Former Zambian president's son survives alleged assassination attempt

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 20, 2004

Former Zambian president's son survives alleged assassination attempt

The son to first Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda recently survived an assassination attempt when armed people shot at his car.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

The son to first Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda recently survived an assassination attempt when armed people shot at his car.

Waza Kaunda, the second son to the former president, described the incident, which happened two weeks ago, as "politically motivated" at a press briefing here Monday.

"I was shot at on my way to my village where I was going on a mission concerning the project on HIV/AIDS that I am doing with my father. I am sure the reason behind the shooting is not because of the work I am currently doing but is politically motivated," Waza said.

In Waza's words, the incident could not have been carried out by ordinary bandits since the area where the incident happened is not known for car thieves.

"If they were ordinary car thieves, they could not have shot to destroy the car the way they did it. This could only have been done by people from the system," he said.

According to Waza, there have been attempts recently to merge the ruling party, the Movement for Multi-party Development (MMD), and the Untied National Independence Party (UNIP), the former ruling party into one party for next year's elections.

But some of us are against this merge and that is why we are being targeted for assassination. Some people within the party (UNIP) and the government are not happy with the stance we have taken," Waza, who is a member of the UNIP said.

Narrating the incident, Waza said as he was nearing Mbala district, which is in Northern Province, when three people who pretended to be pedestrians suddenly opened fire at his car.

The first shooting shattered the front windscreen of his Pajerocar while the second shooting shattered the side windows at the back.

He sustained a cut on his left hand.

However, Waza denied that he has any political ambitions and wondered why he could be targeted for elimination.

"My family lived at State House for 27 years and that was enough. I have no presidential aspirations or the intention to go into full time politics again," Waza said.

Waza, 53, is a doctor by profession and is currently working with his father at the Kenneth Kaunda Children's Foundation, a non-governmental organization tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

He said he had known about the planned attack but did not take it seriously.

This is not the first shooting attempt at the former president's sons. During the run-up to the presidential elections in 2001, his other son, Wezi who was a threat to the presidency of the country, was killed by unknown people.

Source: Xinhua

Questions?Comments? Click here

Kaunda Says Chiluba May Be Pardoned

Zambia's Former President in Iraq for Talks with Saddam

CPPCC Chairman Meets Former Zambian President

Exploration rover "Spirit" lands safely on Mars ( 9 Messages)

Two major state banks to pilot joint-stock system ( 3 Messages)

China pondering its own "green card" system ( 16 Messages)

Roaring BMW: Was it "road rage" or an accident? ( 2 Messages)

Beijing's traffic no longer a headache by year 2008 ( 5 Messages)