‘Kambwili punched me’
… He grabbed my neck and punched me - Lusambo
KABUSHI Member of Parliament has disputed Roan lawmaker Chishimba Kambwili’s account of the alleged assault, claiming that he was the one punched. “HE (Kambwili) grabbed my neck, punched me and I just shoved him off and he went out saying we have attacked him.
“There is no one who attacked him, he attacked me and the people who came to separate him from me are the Parliament security officers,” Copperbelt minister, Bowman Lusambo, has charged.
Mr Lusambo says he did not slap former information minister Chishimba Kambwili at Parliament on Tuesday but that the latter actually grabbed his neck and punched him.
Mr Lusambo said there was no one who attacked Mr Kambwili but that he was the one who attacked him (Lusambo) until Parliament security officers intervened.
On Tuesday, expelled Roan member of Parliament (Kambwili) stood on a point of order after allegedly being slapped by Mr Lusambo and sprinkled with water by Mandevu PF member of Parliament Jean Kapata at Parliament grounds.
Both Mr Kambwili and Mr Lusambo, who is Kabushi Patriotic Front (PF) members of Parliament explained the ordeal yesterday during a live radio programme on hot fm.
Mr Kambwili said there were CCTV cameras outside the chamber and that the Speaker (Dr Patrick Matibini) would render a ruling after investigating what exactly transpired.
Meanwhile, Mr Lusambo said Mr Kambwili insulted him, President Lungu and cabinet ministers on the same day.
“I went out of (Parliament) and Chishimba was standing with Honourable minister of Foreign Affairs… Kalaba personally called me to go and greet him then Chishimba Kambwili upon seeing me that I am advancing where they were standing with Honourable Kalaba he insulted me, he insulted the President and insulted the ministers.
“…I told Kambwili that if you are saying that we have stolen why can’t you take all of us the people who have stolen to relevant security agencies so that they can do their job,” he narrated.
Mr Lusambo said if Mr Kambwili had evidence to what he was saying, the most important thing to do was take the people he thought had stolen to security agencies so that they could handle the issue.
He said it was very embarrassing that a senior MP who had been in Parliament and knew the rules of the House could behave in such a manner.
“It is very unfortunate and I know that he has been following me,” he said.
When asked by the moderator whether or not he slapped Kambwili, Mr Lusambo refused.
“I did not slap him… I am not refusing I am telling that I did not slap him,” he said.
Mr Lusambo said he was offended.
“…anyone can get offended especially where someone is insulting me openly…a person who has never insulted Kambwili before and for him he gets excited for nothing”.
“You know, despite me being an MP and him being an MP, the office of the President is the highest on this land whether we do not respect the person who is in that office but we should respect that office and that is the office that Kambwili has been assaulting each and every day,” Mr Lusambo said.
He said it was up Zambians to judge who Kambwili was and where to place him.
“… but me with the incident which happened yesterday (Tuesday) I regret that incident and personally as Honourbale Lusambo I am very embarrassed that Kambwili behaved in such a manner,” Mr Lusambo said.