Claim
On 22nd March 2022, News Diggers published an article in which the Patriotic Front acting Secretary General, Hon. Nickson Chilangwa alleged that President Hakainde Hichilema refused to evacuate the late former President Rupiah Banda for specialized medical treatment outside the country. Hon. Chilangwa asserted that President Hichilema’s refusal to evacuate Mr. Banda led to the fourth Republican President dying at his residence in Lusaka.
Rating Justification
The fact checking process has determined as misleading, the claims by the Patriotic Front acting Secretary General, Hon. Nickson Chilangwa, that President Hichilema refused to evacuate former President Rupiah Banda for specialized medical treatment abroad, leading to the 4th Republican President dying at his residence in Lusaka. In one of the statements by the family of the late President Banda, and obtained by iVerify, Mr. Andrew Banda, who is late President Banda’s son refuted Chilangwa’s claims. He clarified that contrary to Chilangwa’s claims, President Hichilema supported President Banda’s treatment abroad on several occasions. He added that without government’s support, President Banda would have died a long time ago. Therefore, the claim by the Patriotic Front acting Secretary General, Hon. Nickson Chilangwa, that President Hichilema refused to evacuate former President Rupiah Banda for specialized medical treatment, leading to the 4th Republican President dying at his residence in Lusaka is misleading.
