HOME Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu has directed the police and other law enforcement agencies to institute investigations into reports that former Mines, Energy and Water Development Minister Isaac Banda relinquished his ministerial position because he was blackmailed and intimidated.
Mr Banda who is MMD Lumezi Member of Parliament (MP) announced his resignation as Deputy Minister on Monday this week.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Lungu said, his ministry had received information that Mr Banda was blackmailed, intimated and coerced into relinquishing his ministerial position.
“In view of this development, I have instructed the police and other law enforcement agencies to institute investigations into this matter because acts of intimidation, coercion, compulsion and blackmail constitute an offence under the laws of Zambia,” Mr Lungu said
He said President Michael Sata’s extension of the olive tree to opposition MPs was meant to deliver greatest good to the people of Zambia.
Mr Lungu said the move by President Sata was not to weaken the opposition as purported by MMD party leader Nevers Mumba but to work with them.
The Minister said the Patriotic Front (PF) Government believed in politics of inclusiveness and not politics of isolation.
He said the ruling party was willing to work with anybody including those in opposition parties as long as they could contribute to the development of the country.[pullquote]I am not aware of anybody intimidating me, I have a free mind and my people agreed that I should resign. I don’t know what the Minister is talking about,” said Mr Banda[/pullquote]
“Therefore, anyone found wanting will be dealt with sternly by the long arm of the law because in this era, it is ridiculous for people to practice politics of hooliganism, bullying and maltreatment,” he said
The Minister has since warned politicians to desist from politics of intimidation, coercion, blackmail as doing so would risk them being visited by the law.
He urged MMD MPs holding ministerial positions who could be subjected to acts of intimidation, blackmail, coercions, maltreatment to report the matter to the police.
Mt Lungu said such acts constituted offences under the law of Zambia.
But Mr Banda has refuted reports by Mr Lungu that he relinquished his ministerial position because he was blackmail and intimidated.
Mr Banda said in an interview yesterday that he resigned as Deputy Minister because he wanted to devote more of his time to closely work with people in his area and was not intimidated by anybody.
He explained that he was not even aware of anybody who blackmailed or tried to intimidate him but relinquished because he consulted people in his area and also the party.
He said he adheres to the party advice to either resign as Deputy Minister or continue working with the party.
“I am not aware of anybody intimidating me, I have a free mind and my people agreed that I should resign. I don’t know what the Minister is talking about,” said Mr Banda
So what?
The PF guys seem to forget that is exactly what Sata was doing when he was in the opposition. He fired all his MPs who were serving in government at the time. He threatened them and fired them. Dont worry Mr. Minister time will catch up with you guys and one day you will cry
So why not form a coalition government with MMD looking at the number and rates of these appointments.
Extend olive Tree? never heard of that expression. I thought it was Olive Branch?
Missed that one. Ke ke ke. LOL.
Your observation made me laugh. Laughter works as a medicine. Tizisekako.
Next time he will extend an olive forest.
Its just english.. Read between lines before showing ignorance……
They are grown ups and should make their independent decisions.
Whoever stands against the PF is the enemy of Sata and they want to be using intimidation in the name of fighting corruption and following the law and yet they are just persecuting people, you guys are cruel. Anyway people were told not to vote for Sata and now they are paying heavily. Just wait for 2016 guys because PF has no clue what they are doing
even criminals can threaten others these days.aa if u are not the same chap that stole clients money in excess of a billion when you whr practicing at andre masiye and company.little wonder pipo say laz is now compromised…………….
Too many oppositon MPs appointed as a result the Minister said OLIVE TREE instead of OLIVE BRANCH. YABA. KIKIKIKIKIKIKIKI
Ni mbuli….chamwenso……
nonsense..
ukushishita!
““In view of this development, I have instructed the police and other law enforcement agencies to institute investigations into this matter….” Kwena ba kapokola mwalichuula, instructions from this crap????? Let him look at himself, wat of thoz fraudulent activities he did wen practicing and running a Law firm??? No instruction to investigate further?? Ba police naimwe tumo muletusuulafye….. Useless INSTRUCTION INDEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BANDA IS THERE TO SERVE PIPO…….GO GO BANDA..
Bring the electoral college system so that people in rural areas do not decide elections for us….
ha ha ha this is good. but we have to make submissions to constitution making process
Eddie, unfortunately its the voters that will decide whether Isaac continues being MP and not the Police!!!
so who is the police investigating? since there is no plaintiff
The minister is the plaintiff. LOL! The MP is cool.
Who coined the term Rebel MPs!
Why join a club if you are not going to adhere to its rules? And why let another club meddle in another clubs’ management style?
Only those that see sense in marrying and supporting a wife only to let her do chores in a neighbor’s house support what PF is doing to MMD!
Why didn’t Banda complain about this ‘intimidation’? Or are we talking the kind of intimidation meted out by Sata(n) on the poor Chawama residents at the time when he was the MMD SG
What inclusiveness is this fellow talking about. Why is Sata onlt targeting MMD MPs from the East. Why is he not going to Western Province where he has more work to do by bringing Lozis back in the fold. I respect Edgar Lungu as an intelligent Lawyer, but I get worried when he starts aping Kabimba in his statements.
Is this really news worthy? How do you institute investigations in this case when the man at the centre of it all insists that he was NOT blackmailed or intimidated?
Time that should be spent discussing the development of this country wasted by these clowns discussing trivialities!! This whole nonsense of taking opposition MPs under the guise of an “inclussive government” is baloney and retrogressive. Its the mark of an insecure government.
Why this desparation by PF fools? Why so much desparation over MPs who are not members of their CNP party? Why? Isn’t there anybody with just even a little brain in PF to realise that this is not reflecting well on their PF party in the eyes of the public? Why are they so desparate to focus only on MMD MPs? Where are their PF MPs? Even if it is reconciliation, you don’t force or impose reconciliation simply because you are a president. Nobody has the right, not even the president, to force anybody to reconcile. Besides what is there to reconcile about? We didn’t know that there was war going on in Zambia? Who has been fighting that needs reconciling? The only part of the country that CNP PF needs to reconcile with is Western Province whom they gave false promises. PF is worthless…
I told you.PaFyamba govt at work.Very amazing and spectacular dullness.
If Edgar Lungu had valued the tenets of democracy, he should have continued to serve as an Independent MP for Msanzala. But his love for personal gain rather than serve his constituency found himself duped into accepting a promised Ministerial position under a party that has exhibitedd the worst form of governance in southern Africa. Edgar Lungu’s directive to probe aspects of intimidation MAY SERVE TO HANG GOATS INTESTINES AROUNDTHE NECK (kukobeka mala ambuzi mu mkosi) OF HIS NEWLY ADOPTED PARTY PRESIDENT. Zambians have learnt the hard way who is floating around with threats and intimidation of oppnents and past leaders in this country.
WHERE ARE THE PF CABINET IN WAITING THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MINISTERS?
IT RIGHT FOR THE OPPOSITION TO CLAIM BACK ITS MINSTER MPS TO LEAVE GOVERNMENT.
THIS WAS THE CASE WITH HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT MICHAEL C. SATA WHEN HE BANNED HIS OWN PARTY FROM ACTIVE GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT.
THIS WAS THE CASE WITH FDD.
THE MMD PRESIDENT IS JUST DOING THIS TO STRENGTHEN HIS PARTY.
WELL DONE DR MUMBA
OLIVE TREE INDEED::::…
if Sata wants to work with MMD MPs, why not appoint them as full cabinet ministers and not the irrelevant deputy ministerial positions.
If you appoint too many people from one party, it is no longer an extension of an olive branch, but an extension of an olive tree.
Chimutengo chakula manje!
i dont think our minister is wise. There is no complainant in this case and the MP just exercised his right to resign. This is just chasing the wind and a waste of resources.
Mr Lungu, are you the appointing authority to “instruct” the police to institute such an investigation? Please, do not overstep your boundaries. Let law and order prevail in Zambia! and allow the police operate professionally. No one should tell the police who or what to investigate. If Mr Banda chose to resign because he was intimidated by his party functionaries, that is his baby. It is not a matter of state security worthy police invrstigation. Even the President himself as already said that Mr Banda’s leaving Cabinet is a non-issue! There are many people who would gladly fill his shoes, if called upon to do, as can be evidenced by the acceptance by two of Mr Banda,s colleagues to take up the President’s offer for other Cabinet positions, even before the dust settled.
kwena ba pf mwalisebana. sure how can a minister call a press briefing and sters telling us about the resignation of a d/minister who is not even member of Pa Fyamba? There are so many home affairs issue issues – police operating under trees, no vehicle, high crime rate high motor vehicle accidents. All these should be adressed by the minister. shame on you
Why is no one talking about the 2 opposition mps who have acepted ministerial positions. Banda resigns. so what. From 9 there are now 10 opposition mps serving in government, and perhaps still counting.
instruct law enforcement agencies to investigate a resignation?? stupid can Zambian leaders be??people in govt needs to stay off the law enforcement agencies.
The olive tree can’t be extended further! U fool! Try the branches tumaglass? PF this is yo end!
In a Banana Republic:
1. The Minister of Home Affairs doesn’t know that the police only investigate a case if the victim complains. So who is the complainant here?
2. The Ministry of Home Affairs ‘instructs the police and law enforcement agencies to institute investigations.’ This means that he can also instruct the same to cease investigations.
3. The President appoints Ministers from MPs who were elected on a different manifesto from that of the ruling party. In progressive countries, only independent politicians or those from very small parties are co-opted into government.
Is Zambia a Banana?
Last time I checked, it wasn’t a Banana. Banana republic, eh, maybe that one. If a Zimbabwean minister can say we are disorganized, we must be a banana republic. If an ***** can call you an imbecile, that’s really saying a lot.
BA LUNGU NAIMWE TE “extension of the olive tree”. NI EXTENSION OF OLIVE BRANCH. THE TREE CAN’T BE EXTENDED BUT THE BRANCH. MAY NI LT BALEMBELE ICI CISUNGU.
iwe chilungu what are you tolking,if pf want to work with opposition but why only appointing mp from MMD not UPND and other opposition parts?it mean that pf have poor and fool mp who dosent thing.only MMD have good material of mps.
This is a clear case of abusing the police. There are serious crimes that need to be investigated not this sh1t that this useless minister is puking all over.
Very dull minister
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Isaac Banda has refuted claims by the minister Edgar Lungu that he was intimidated and blackmailed into abandoning the PF deputy minister post. So are you cancelling the police investigation Minister? Solomon Jere has better things to investigate ka, such as that gruesome murder of the poor young lady from NIPA? Or leading, guiding and guarding the MMD youths who will demonstrate peacefully against the boss on Saturday?
Amugwilani boza a Minister…….
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In a democracy, a minister does not give instructions to the police in their conduct of work. This coming from a lawyer is an indication of a dictator in the making should he become president. You Zambians supporting Lungu for president who has all the markings of a criminal will cry. Mark my words. 50 years of independence all wasted in ignorance. what a shame.