By Patson Chilemba
The USA citizen Jason Makhela who claims he is Defence permanent Secretary Norman Chipakupaku’s son says State House has advised him to seek a DNA test and a court order, to compel Chipakupaku to consent to the matter, in correspondence shown to Daily Revelation involving Makheka and Plot 1.
And the uncle to Jason, Manasseh Makhela, who is South African, spoke with Daily Revelation in a telephone interview, saying he knows Chipakupaku inside out having done business with him in South Africa and Zambia, and that he has been emotionally battered over the years seeing the fruitless attempts by his nephew to connect with “his father Chipakupaku”, saying the Defence PS must first think of “repatriating his son from America before talking about repatriating Zambians from Ukraine.”
Manasseh also said his relationship with Chipakupaku was once close such that he (Chipakupaku) once took him to the residences of former presidents Kenneth Kaunda and Rupiah Banda, but that he now wants to teach people like Chipakupaku a lesson, “for contributing to a dangerous world” where children get involved in all sorts of activities because their parents have not been there for them.
Jason has shared with Daily Revelation the conversation he had with State House over the matter via the Twitter Platform.
“Hi there sir? We saw your tweet that you tagged us in. Kindly give us a bit more background to yourself,” the tweet said to be from State House stated.
“Hi. My name is Jason Makhela. I’m looking for my dad Norman Chipakupaku. He is the current secretary of Defence of Zambia. I believe he resides in both Zambia and Scotland and Zambia. I don’t have the same last name as he does because he never married my late mother. Please help me reconnect with him. It’s been 26 years and I’ve tried everything I can to try and reach him. He doesn’t reply. My mom passed away in 2008 and I moved to United States. I have attached a photo of myself and a video too,” Jason replied.
“Can you kindly send a video of yourself reading this statement you have just made,” States House requested, and then replied after he acted on the request: “Thank you for coming forth with this information. Do you mind if we ask you some more questions? Just so we can further assist you and get some clarity.”
“Yes sure,” Jason responded.
“Do you have any proof of some sort to prove that indeed Norman Chipakupaku is your father?” State House asked, upon which Jason produced and image of himself and his purported father.
“What proof is this?” State House responded to Jason producing a picture of himself and Chipakupaku.
“I look just like him. I can do a DNA test,” Jason said.
“Aside from that picture?” State House retorted.
Jason then requested that State House should call his aunties and uncles and that they would say the same and his elders had no reason to lie.
“A DNA would be ideal indeed however Mr Chipakupaku has to consent to it. And if he doesn’t then there isn’t much you can do. The only way you can compel him is by getting a court order,” State House states, to which Jason replied that he would like a DNA test.
“We are not by any means saying you are lying however the burden of proof rests on your shoulders. Anybody can make the claims you are making,” State House stated, with Jason responding: “ But you can’t deny that I look just like him.”
“Looks can be deceiving they say, have you met Mr Chipakupaku?” State House asked.
Jason reminded that he had met him, with State House asking if he had met him both physically and personally and when that was.
Jason claimed he met Chipakupaku in South Africa, in Louis Trichardt and that he bought him a Chipolopolo outfit when he was five.
And the man claiming to be Jason’s uncle, Manasseh said he knows more about Chipakupaku, and that he was ready to testify in court should the matter be taken to court.
He said he felt emotionally charged having to deal with the matter because their parents died when they were young and and therefore as the eldest he was left to take care of his siblings, among them Jason’s late mother.
Manasseh challenged Chipakupaku that he was holding a very powerful position as permanent secretary in the Ministry of Defence and therefore must be man enough, saying “tell him Manasseh who now has become your brother in laws he’s telling you to focus on repatriating your own son.”
“I think I am the only person who can sit down and tell Norman Chipakupaku, he doesn’t owe me anything, I don’t owe him anything. I will tell him exactly what he wasn’t told in his life,” Manasseh said, adding that he wanted to have the matter resolved before he dies.
Manasseh argued that he wasn’t even interested in the money nor the position Chipakupaku was holding, saying this was when he was even learning that he was Defence PS.
He said this situation reminded him of late South African statesman Nelson Mandela who” fathered a lot of children” and when they started inquiring about that, others started shielding him that they were doing so because he was holding a prominent place in society.
“I know everything. I know this man because I was also with him. I did business with him in South Africa and also in Lusaka. And he’s the one who took me also to your ex-president Mr Rupiah Banda. I was at Mr Rupiah Banda’s the whole week. And also he took me to the old man’s house KK. So I know the story,” Manasseh said.
He said there should be a video call involving himself, Chipakupaku and Jason to see who is talking the truth and who is not, saying Jason should be called “Jason Chipakupaku” and not “Jason Makhela” as that was an insult in African tradition.
“I am very interested with what you told me just now to say he is worried and he is very much involved in repatriating Zambian nationals in Ukraine. Tell him to first be concerned about the repatriation or his own son before he goes to Ukraine. Charity begins at home. He must acknowledge and look at expatriating the son from America to stay with him. Just tell him that,” said Manasseh, and warning that he knew where Chipakupaku worked and can easily locate him.
