ZAMBIA: FORMER PRESIDENT KENNETH KAUNDA DENIES UNDERGROUND TUNNELS AND BUNKERS IN LUSAKA WERE USED AS TORTURE CHAMBERS DURING HIS PRESIDENCY

Record ID: 1013250

  • Title: ZAMBIA: FORMER PRESIDENT KENNETH KAUNDA DENIES UNDERGROUND TUNNELS AND BUNKERS IN LUSAKA WERE USED AS TORTURE CHAMBERS DURING HIS PRESIDENCY
  • Date: 2nd September 1995
  • Summary: LUSAKA, ZAMBIA (SEPTEMBER 2, 1995) 1. MVS FORMER ZAMBIAN PRESIDENT KENNETH KAUNDA SHAKING HANDS WITH AND CHATTING TO SUPPORTERS (4 SHOTS) 0.44 2. MV KAUNDA SHAKING HANDS WITH AND CHATTING TO KOREAN STUDENT 1.11 3. GV STREET SCENE 1.20 4. CU ZAMBIAN FLAG 1.28 5. GV CITY STREET WITH HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS 1.36 6. GVS MARKET SCENES (6 SHOTS) 2.41 7. MVS MAN HAVING HAIR CUT (3 SHOTS) 3.00 8. CU-MV MEN COUNTING AND EXCHANGING MONEY 3.20 9. CU STATUE OF MAN HOLDING UP BROKEN CHAIN WITH ZAMBIAN FLAG IN BACKGROUND 3.31 10. CU SAME STATUE ON PLINTH READING "FREEDOM" IN FRONT OF OFFICIAL BUILDING 3.36 11. GV TRAFFIC ON STREET IN FRONT OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS 3.45 12. CUS KAUNDA PLAYING ORGAN AND SINGING (4 SHOTS) 4.56 13. CUS KAUNDA PLAYING GUITAR AND SINGING PSALM 21 - "THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD" (2 SHOTS) 5.41 14. CU KAUNDA SPEAKING (ENGLISH) (6 SHOTS) 10.07 TRANSCRIPT SEQUENCE 14, KAUNDA: "YOU SHOULD SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY COLLEAGUES AND I VISIT VARIOUS PARTS OF ZAMBIA. THE FOLLOWING THAT WE COMMAND IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY MOVING, VERY TOUCHING, I FIND IT VERY VERY TOUCHING INDEED. SO I AM NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN, I AM WORRIED ABOUT THOSE MANY MANY MILLIONS WHO ARE SUFFERING AND WHO WANT ME TO TRY AND HELP AGAIN AND I WILL DO THAT." "WE LEFT 360,000 JOBS IN 1991 WHEN WE LEFT OFFICE. BY APRIL THIS YEAR THE MANUFACTURERS, NOT ME, MADE A PUBLISHED STATEMENT WE HAVE LOST SO FAR 220,000 JOBS OF THE 360,000 WE LEFT. THAT IS A DISASTER FOR ANY COUNTRY. AGRICULTURE DEAD, MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY DEAD, COAL MINING INDUSTRY, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW. WHO IS SELLING COPPER? WE WANT TO KNOW. WHO IS SELLING COPPER IN ZAMBIA, OUR COPPER? WHO IS SELLING OUR COBALT? WE HAD A MARKETING SYSTEM MEMACO (METAL MARKETING CORPORATION) WHICH THIS GOVERNMENT DESTROYED. THEY REMOVED THE (INDISTINCT) MEMACO AND THEY PUT SOMEBODY ELSE WHO WE DON'T KNOW." "WELL YOU CAN SEE. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE THEY ARRESTED ME? (LAUGHS) FIRST OF ALL THEY SEARCH MY BOOKS BELIEVING I HAVE GOT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THERE. THEY SEARCHED MY BOOKS FOR SIX AND HALF HOURS SOON AFTER I LEFT OFFICE. AFTER THAT THEY CONTINUED TO HARASS AND EMBARRASS ME. THEY ARRESTED ME THE OTHER DAY, THEY SAID I ADDRESSED A RALLY WITHOUT A PERMIT, A SYSTEM OF POLICE PERMITS. AND WHEN THE BRITISH THIRTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO DENIED ME A POLICE PERMIT I DEFIED THEM AND I ACTED IN TERMS OF CIVL DISOBEDIENCE. CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE DOES NOT MEAN WAR LIKE (INDISTINCT) GOVERNMENT THINKS THEY ARE. CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MEANS I AM ATTRACTING PAIN ON MYSELF. AND I DEFIED THE BRITISH THIRTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO, I DEFY THESE FELLOWS THIS YEAR. THEY ARRESTED ME FOR THAT. I AM GOING TO COURT FOR THAT. I AM CHALLENGING THAT, MY LAWYERS ARE CHALLENGING THAT IN TERMS OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ON INDIVIDUALS, MYSELF IN THIS CASE. AND AT THE SAME TIME THEY ARRESTED ME I ADDRESSED A MEETING INVITED BY STUDENTS, YOUTH FORUM, COOPERATIVES, AND THEY HAD COME TOGETHER ON ONE WEEKEND, THEY WERE MEETING IN NDOLA AND THEY HEARD I WAS IN TOWN ADDRESSING LAW ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA, PRESS CLUB AND OTHERS. THEY INVITED ME, I WENT ON A SUNDAY MORNING. I ADDRESSED THEM FOR FIVE MINUTES, GREETED THEM, ENCOURAGED THEM, THE FUTURE OF THIS NATION DEPENDS ON YOUTH TOO." "I LOVE MY COUNTRY. I AM A PATRIOT. I WILL SERVE MY COUNTRY TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. SO THEY ARE FRIGHTENED BY THIS. THEY ARE TRYING ALSO TRICKS, TRYING TO STOP ME FROM COMING BACK TO ACTIVE POLITICS." "WHEN I WAS HANDING OVER TO PRESIDENT CHILUBA I TOLD HIM IN HERE, THIS THING HERE, IS A DOOR, YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING, IS A DOOR LEADING TO TUNNELS HERE WHERE WE CAN MEET IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES AND SO ON. I SAID A YOUNG MAN BY THE NAME OF SO-AND-SO IS ENGINEER WHO HAS BEEN LOOKING AFTER THIS. HE HAS A TEAM OF SECURITY MEN AND WOMEN WHO LOOK AFTER THIS PROPERTY. AT THE MOMENT I LEAVE IT IN YOUR HANDS AND PLEASE INVITE SO-AND-SO, HE WILL COME AND OPEN, HE WILL SHOW YOU THE WHOLE THING. THAT'S HOW I LEFT. IF IT WAS A TORTURE CHAMBER WHY HAS NOT HE REVEALED IT UP TO THIS POINT IN TIME? WHY NOW WHEN I HAVE SAID I AM COMING BACK TO ACTIVE POLITICS, WHEN HE HAS TRIED SO MANY OTHER THINGS TO STOP ME FROM COMING TO ACTIVE POLITICS? WHY? HE IS A FRIGHTENED LITTLE MAN. I FEEL PITY, SORRY FOR HIM. BUT HE SHOULD NOT DO THINGS LIKE THAT. NOW HE IS GOING TO EXPOSE SOMETHING WHICH IS A NATIONAL PROPERTY WHICH HE SHOULD HAVE LEFT TO HIS SUCCESSOR." "WELL THEY CAN ACCUSE ME, FALSELY, BUT THEY CANNOT PROVE THAT I PARTICIPATED IN ABUSING OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ZAMBIA. NOTHING." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 16th September 1995 13:00
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  • Location: LUSAKA, ZAMBIA
  • City:
  • Country: Zambia
  • Reuters ID: LVAESHU822K4IFRUDJ1UYCO4P1Z0
  • Story Text:
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