By Patson Chilemba
We cannot blame outsiders for interfering because we are inviting them to interfere, says the country’s fourth Republican president Rupiah Banda.
And president Banda said he is still undergoing chemotherapy over the colon cancer he is recovering from.
In an interview with Daily Revelation, president Banda said the country needs peace, saying those involved in the violence must desist.
“Like I told you I have been undergoing chemotherapy so I didn’t even know there were all these problems and so on. My word to this country is that our president, our first president, our founding president Dr (Kenneth) Kaunda we just buried him just a few weeks ago,” president Banda said. “We seem to have forgotten what he had been preaching to us all the time, that we must keep this country together, Zambia must remain united as One Zambia One Nation, at peace with itself. That’s all I just have to say now as you know I am not very well but I just want to say please this is not the way to honour the life of our former president.”
The former president said every Zambian needs to realise that this country needs to remain intact as one, saying “we can’t live if we are going to be fighting with each other.”
“And we should not blame outsiders for interfering because we are inviting them to interfere. So I call upon all my compatriots even from my sick bed, to ask them please please desist from this to a peaceful election, not a fighting election,” president Banda said. “All I am saying is that Dr Kaunda, and this is very important, I don’t want you to add anything to take away from this, this is not the way to honour our first and our founding president. We need peace in this country regardless whoever is responsible for the lack of it.”
Asked how he was feeling now, president Banda said he was still recovering.
“I am back here now (from Dubai) but I got my chemo three days ago, I am just still recovering, still getting the chemo through my body,” said president Banda.
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