MINISTER of Home Affairs Edgar Lungu says former President Rupiah Banda has built high confidence in Government for returning from South Africa where he had gone for a medical check-up amid fears that he might flee the country.
Mr Banda was granted 16 days – from October 4, 2013 to October 20, 2013 – by the Lusaka High Court in which to seek medical attention.
His passport is in State custody and released only when permission for him to travel is granted by the courts.
Mr Lungu said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Government is happy that Mr Banda has fulfilled the requirements of returning to Zambia within the time he was given by the Lusaka High Court.
“We are very impressed as Government that Mr Rupiah Banda came back within the time he was given by the Lusaka High Court. His return has built high confidence in the government and this means that he can be trusted again,” he said.
Mr Banda returned to Lusaka from South Africa on Sunday.
Lusaka High Court judge Anesi Banda-Bobo had ordered that Mr Banda’s passport be released to enable him travel to South Africa for a medical check-up.
Mr Banda, who had been on a travel ban, had his diplomatic passport cancelled by Government in June this year and has since been issued with an ordinary one.
This was after President Sata allowed Mr Banda to travel to South Africa following the latter’s request to the head of State.
Just bury your pride and accept your actions against him were evil. Your decisions to stop him from traveling was not necessary. RB is former president, a dignified diplomat, he will never run away from this country. You are also ashamed even after removing hs immunity in such an acrimonious way, you are failing to build any case against him. The PF as a party will benefit more by doing what is right, stop the useless court proceedings and have RB free.
ZAMBIANS WHAT SENSE DO YOU MAKE OUT OF THESE WORDS
“Stand and sing of Zambia proud and free
Land of work and joy in unity
Victors in the struggle for the right
We’ve won freedom’s fight
All, one strong and free
Praise be to God, praise be, praise be
Bless our great nation
Zambia, Zambia, Zambia
Free men we stand, under the flag of our land
Zambia praise to thee
All, one, strong and free
Africa is our own mother land
Fashioned with and blessed by God’s good hand
Let us, all her people join as one
Zambia, praise to thee
All, one, strong and free
One land and one nation is our cry
Dignity and peace ‘neath Zambia’s sky
Like a noble eagle in its flight
Zambia, praise to thee
All, one, strong and free
I personally see, national and Africa unity, Godliness,…
lungu is very dull honestly were the hell would banda flee to as old as he is?yes if it was you lungu in bandas shoes you wud hav fled.shame on you.
Little people with little minds have been shamed. They were being fed with lies about perceived plans to interfere with witnesses, etc. Decisions were being made under the influence of alcohol.
Indeed fools! what would you expect?
I think people should be ashamed for persecuting him.
Evil people never prevail. Continue being your own downfall.
People are not stupid.
Trust a mambala at own risk. When the conviction becomes imminent this guy will run away.
Agony is showering a thief, lazo, mambala with praises. Any one reading the verbatim reports from court can tell that RB is going in.
Which ex African president or even the world over has ever gone in especially in his own country? Don`t talk about the Hague and Bagbo and Taylor. That is a different thing all together. I Africa they go scot free if they are not deposed and murdered. The reason is simply, the incoming does the same things and eventually becomes reluctant to persue the predecessor.
E.g what happened to KK`s 139 cases that the FTJ government slapped on him? Nothing bwana. Even Mambala will be free.
It was the right thing to do and i hope this spirit of unity and oneness continues,lets put politics aside when human health is in question,as for RB,you have shown your statesmanship by abiding to the law and i equally applaude you,i hope though,that you did not go to SA to come up with a “master plan.”
Yes he came back with another Master Plan ” Good Healthy”
They say “live longer” so that your enemies can see your progress.
what enemies? if anything,the law is Rbitts only enemy pantu ni LAZO.
RB’s trustworthiness was never the problem to begin with.The problem has always been PF mafia driven by hate and politically aimed evil agenda.
If a person loses all sense of shame it’s a disaster! lungu please stop embarrassing yourself like this,your pay master is very unpredictable something you should know at your age!silence is golden!
We all know this case against Banda is useless as ex presido.. We have been down this lane with Chiluba there is no way they lock this chap up.
Lets stop pretending and focus on the real issues that are affecting the country at the moment ………………….
Hon. Minister Edgar Lungu should strive NEVER to make rushed unfounded political comments against RB. Besides, Lungu must pick a leaf from his Mbuyas on how the the Bemba treat and nurture each other against the forces of other ethnic groups.
I hope Mr. Sebastian Zulu has learnt his lessons too. It is high time Mr. Lungu and Lameck Mangani need to know and assess where to incubate their political eggs so that the chicks could hatch under favourable environment. PF is very fluid and tomorrow is another day for some PF members from the eastern. Lungu and Mangani must remember that “WAKO NI WAKO.”
Nzelu za KOSWE izi mbuya. Ndiye kusila uku, kusililatu ngako. Kukamba monga kamwa nacitako vili pamozi. Mwanidabwisa mwana wamalume zoona.
i agree with your analysis
yaba! This ka minister with a somalian looking face.just let RB free.you even forget that the top four(sata,scot,kabimba,gbm) of your leadership comprises sick lions,ofcourse including tuma smaller ministers like masebo,sichinga,edgar…
RB built his trust by allowing people in PF and Mweembe to insult him left right and centre. He was in States and knew very well about the planed prosecutions, but he still came back.
The same minister was on the edge refusing RB to travel to Kenya etc. RB once found guilty by lower courts will appeal another 3 years, till when This One Term party is over.
So do worry Lungu Edar, Banda will after you.
Good that RB is back as expected, anyway. In first place Banda never at any time showed any slightest signs of fleeing the country. Removing his immunity i may not comment much BUT i can’t really understand what was the motive behind CANCELING his diplomatic passport ans issue him with an ordinary. Banda is and will remain a former President of this Country and we are still paying him 80% of the presidential salary. I think it is high time we buried politics of hate, humiliation and forged ahead with politics of statesmen and women. The current GOVT should maintained good working relationship with the former head of state to guide them when necessary. I really don’t like these politics of revenge, hate and public humiliation.
Their incompetence has literally resulted in RB a man many despised become a hero while their fortunes are in free fall as they fight in the maize field.
this is a stupid statement. a normal person would not issue baseless statements of this nature. Banda went for a medical check up and you expected him to run away from cases that have no evidence/concocted cases? do not think what you think is what others think. shame on you lungu
i totally agree with Matipa this is a very stupid statement to say the least now were there hell do you think he was going to hide when you haven’t found him guilty in any of the cases.He has no reason to run away.
Indeed, very stupid comment from kachakolwa ka lungu. just because their master told them to talk, so they just talk nonsense, what a government!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just him back his immunity and persue membe and nchito over the k14b. Thats a lots of money to forget about. Let them tell us where they hid so that we could go and pick it up.
frightened little men with small egos have once again been shamed by the braverly of one RB
RB will be the last man standing and will have the last laugh
I woudn`t put 100 % confidence in his always returning if i were you.
Ya like father like soon,isn’t his diamond and gold connection son a fugitive up to now?
Its sad that a former president can’t be trust by PF government…..I hope they learn politics is dirty game already so hatred is not necessary it leave us a lot in our minds as ordinary Zambians clearly same will happen once they leave office
Deep down his heart this Edgar gets troubled by the ill-treatment Mr. Banda is receiving from Sata.
Just swallow your pride you morons and accept that Rupiah Banda is a statesman, a true diplomat and a professional. He’ s not shallow minded like most of you in the PF government starting from the head downwards. You are thousands if not millions of Kilometers away from him. When some of you paupers were busy sweeping the stations and carrying cargoes on your heads at victoria Station in London, the man was busy polishing up his career in higher institutions of learning which has made him what he is today. Ka koleni fye fishimu ba mumbwe mwalepa kumyenu. Leave RB and HH alone. They are a pride to Zambia not imwe ba grade 7 naba standard 2.
It’s a blinder. He might go and come back a few more times but one day he will not return. Watch this space.
RB left surplus in foreign reserve alas monkeys in the maize field have harvested.
Creating a storm in a tea cup!
Edgar Lungu as home affairs minister failed to arrest and detain that savage Chikwelete his ward councilor for matching without a permit. RB had shown signs of compliance but he still wanted to cage him. Foolish.
iwe ka drunken master..that man is a man of honor..RB is the man!!
Stupid monkey face.Edgar.where do you think RB can go?useless perceptions.
BaLungu, u are suppose to be a lawyer, giving guidance to our not so learned colleagues regarding things to do with the law. Now if you say RB is now more trustworth – is it you or the courts that are suppose to determine that? what are the courts there for if u are in a ‘better’ position? Let us abolish the courts then.
Mr Banda, who had been on a travel ban, had his diplomatic passport cancelled by Government in June this year and has since been issued with an ordinary one.
Is RB using an ordinary passport or its just the media that missed?
……..reading between the lines…Such statements are meant to paint a picture and give the public an impression that RB is guilty until the courts prove him innocent…….
RB is a man of his words worth to be trusted not you ba bufi government with your unfulfilled promises. RB told us that the day Sata will be president of Zambia, I will cry and true to his words he cried. From that we started trusting RB as a man of his words no wonder he reduced his salary without conditions or black mail.
This PF government is truly sick and urgently needs to be redeemed. Hardly a day passes by without some stupid statement from these crooks. Just because they cannot be trusted they think everybody else is like them. Edgar Lungu seems so surprised that RB kept his word because they do not hold such attributes and virtues themselves.
Edgar Lungu and your mates be reminded that RB is an internationally respected statesman and it is the reason that you loathe him because you lot will never attain his standard. Shut your mouth and get back to work.
It’s interesting how Zambians think .,,you kicked that RB out just 30 months ago now he is the hero,have you forgotten that’s why HH fail out of favor he supported RB when Sata ,HH deal fail through..our favorite mwanawasa thought Chiluba had issues until the court proved otherwise so let the court prove RB’s innocence and ask your RB to bring his fugitive son for questioning also…
Very dull
Rupiah Banda is our big man despite what he did.Let us accord the duo respect he deserve and as former head of he should be given back his passport.
…abena footballer…what did RB do…?….are you sure he did what you ‘think he did…?…let us wait for the courts to tell us……until then, he is innocent……
There is a strong bond between Easterners and Northerners. This bond even the Post can never success in breaking it.
In Eastern Province, people believe RB’s case is one of those acts played at Burial Ceremonies between the Bembas and Easterners.
It is all just a joke. The only mistake RB made was that he had no respect for KK.
RB ALL THE WAY.
Very childish if you ask me!
When he killed LOZIS together with JERE , we told him that his day of reckoning will come soon and he just laughed it and said that Chiluba will help him get the Luapula Vote. CHECHECHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
It’s not RB who killed the Lozis, you people were destroying government property and the police needed to prevent further damage and loss of innocent lives. Why are you complaining, you believed your witch doctor fron senanga who promised that the stones you were throwing will only hit non Lozis and they will turn into bees. You learnt your lesson I am sure.
Do politicians read these fora? Do they weigh their comments before uttering them knowing that they will be evaluated and commented on this manner? If they realized the risk that they take each time they spoke, I would like to know what benefits they perceive.
Tata ba Edgar mwipwalala,umubundo ulatelela.Trust no body,fear everybody…………….
“He can be trusted again…” How disrespectful to the former head of state. Has he ever tried to run away since this case started for him to be “trusted again?”
sata’s immunity will be stripped too. Just wait!!!
Frightened little men? Just eat humble pie and accept you were just playing politics with RB issues.
Ba Lungu, is it sata who allowed RB to travel or the courts? Poor Finishing for sure.
I don’t know if he can still be trusted after the recent events