RB to leave for SA tomorrow

FORMER President Rupiah Banda will tomorrow morning leave for South Africa to attend the 2013 African Presidential Roundtable following the release of his passport.

The Boston University African Presidential Center has re-booked the former head of State on tomorrow’s South African Airways flight departing Lusaka at 07:15 hours as the last flight today had already left by the time the passport was being released.

Banda’s slot at the Roundtable has since been moved to tomorrow and he will, among other things, moderate in session-two under the subject “Making Government Work”, whose discussant will be former Mauritius President, His Excellency Karl Auguste Offmann.

He will also be in time for session-three to be moderated by former Zanzibar President Amani Abeid Karume under the title “Democracy: The Social Contract”.

Former President Banda will be accompanied to South Africa by his administrative assistant Mikatazo Wakumelo and former economic advisor Richard Chembe.

Other notable personalities attending the African Presidential; Roundtable are former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano, former Tanzanian president Ali Hassan Mwinyi, former South African president Thabo Mbeki, former Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga and Martin Luther King Jnr, a professor of ethical leadership at Boston University.

Earlier today, The Lusaka high court has ordered that former president Rupiah Banda’S passport be released.
The ruling was made on Thursday by high court judge in charge Jane Kabuka.

The high court yesterday reserved ruling on the matter to today. In an interview with ZNBC News,  Banda’s lawyer Sakwiba Sikota said the ruling will just be for the trip to South Africa.

He revealed that the defence team will be making applications every time the former head of state intends to travel. Banda’s passport will be in the possession of the surety Mikatazo Wakumelo.