By Patson Chilemba
Former president Rupiah Banda has agreed with his son, Andrew that he should fill in the shoes of the late founding father Dr Kenneth Kaunda to unite, what Andrew described as a polarised nation.
And president Banda said he is feeling much better “as you can even hear me, muntu olwala sasoba.”
Speaking with Daily Revelation over Andrew’s statement that this was time for his father to fill in the shoes of Dr Kaunda as the sole remaining former president, president Banda said: “Yah he’s very right, you know my message always, whenever you have spoken to me, my message has always been about unity, about peace, about love for one another and so on. Yes we all want to belong to whatever political parties but that is our right, we chose to have multiparty system, but let’s not choose not to love one another in the process.”
President said “that’s why the passing of Dr Kaunda for me, the most thing that I am requesting the Zambians is that it should bring us together.”
“There must be a way of bringing our leaders together so that people can feel confident in the future of our country,” he said.
The former president further said he did not want to be involved in advising people on what to do, over the fake news posted that he had died in Dubai, but that he was happy the government clarified the issue.
“This media that we have is a very good thing…but it should not be abused as a good weapon of informing our country, informing our people. I think let’s use it in a responsible manner. I saw that statement from him (government statement) and I agree with him 100 percent, that is all I can say,” president Banda said. “Let’s use this way of medium of talking to each other in order to show care for each other as we are doing, in my case I am hearing from all of you, all concerned about me and so on.”
Asked how he was doing now following the colon cancer treatment he has been receiving, president Banda said he was feeling much better.
“Yes I am feeling much better you can even hear me, muntu olwala osoba?…it’s something straight away you can tell, straight away you can see from the picture and you can hear from the voice and so on,” president Banda said. “If there is any positive thing that has come out of this fake news is the amount of prayers and support and really which from morning until now, every few minutes I am getting calls from every part of Zambia, from every tribe, from every political party everyone is wishing me well.”
President Banda further said Dr Kaunda’s life should not be considered in vain, as the country had held together in the late statesman’s motto of One Zambia One Nation since independence.
“That’s what has kept zambia different from any other African country, we haven’t had any problem because we love one another,” said president Banda.
