STATEMENT ON ILL- CONCEIVED SCHEME TO LIFT FORMER PRESIDENTS’ IMMUNITY
The desire of some section of society to demand for stripping off former Heads of State’s immunity is an ill- conceived scheme orchestrated to tarnish their image in the Court of Public Opinion is un acceptable and should come to an end.
We say so because there are no justifiable grounds to do so except to humiliate, embarrass and fix them in an effort to paint them black
This unfortunately also dents the country’s image to the international community.
Zambians will recall how the late President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa rushed to Parliament to accuse the second Republican President late Frederick Chiluba of wrongdoing when he presented the so- called prema facie case to have his predecessor’s immunity lifted by Parliament.
As a matter of fact, Parliament lifted President Chiluba’s immunity and was tried by Courts of Law like a common criminal and was subsequently acquitted.
Then, there was the fourth Republican President Rupiah Bwezani Banda whose immunity was lifted after he left office by the PF administration under late President Michael Chilufya Sata, he was taken to court on allegations of wrongdoing, but once again he was set free by the competent Courts of Law.
Moreso, the first Republican President late Dr Kenneth Kaunda was not spared by this evil injustice of the desire to fix former Heads of State as he was also accused of wrongdoing by the MMD administration under President Frederick Chiluba in their ill-conceived attempt to destroy KK’ s legacy.
Zambians will recall that KK was also incarcerated on trumped up charges.
We are also alive to the fact that late President Mwanawasa’s Task Force on Corruption and Plunder of National Resources gobbled colossal sums of money in legal fees and operation costs of our meagre resources that would have been used to provide social services- yet to date the nation has not been availed with the outcome of that expensive undertaking at the expense of the majority poor Zambian people.
We are fully aware of some section of society that are now agitating for the removal of the sixth Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s immunity on baseless grounds.
We are also fully aware that the lifting of former President Lungu’s immunity can only be initiated by the sitting President Mr.Hakainde Hichilema, and we pray that he will not succumb to such ill-conceived demands as the same fate will befall him immediately after he vacates office.
In view of the foregoing, we urge the Zambian people to focus their energies on issues of national unity and development in an effort to improve their livelihood instead of wasting time on none beneficial issues such as the demand for lifting of former Presidents’ immunity for the sole purpose of humiliating and fixing them.
Issued by:
ZAMBIAN DNA SPOKESPERSON.
SPUKI MULEMWA