WHY I WAS AFRAID FOR JJ BANDA’S LIFE
This caption by Chilufya Tayali was posted a few hours after JJ Banda disappeared. For those who may not be aware, Chilufya Tayali is Mr. Edgar Lungu’s campaign manager, now living in the diaspora.
Mr. Chilufya Tayali, a self-proclaimed public lawyer, presents himself as a very intelligent person who sets agendas for former President Lungu. Unfortunately, Mr. Lungu does not realize the damage Tayali is causing to his reputation. At the instigation of Chilufya Tayali, people have been killed, all in the name of agenda setting. It is Tayali’s actions that led to the deaths of Nsama Nsama and Joseph Kaunda, among others.
As the saying goes, “a dead man can’t talk.” A few hours after JJ Banda’s disappearance, Chilufya Tayali posted a condolence message on his page. I know he has since deleted it, but I kept it for a reason. A dead JJ Banda would have fit well into UKA’s propaganda more than a live one. This is what Chilufya Tayali wished for. Even when JJ Banda was found alive, Tayali still had something to say: “We have heard that the government wants to charge JJ Banda for abducting himself.” As he said this, he was sweating wherever he was.
Tayali is positioned and supported to do propaganda from abroad. However, it won’t be long before Mr. Edgar Lungu realizes that Tayali’s luxurious lifestyle adds no value to Lungu’s image. It’s cheap propaganda.
UKA is using their old tactics. They are flooding their pages with various messages, hoping JJ Banda reads and uses them to respond during interrogation. They are live streaming and posting articles in the hope that JJ Banda uses their messages to respond to law enforcement officers. I use “interviewing” and “interrogating” interchangeably because JJ Banda could be a witness or a suspect.
What UKA is trying to do is tell JJ Banda what to say to the investigators. They want him to claim he never complained about being abducted. It might sound simple, and PF pages may get excited, but the most unfortunate part of this response was involving the good Samaritan—the person at whose doorstep Mr. Banda was allegedly found. The truth is, the so-called good Samaritan interviewed JJ Banda about why he was there. JJ Banda’s response to the good Samaritan was given to the police and recorded.
Perhaps this is why PF recruited junkies, thinking they could get away with crimes. However, there are very good and intelligent cops handling this investigation.
Here is the reality of the whole matter: let’s say JJ Banda denies ever being abducted.Mr. Edgar Lungu, Emmanuel Mwamba, and a thousand cadres, including JJ Banda’s sister, may be cited for giving false information to public officers, as they went to Twin Palm Police Station to report the abduction, supported by information from Hon. Benwell Mpundu, MP.
Interrogation is not child’s play. Let’s wait and see. An interrogation is not as simple as posting on Facebook, UKA. UKA is now speculating, not knowing what JJ Banda is telling authorities. He is talking to authorities because he is alive. This was my worry and the reason I feared for his life. If he had died by hanging, it would have fit well into UKA’s political propaganda.
From the behaviour of UKA’s team and examining it from criminal psychology, one can tell that they wanted the worst for JJ Banda to use it as justification for inciting revolt against the government and dividing the country. I wish and pray that the government will not misuse this golden opportunity to bring sanity among politicians. This case is bigger than the propaganda UKA and PF are circulating.
SIKAILE C SIKAILE
GOOD GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST/ANALYST

