3 November 2009
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has appealed to politicians, especially former vice-president Enock Kavindele to leave his family out of politics of hatred and mudslinging.
In a statement released by special assistant to the president for Press and public relations Dickson Jere, in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Banda said he was saddened with the emerging culture of hatred and misinformation in the country where politicians made unsubstantiated statements on issues they knew were totally untrue.
Mr Banda appealed to politicians, especially his opponents to refrain from dragging his children in mudslinging and smear campaigns, which he said they had launched for sometime now.
The president appealed to politicians to leave his children to lead a quiet life, especially those involved in business, as they had been running the companies successfully even before he was recalled from retirement to become vice-president in 2006.
He reminded Mr Kavindele to be sincere with his attacks, particularly that when he served as vice-president, he pleaded with the nation not to judge him based on his son, Enock Kavindele Junior, who was allegedly involved in TST Oil procurement problems.
President Banda said Mr Kavindele rightly argued that his son was old enough to carry out any business transaction without his father's help.
Mr Banda, therefore, wondered what the difference was between Mr Kavindele's son and his children.
The president said Mr Kavindele had approached him over his business problems with the North-Western Railway Company, but he could not help him instantly without consulting widely.
Mr Banda said it was sad that his perceived lack of help for Mr Kavindele to salvage his businesses could attract unjustified attacks on his innocent children.
Meanwhile, Chief Mwanachingwala of the Tonga people of Southern Province has called on opposition leaders to lead by example by respecting President Banda.
Chief Mwanachingwala said there was need for presidential aspirants to lead by example and show respect to the incumbent president to assist maintain peace and security in the country.
In an interview with the Times in Livingstone yesterday, the chief said Zambians should not take advantage of the existing peace in the country to engage in politics of insults.
"I would like to plead with Zambians, especially presidential aspirants to refrain from engaging in insults especially of the head of state. Is Rupiah Banda doing only the wrong things from the time he went to state house? Let us learn to respect our head of State and give credit where it is due," Chief Mwanachingwala said.
"Even after celebrating 45 years of independence, some Zambians are still taking the existing peace in the country for granted. They are misusing the freedom that they have. There must be a limit of freedoms because freedom is not about insulting others," Chief Mwanachingwala said.
He urged Zambian people to maintain peace by upholding respect for all and doing to others what they would want them to do to them.
Meanwhile, Chief Mwanachingwala has commended Zambia Sugar Plc for the interest it has shown in assisting peasant farmers in his area start small-holders sugar plantations.
He said the European Union had agreed to set up a canal from Lwenge to the proposed sugar plantations site while Zambia Sugar would do the rest of the needed specialised works for the farmers.
Chief Mwanachingwala said farmers in his area were also working out modalities to secure water rights to assist them with sugar plantation.
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