I envy Dr George Chaponda
There are people whose guardian angels are wide awake. One of those people, I am sure, is Dr George Chaponda. You may be wondering what it is that I am talking about here. Reading the report on the events surrounding the death of president Bingu wa Mutharika, two Cabinet ministers did not attend those clandestine meetings that have gotten several of our Members of Parliament (former Cabinet ministers) into the cooler.
As all that madness was going on at Capital Hill and at private residences, Chaponda was tucked away in some hotel bed abroad. So, you do not hear any person suggesting that Chaponda was party to a conspiracy to break the law, usurp presidential powers, treason, or whatever crime, political or non-political. I ask myself over and over again what Chaponda would have done were he in the country when Bingu died.
The more I ask myself this question, the more I am convinced that I do not really know what the story would have turned up. I know for a fact that Chaponda loves DPP more than many of the people that are now answering treason. I know that Chaponda was close to Bingu more than the people that lied to us that only Daniel Phiri can die.
What I do not know is whether Chaponda would have joined the ‘honourable’ madness of April 5th, 2012. Or, he would have been the man who, like Henry Odillo, would have reasoned with the power-hungry colleagues? Not knowing is killing me, but I am happy Chaponda did not ‘taste’ Lumbadzi Police as others have done. If the good doctor goes to church, he has a testimony to tell. Diablos [Lucifer] failed to get him where he did not belong!
I feel sorry for Honourable Symon Vuwa Kaunda for being arrested twice within a short period of time. I also feel for him and his other colleagues because from now, when they are applying for visas to some countries, they would have to use legal counsel. Some of the visa application forms I have ever completed have these questions: Have you ever been arrested for anything? If the answer is yes, what was the crime you were arrested for? Have you ever been arrested for treason? Have you been arrested for attempting to overthrow a lawfully elected government? Have you spent more than 24 hours in jail or prison facilities?
Although all the people that have been arrested and are now on bail for treason or related issues believe the arrests are politically motivated, the visa officer may not believe this. They may think that the Midnight Six and other actually mobilised a militia and were about to kill some president before they were arrested. But as Honourable Patricia Kaliati has so far said, the only president that was there was dead by several hours at the time the Midnight Six were having the press conference. The courts will have to determine whether preventing a vice-president from becoming a president is treason. This is not an easy question to answer.
