Lusaka lawyer Kelvin Bwalya Fube (KBF) says businessman Valden Findlay and Chishimba Kambwili’s public fight has potential to injure the presidency.

And KBF has advised President Edgar Lungu to carefully scrutinize his aides because they all have the potential to injure him intentionally or otherwise.

At a press briefing in Lusaka, Monday, KBF offered to broker a “peace deal” between Kambwili and Findlay, insisting that there is need to resolve their differences “quietly” rather than wash their dirty linen in the courts of law as doing so would injure the presidency.

“Courts are not the best [way] to resolve political issues. I am appealing to both men: leave the Presidency away from the politicking. We can fight in any way we want, but we must not damage the Presidency. It is important that Zambians understand that the Presidency is an institution. The Presidency is not the current President, Edgar Chagwa Lungu. It is an institution in which KK, FTJ, Mwanawasa, Rupiah, Sata performed their duties. We must always respect the institution of the Presidency. The image of Zambia is now being addressed by other people because of this allegations,” KBF said.

“If there is someone who needs to bring these two men, Chishimba Kambwili and Findlay together, as a lawyer I am ready to do so because I know these men. Because in trying to defend yourselves, you may injure this nation and the woman in Shang’ombo, the (people) in Lundazi, in Kaputa, in Feira will be suffering because of what you are doing today!”

KBF said both Kambwili and Findlay needed to “tone down” on their public attacks against each other because their dispute could undermine the Republican Presidency.

“What has prompted my reaction? There have been revelations by a dear friend in politics, one Chishimba Kambwili about some of president’s friends. Now, there has been a reaction also by a particular friend to the president, Mr Valden Findlay, to the attacks by Chishimba Kambwili. I must state on the record that I know both men and I do say in a way of them being friends, depending on one’s definitions. I want to address these two men on one particular reason. If your relationship with the President as a friend is going to harm this nation, my advice, perhaps, is you pull back and take a step and try to imagine that you are not his friend. If your friendship with the President is going to injure the Foreign Direct Investment coming into this country, then you are injuring the very nation that you live in. It is also important to understand that going to court is not always the answer because I will tell you that having been a practicing lawyer for over 30 years now that in court, anybody defending himself enjoys what we term as a ‘qualified privilege.’ He has a right to bring out any mad, any rubbish and throw it in front of you just to defend himself. Is this necessary?” he asked.

“To my dear friend, Chishimba Kambwili, there are certain things that we may not want to bring it out in the public and there are certain things that we make public. If we do not respect the Presidency, ourselves, what happens tomorrow? What happens when the Foreign Direct Investment doesn’t come? What happens to the poor people that we are trying to speak for? What happens to the Zambians we are trying to defend? You may have personal issues with some friends of the President, but my I advice to you is: you can deal with those issues from a very different angle and some of those issues away from the public. It is always nice to resolve things quietly. We are all mature people. We all understand what is at stake, which is Zambia. No one person. Not two people, but Zambia. Injuring the President means we are injuring the very people we are trying to speak for.”

He insisted that taking the case to court would not be a wise move.

“Now, let’s suppose this matter was before court; I know for the fact that Mr Valden is a businessman and he does have dollar account. Now, every dollar is regulated by American Reserve Bank. Supposing this court case that he takes up against Chishimba Kambwili is not in his favour by implication what will be the court saying? Because when you sue for defamation, you must distinguish between proving your case; the status that you hold and the value that is touched to the case. So, you may prove that you have been defamed, but the question is: what value would the case have? In other words, how much damages would be awarded?” KBF wondered.

Meanwhile, KBF, the ousted PF election strategist, told journalists that the Head of State must carefully scrutinize the people he surrounded himself with because they all had potential to injure him intentionally or unintentionally.

“The President has the duty not to injure the nation because he has chosen his friends. The President is the image of the nation, period. Before we have the Foreign (Affairs) Minister, the first Foreign (Affairs) Minister is the President. The aides around the President are also part of the Presidency as an institution, and they should know how they should behave and how to conduct themselves, and this will always come under scrutiny. By being careless with the Presidency, this can injure and damage the nation of Zambia. The aides must, therefore, tone down in their behaviour,” urged KBF.

“I want to speak about the aides around the President. If anybody calling himself as Presidential Aide knows that his job is 24/7; he has no time to play. Some of aides we see now or hear about are always drinking! They are always found in clubs! What time do you have to advise the President? How are you advising the President? You are always found in fights, insulting people moving with guns! What kind of image are you showing to the nation? What image are you giving about the kind of President we have? Let’s respect the Presidency. Your job is to advise.”