LUSAKA, July 6, 2010, – His Excellency, Mr. Rupiah Banda, President of the Republic of Zambia said Tuesday that he regretted the statement he made in Ndola in which he made reference to the wife of opposition leader Mr.Hakainde Hichilema and consequently brought her name into politics.
The President said it was not his intention to bring the name of Mrs. Hakainde into politics by the comment he made at Ndola International Airport when he addressed his supporters. Further, President Banda said the context in which he inadvertently used the term Mwenye did not deliver the intended message. What the President meant was that for cultural or religious reasons, some Asians do not expose their wives in public and that is understood. However, the President has realized that he should not have made that statement, which has been misconstrued.
Nonetheless, President Banda is sorry and has regretted his statement and has unreservedly apologized to Mr. Hakainde and his family. In the same vein, President Banda has also apologized to the Asian community for his statement. President Banda believes in equality of all races and therefore regrets that his statement has given the impression that he was a racist or against the Indian community in Zambia.
The President has, once again, unreservedly apologized to Mr. Hichilema and the Asian Community for the statement.
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