By Merlyn Mwanza
PF founder member Charity Banda has argued that “we are just human beings”, in reaction to the TIZ statement that it was miserable that she could brag about being a vessel of corruption.
Speaking with Daily Revelation on TIZ president Sampa Kalungu’s remarks that it was miserable for Banda to brag about being a vessel of corruption, Banda argued that she always comes out truthfully, and TIZ should not take things for granted that they don’t know what happens in this country.
“They should not misquote me for what I have said. The truth of the matter we are just human beings,” Banda said. “These TIZ people they should not say even in their institution they are all clean. Fyabufi. If that’s the truth. Awee! Then they are not being truthful.”
Banda said the matter involving former first lady Esther Lungu was not handled well, the more reason she said she came out to say what she said.
She said she respected the TIZ a lot but they should not start fault finding as she and those in TIZ were one and the same people.
“Don’t misinterpret what I have said. The truth of the matter is we are just human beings. Nobody wants corruption but can you define this same corruption you are talking about. And if the first lady, whatever she has whats the problem with that?” Banda asked. “So are you telling me that imwe ba TIZ whoever you are, honestky speaking you want to pick something wrong in what I have said? Awee namipapata. I have been a clean person. I started politics when I was young. I was just a youth. Ba Sata taught us how to play politics, clean politics. Not what you are saying.”
She said those fighting corruption must not just focus at the old administration but the corruption happening in the current one too.
“So ba TIZ I beg you don’t misquote me. And whatever I have said I’m not regreting. I am just telling you the truth and this should be something you know even yourselves. Today you are dining with UPND because its in power. Immediately it comes out of power nimwebene who will be saying this one was doing this. But when it was happening, why were you not saying? That’s my point. I rest my case,” said Banda.
Banda had earlier said that no one should question former first lady Esther over the $400,000, saying even cadres like herself would receive “tokens” from people to speak on their behalf with those in authority over certain favours,
She reasoned that Esther could have received the money from several “well meaning sources” and could have decided to keep the money with her relatives because she never expected that president Edgar Lungu would lose the elections, and people might have raised all sorts of suspicions if she started rushing the money into the banking sector upon the loss.
She said when people were in power they receive a lat of favours from people wanting to associate and have access to them, saying she would also as a mere cadre receive favours from people to speak on their behalf like those who were still waiting for payments on the contracts they had carried out with public institutions.
“Even as a common person people would always want to associate with me even by giving me money. Like someone might have carried out a contract with government and they were not getting their money and probably because they thought I might help, that person will approach me by giving me a token,” Banda said. “There are people trying by all means and need to be close to them because they are in power … Like one time, I am a cadre, for me we went to the United States with the first lady during the time there was a General Assembly. People would come to me and say ‘I want to talk to ba mayo’. Just talking to a simple person like even without asking, you see someone just giving me $200. Would I say no that it is corruption?”
