PARAMOUNT Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni speaking people in Eastern Province has told former Defence minister, George Mpombo and other opposition politicians to stop disparaging President Rupiah Banda.

The paramount chief urged politicians to respect the Republican president.

He said in Chipata yesterday that Mr Mpombo should show respect for President Banda just like he did for late president Levy Mwanawasa.

Chief Mpezeni said contrary to Mr Mpombo's claim, Mr Banda had not failed to lead Zambia.

He advised Mr Mpombo to concentrate on uniting members of the MMD instead of antagonising President Banda.

He also said he was concerned with the newly-introduced Red Card campaign against President Banda and his Government.

The traditional leader said the campaign should not be allowed to go ahead because it could bring chaos in the country.

Meanwhile, former Copperbelt MMD chairperson Terence Findlay has said at no time did he say he hated the late President Mwanawasa and all the Lambas.

Mr Findlay said in a walk-in interview at the Times offices in Ndola yesterday claims that he hated the late president and all Lambas attributed to him in a tabloid were not true.

The tabloid reported that Mr Findlay had openly revealed his hatred for Dr Mwanawasa and all the Lambas during a conversation between him and Mr Mpombo's lawyer outside the Ndola Magistrate Court.

That was after Mr Mpombo's on-going trial in which he allegedly issued a K10 million cheque against an insufficiently-funded account.

Contrary to the report, Mr Findlay said he loved and respected the Lamba people.

"I love Lambas except for a few individuals I may have differed with, so there is no way I can say I hate Lambas," he said.

Mr Findlay said during his campaign for the MMD Copperbelt chairmanship, he had the full support of the Lambas and that they were the ones who mainly contributed to his successful campaign.

He said his sister was married to a Lamba who died last year for about 50 years and some of his nieces and nephews were Lambas.

Mr Findlay said on the day he was alleged to have made the remarks against the Lambas, he had a discussion with former Ndola mayor Emmanuel Chenda when a Lusaka-based lawyer Wynter Kabimba joined the conversation.

He said Mr Chenda asked him if the court case against Mr Mpombo was revenge for being dragged to court in 2007 for a defilement charge.

Mr Findlay said he told Mr Chenda that it was not revenge, and that some individuals who used to surround Dr Mwanawasa were "very bad people" and who had ruined others with lies.

He said he never mentioned Mr Mpombo's name in the conversation or that he hated him and all the Lamba people.