his house captain and senior at Munali and would always call him, “Mwaiche Kingsley”.
After a few minutes who should stop and join the conversation? RB. Eventually a whole group of cars was stopped by Monty’s turn off and a group of Who’s Whos in Lusaka were deep in conversation by the roadside. There was Mr. Kailimina, General Manager National Milling, Mark Chona Special Assistant to the President and several others. The center of it all, RB.
RB was also the man behind the rise of Lottie Mwale. After Lottie Mwale had won everything there was to win as an amateur except for Olympic gold, he turned professional. RB managed Lottie’s career.
With John Mwale the wrestler, cabaret star and MC extraordinaire, as his PR manager, RB proceeded to launch Lottie into stardom. He even gave a name for Lottie Mwale’s thunderous knockout punch and called it the Nuclear Power Packed Punch.
In a blaze of publicity and in conjunction with two Nigerians Gibson Nwosu as the promoter and Enock Ndu Eneke as trainer Lottie proceeded to demolish all his opposition. RB talked up Lottie and was always present at his victories. His sports promotion company was in the thick of things.
RB was involved even in the first football transfers to Europe in 1985 and 1986 and several Zambian players to Belgium. This included Kalusha Bwalya, Charles Musonda, Stone Nyirenda, the Malawian Frank Sinalo and others.
On the political side RB was Lusaka Governor and Munali MP. He was to figure in a rather curious episode. He was the MP, political heavyweight and Presidential confidante who lost an election to a political novice. A Secondary school headmaster, Mr. Simeon Kampata of Munali Boys Secondary School decided to stand as Munali MP.
In a David vs Goliath episode, the headmaster won!!! With a campaign team very low on resources but bolstered by his pupils at Munali who campaigned very hard for their Headmaster, Mr. Kampata against all odds beat the famous incumbent Rupiah Bwezani Banda.
When Zambia became a multi-party state, Rupiah Banda stayed loyal to UNIP and managed by hard work to preserve Eastern province for UNIP. Unlike most of his peers who changed sides and joined MMD, he stayed loyal to UNIP.
This too had its consequences. RB was detained by FTJ without trial. RB fought his detention and eventually won damages against the state. He was never compensated for a long time in a show of spite. He was only paid his damages much later together with other FTJ era detainees like Dean Mungomba.
By this time, RB had faded out of the limelight and was going through hard times on the business front and politically. He lost his wife and that blow devastated him.
He retired to the farm in Eastern Province near Chipata. To Chipata residents, he was a familiar sight having a cold Mosi at a local pub or inviting old friends for a braai or playing nsolo with friends. Then Levy Mwanawasa came calling and then began the second round of fame and fortune of Rupiah Bwezani Banda.
Kalemba