Former President Rupiah Banda has reaffirmed his confidence in the Zambian judicial system and is hopeful that his innocence will eventually be established.
The former Zambian head of State said that the fact that he has availed himself to the courts is a pointer to his confidence in their ability to dispense justice fairly.
Speaking this morning in a live BBC News Day programme, President Banda said that as a law-abiding citizen, he had a duty to submit himself to the justice system when required to do so.
“Like I said from the very beginning, I am confident in our courts and, like everything, I have agreed to submit myself to the hearings in the courts as a good citizen,” he told the BBC’s Lawrence Pollard in a phone-in interview from London.
Asked on whether it had now become a trend for every Zambian president to prosecute their predecessors, President Banda said he had not expected himself to be in his current predicament.
On his upcoming trip to South Africa to attend the 2013 African Presidential Roundtable at the invitation of the Boston University African Presidential Centre, President Banda said he was hopeful that he would be enabled to leave the country.
Nice ! Elyashi ilyo bashi Mpundu ! Umuntu kuchita face law and be proven either innocent or guilty.Epashili pakuleka.
The trouble is RB has a history of having long fingers and dipping them into what does not belong to him.
What he said in the interview is what is expected of anyone facing the courts. Hope he affirms that even when he is finally convicted
You don’t miss your water till the well runs dry! RB was a better president in comparison to someone we all know. He is a wise man who accepted the wishes of the Zambian people when he lost the general elections. I miss this reasoning and considerate president. Wish we could turn back the clock. Good luck with the court proceedings and thank you for keeping our country on the world map with your diplomacy.
Which diplomacy? Mwilatumpika abantu!!
Nansense Now Ala Bee is a saint! kikikikiki
Is that so, indeed, ba Wait? I lived through all of RB’s activities first as an MP for Munali and lastly as state President. Of wisdom from the man, I saw none! Or you mean a keen sense of the expedient, ka?
Ba wait! naimwe which wisdom do not mis apply the english word, aba ba peadophil sure ebobabe wise! SERIOUSLY THE MAN WAS THE DULLEST PRESIDENT THAT EVER LIVED! NEVER LEFT ANYTHING FOR RECORD, ON THIS ONE THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA WERE RIGHT! IT WAS GOOD RIDDENCE!
THAT IS GOOD TALK MR RB. BUT AGAIN WHAT YOU SAY IS NOT IN TANDEM WITH WHAT YOU DO. YOU HAVE TRIED BY ALL MEANS TO RUN AWAY FROM GOING TO COURT. YOU HAD TO BE FORCED TO BE APPEARING IN COURT. THE COURTS THAT YOU ARE CLAIMING TO TRUST. YOUR INTERNATIONAL LAWYER EVEN INSULTED THE ZAMBIAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM. HOW CAN YOU PRETEND TO TRUST IT? SO DO NOT BLIND FOLD US HERE BY SUGAR-COATING YOUR ELUSIVE BEHAVIOUR. YOU ARE AN ADULT. YOU MUST LIVE BY EXAMPLE SO THAT THE YOUNG ONES CAN EMULATE YOU.
rb wil never be at peace as long as the despot is ruling and surounded by hell bent individuals.
Well said! mr president of all zambians… i didnot hear anyone anywhere booing the `president of all zambians
your wisdom is always appreciated sir!
Which all zambians is this man a president? We moved him in the office bcoz most zambians didnt like his behaviour of stealling.
Talk of booing! is that really so strange? one USA presido was dogging shoes and to most americans it was a joke of the day and definitely not a shame to Americans. Let the man be who he is, what zambians want is development not Diplomacy at all costs.
@ 5 Ci ndobo, to hell with your ci Bwezani!!! You’re just as much an i.d.i.o.t as this scare crow itself!!!!
retard pf
Ba Presido you forgot to say except on Fridays, when you’re called in for questioning
,kbj,
Well RB u used the platform to lobby for you trip to Joburgh? Take time away from international travel until your name is cleared just like KK did.
You are right Pollard its a trend however,once our leaders are elected they forget why they are in office instead they focus on enriching them selves. Chiluba proscuted kaunda ,Mwanawasa proscuted Chiluba,Sata is proscuting Banda and definately sata will be proscuted by his predcesor. The only presidentwho was never proscuted is Mwanawasa because he died without finishing a term. Futher more kaunda didnt proscute any one because he is the first president.
Don’t dip your vile sticky paws in GRZ’s cookie jar and you will retire peacefully my friend.
Bufi!, he is just playing to the gallery, if that is the case why don’t you tell that to your fugitive son ???
The chap is a vile ****
Indeed, if you have confidence in the Zambian judicial system, start by bringing in your son to face justice unless you are saying he is guilty so you would rather keep him away. If you were not stopped going to Kenya, you could be on the run too and infact this Boston thing is a scam. It is an opportunity for you to run away. Please ba Edgar Lungu, dont let this fugitive to run away. Last time you did a great job and now dont allow this man to go. He is flight prone.
this is the man..the two best Presidents ever ..Levi PM and RB..viva..
Hahahahahaha….wansekesha!! You were supposed to say he was the worst president Zambia has ever produced.
@ 12,You are an imbecile ci colour don’t insult our intelligence! This lunatic called Rupiah ciBwezeni kumunzi Banda S THE WORST PRESIDENT ZAMBIA HAS EVER HAD!! Thats why he WAS CHASED JUST AFTER 3 YEARS!!!!!
Who is this thieving **** Ala Bee fooling eh? He thinks the basungus have forgotten about how he sheltered his fellow vile slippery eel ka Titus from their London court. The BBC know that he is a vile sticky fingered ****.
PS. – Ala Bee you are not going to South Africa. You are a flight risk. Forget it. You are staying put.
Hmmmmm….
Maxwell must me Bemba.
MAXWELL. It seems you live for vilifying RB. Are you paid to do so? Cn you ever be balanced and calm when you talk about RB?
This man (RB) denied at first bt why is he saying he has trust in the Zambian judicial system?He ven called that boy called Amsterdam who insulted Zambians.Fuulish!!
RB is a great African-Zambian statesman.
Sata is a thuggery criminal superstitious dictator who is just embarrassing Zambians at great events.
The earlier he dies with his cancer the better for Zambians. Sata is just bad news and an embarrassment and a liability to Zambians.
The embarrassment he brought on Zambians was enough for us to wake up, that is why criminals like Fred Mmembe and Nchito DPP are just using Sata because they know that he has a low IQ and unintelligent
Sata is an evil man who believes in superstitious and that is why he with his criminal PF leaders like Kabimba believes that ritual killing has made them to be in power!
@SHAKA OZ, you took the words right out of my mouth ! Well articulated ! Truth hurts, I know BUT just have to face it somehow !
Dear Ala Bee
You are not going to South Africa. You are a flight risk. Forget it. You are staying put. Ala Bee don’t cheat the BBC by telling them that you have availed yourself voluntarily. Nansense you were hiding behind your immunity before parliament removed it.
You are a shameless vile thieving ****.
Kind regards
Maxwell
You’re vile ,bitter and consumed by burning visceral hatred of RB and your bitterness will eat you from within.Keep furning those embers of hate bcoz karma dictates that its you to meet misfortune 1st and the target of your ill walks free.
The sections in the Zambian constitution about the judiciary promise so much, however, they deliver very little in the end. This holds true for the poor sector of the population in that they cannot afford tohire attorneys who are competent in indentifying shortcomings in arguments of prosecutors. Notice that I am not arguing that the same can apply to Banda’s defence team.
RB is a demented criminal.
R BWEZANI WILL REMAIN A CRIMINAL NO MATTER HOW IMBECILES LIKE THIS SO-CALLED SHAKA OZ, POMPWE SAY!!! THIS IS AN OPEN SECRET…!
Good! Now, as a law abiding good citizen on which basis you avail yourself to the courts because you believe in the justice system and in your innocence, what is your advice to your son Henry?
Zambian’s tend to suffer from very short memories. This Banda fellow was like a monkey in a maize field when he served as president. Suddenly he’s become an angel in the eyes of the stupid.
Who wouldn’t be an Angel as compared to Sata? Despite RB’s “little failings, the mand is Mother Tereza as compared to Sata. The show season is around the corner, we will see which foreign leader will come. May be Bashir from Sudan in which case I will instruct Charity Katanga to arrest him and take him to the ICC. Kiki kiki kiki!
@Carlos The Jackal. YOU CANNOT MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT ZAMBIANS ARE SAYING BY THE OPINION S OF FIVE BLOGGERS ON LT. THE FEW BLOGGERS HERE AND ON ZWD ARE TOO VOCAL THAT YOU MAY THINK THAT ALL ZAMBIANS ARE SAYING THE SAME. BUT WHEN TIME FOR VOTING COMES, THE OPPOSITE IS SEEN.
All this invitation by Boston universty is playing 2 the garelly so that they paint a gud picture b4 the jury.
As a private investegator in the hoods i have stumbled in2 RB’s plan B.Thoz white boys the so called image builders are the one’s organising these fake meetings.
Strictly speaking the staff at Boston versity wld’nt like 2 b associated with mr long fingers.
Every Jim and Jack knows that RB was never a gud president.mayb some pipo praising him lives in outer mongolia.
What a hypocrite this sugar dad is? Even those inviting u are idio ts.In the firt place why were resisting prosecution .further yo son is a fugative. Please don’t allow this crook to travel. He will run away.He is kiding u,relavant authority.
Our dearest president Saint Rupiah Banda being persecuted by an evil and vile govt led by ravenning wolves and vengeful foxxes.You shall be proven innocent dear RB and the devils will be shamed.
He has grown old quickly after presidency…big man relax… If such is the case thn better b an ordinary citizen like me – not born with a silver spoon in my mouth and nothing on the silver plate… Fighting with God-given talents, doing my bst…mudala…anyway, welcome back to our world…mwaba “tamanga kaa”…
@Sam imusho, I hope you know the meaning of the phrase -every jim and jack, otherwise you are better off speaking for yourself. If what you are saying were true Sata would have had a landslide victory in the last elections, but to show you that RB was and is still appreciated by alot of Zambians, your man got less than 50% of the votes. So who are you fooling with your hatred for whatever is not pro PF.
@ 25, YOU. ARE. DULL!!!! YOUR REASONING IS VERY PATHETIC! SHAME ON YOU!!! ITS CLEAR THAT YOU DON’T THINK WITH YOUR HEAD!
How long will the moderation take ba LT?
RB, is simply saying that he has confidence in the Zambian Judicial System, honestry whats wrong with this statement?lets be grow up!
Indeed RB was a great leader, It is up to us compare with the others including the current one. We should not shy away from the current facts – neither should we use bad language, anger and intimidation to paint a wrong picture. Let us not be like a drunken mineworker husband who after using all his salary after on payday, goes to blast his wife with fake anger merely to intimidate her so she does not talk.
We need to admit, RB was a great leader. If you think the current is a great leader, state what he has done – if you think the time is short, well he has already done more than 50% of RB’s time but compare the achievements.
Even i terms of policies, if there are any, let us compare.
What policies are giving you hope?
We hate no one, but we belive that wrong is wrong, right stays right.
We love all these leaders, but some of them have not been doing what Zambians woud have loved to see. Neither have they done what they promissed people upon which people entrusted them with power.
We still love though, hoping that some day they do the right thing. What would be sad would be if our risk is permanently dissapointed.
I ONLY HOPE YOU WILL NOT TURN ABOUT WHEN YOU GO JAIL!! REMEMBER,WE ARE TALKING ABOUT STATE MACHINERY AT WORK,U KNOW SATA IS A MASTER DRIBBLER!!
@25 u are right RB won a landslide election.Go 2 thd archives of the post newspaper and dig that paper in which they showed gadgets meant 2 print NRC’s at nakatindi building and voters cards.
RB had 2 win thoz elections simply bcz MMD has bin rigging the elections.