THE family of the late fourth Republican president Rupiah Banda has refuted claims by acting PF secretary general Nickson Chilangwa that President Hakainde Hichilema refused to evacuate the former Head of State for specialised treatment.

Banda’s son, Andrew, said contrary to Chilangwa’s claims, President Hichilema supported his father’s treatment as he was taken abroad several times.

Andrew said without government’s support, his father would have died a long time ago.

“Who is Chilangwa? Who are these chaps or elements in politics who can say that President HH did not care because the old man died in his house and he was never evacuated? The same President they are disparaging now, visited our father three, four days before he passed on and he actually bade farewell to him,” Andrew said.

“The old man had 27 sessions of chemotherapy which is the most extraordinary because many people always have up to 12 sessions of chemotherapy and then that is the end,” he said.

Andrew said his father’s first line of chemotherapy had stopped working and that President Hichilema gave him a Presidential jet to fly to Dubai for further observation.

He explained that in Dubai, his medication was changed but that it had brutal effects to his body.

“When the medication changed, hell broke loose, the old man was 85-years-old. Perhaps Mr Chilangwa doesn’t understand what chemotherapy means and he and many others that are trying to masquerade to be holier than others are the same people who went [on] disparaging the old man not long ago,” Andrew said.

He said his father had reached a stage where medicine could no longer work and that it was his wish when he was in hospital to be taken back home.

“He was at Lilayi Clinic which belongs to Dr Desai, he asked if he could be taken back home for reasons best known to himself,” said Andrew.

Recently, charged that President Hichilema refused to evacuate Banda and that is why the fourth republican president died at home.

“When he (Banda) was sick, president Edgar Lungu could release the presidential chopper and let him use it for treatment. But this man…where on earth can a former president die in the house? He requested to be evacuated, but he (President Hichilema) said ‘use a bus’,” claimed Chilangwa.