By Patson Chilemba
I am happy that people are feeling for me, it is just a question of time, says Andrew Banda when asked over his sympathisers querying his not being given any government job.
Asked by Daily Revelation on reports that he was earmarked for a diplomatic appointment which has however, not come to fruition, Banda said he was not the appointing authority and therefore could not comment on something he did not know about, describing such information ,as speculation.
But asked if he was eyeing any appointment which was of course the main target for those who campaign for their parties, especially one that recently assumed office, and how he felt on not being given any position in the UPND, Banda said the minute one went into politics for positions and not service to the people “then you have a problem.”
“For me I have been around for a long time… if it was the issue of wanting positions you know the story. I don’t want to repeat this thing about what happened in the past, me on this side (and others on) the other side. You get my point? Because I am principled. So please let people not put words in my mouth. For me I am not in this thing for positions and when it does come, if it ever comes , it is welcome,” Banda said.
But asked that some of his sympathisers have queried his being left out on appointments , Banda said: “And I am happy they are doing that, which means they feel for me isn’t it? So you leave it there. It’s a question of time.”
Put to him that he once differed with his father, late former president Rupiah Banda over his support for the UPND while the father migrated from the MMD to support the PF, Banda said he was not the appointing authority, saying “for me life goes on.”
He said he wanted to see his party provide service to the people of Zambia and the President to fulfill what the UPND promised and the rest does not bother him as when the time comes everybody will know, but that now was not the time.
“And it goes back to the thing you are talking about, having the father on this side. You know for young people they think this thing started with the PF. In 1991 I was one of the founder members of the MMD. My father was minister in the government of Kaunda. You know that. I stood as member of parliament in Chipata-Central, he stood in Munali. You get my point? And others think that my politics started with my father. No! It has nothing to do with him,” Banda said, saying his father respected his principles as the two simply had a different opinion on matters.
But reminded that his father famously said concerning him when they publicly differed that “ikamunyokola njala azabwela”, Banda said people did not understand the Chewa parable because what president Banda meant was that he was his son and would come back to him one day.
“I asked him actually one day, two years after, I said why did you do that? He says no, no, no sonny they didn’t understand what I meant. What I meant is that it doesn’t matter what happens that’s my son. He will come back to me. It was not an insult but people who don’t understand languages thought it was an insult. And we laughed it off,” Banda said.
He said he loved his father very much and was just coming from visiting his grave site at the time of the interview.
Banda said president Banda told him that he had a few days left to live, and urged him to keep up his good work and advise “the good President to unite this country” and develop it.
He said a week before that he had called President Hakainde Hichilema and advised him that it was important for him to see the old man because he could tell that he was now going, and that the President gracefully went and met the old man.
