GOVERNMENT has castigated opposition MMD leader Nevers Mumba and civil rights activist Brebner Changala over their attacks on First Republican President Kenneth Kaunda for his statement during Independence Day celebrations in Kitwe.
Chief Government Spokesperson Mwansa Kapeya said Government takes great exception to attacks by Dr Mumba and Mr Changala whom he described as ‘self acclaimed’ civil rights activist, against Dr Kaunda over his statement during Independence Day celebrations last Thursday.
Dr Mumba was quoted in the Sunday Times of Zambia newspaper as describing Dr Kaunda as a “senile retiree” whose petty criticism could not shake his party.
Mr Kapeya who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister said as a Christian and pastor, Dr Mumba should least be expected to be such disrespectful to elders.
The Minister said it was Government expectation that, as a leader of a former ruling party, Dr Mumba should have reflected more on his callous statement.
Mr Kapeya further described as mischievous accusations by Mr Changala that Dr Kaunda was dividing the country by actively participating in politics, as reported in yesterday’s Daily Nation newspaper.
“Accusations by Mr Changala that Dr Kaunda is dividing the country by actively participating in politics, as reported in today’s Daily Nation newspaper are mischievous, misleading and disrespectful which should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve,” Mr Kapeya said.
He advised Mr Changala to accept the reality that Dr Kaunda was a founding father of the nation who possessed vast knowledge and wisdom which the nation needed in order to move forward.
“Dr Kaunda’s role and guidance in the affairs of the country is beyond partisan politics. He laid a firm foundation of peace and unity which we are enjoying as a nation.
“Instead of criticizing him, young people like Dr Mumba and Mr Changala should swallow their pride and learn from Dr Kaunda’s vast knowledge and wisdom in leadership,” he said.
Mr Kapeya said Zambia as a nation, should count itself lucky that Dr Kaunda was still around and providing the necessary guidance and counsel.
He reiterated Government’s appreciation for the immense contribution Dr Kaunda had and continued to render to the development and well being of the country.
“This Government will therefore continue to accord Dr Kaunda the status and attention he deserves as former Head of State and founding father of the nation,” Mr Kapeya said.
What does retiring from politics mean in Zambian politics? Much as KK may be one of the founding fathers of this nation,it is not right for him to take political sides in a nation whose moto “one zambia one nation” he spearheaded. If one retires from politics,let them disappear from the scene.KK,Munkombwe,VJ and the rest,its time to REALLY RETIRE guys.
Ba Kapeya give us Freedom of Expression that PS Mwamba has faced martyrdom for. Free the airwaves, give us freed of speech.
This is the problem when you have a government full of fossils. Ba fikkala retire from politics (KK, Kapeya, Chi Sata, etc); You have outlived your usefulness. Zambia does not belong to you alone mwe mbwamwe. For how long are you going to live on tax-payers money imwe bakolwee kanshi?
Ba Mwansa Kapeya, you have not addressed the issues. Just because KK is a founding father does not give him a nationwide license to talk anyhow and call others foolish. He wants to bring back the UNIPist culture of hero worshiping the president. That is wrong. What did we vote for in 1991? Pleeease!
This PF government will suffer defeats if they adopt this attitude of castigating any dissenting voice. This is childish. We need different voices and debate to flow.
If KK carries on issuing disparaging remarks against the opposition, he will soon loose the little forgiveness and respect the Zambian people had for him. If he thinks some us have forgotten the hard times he made us pass through during his reign, he better think again.
Each time I think of Kaunda era I have nightmares of people dying cuing for meal -meal, soap, parafin ,fuel, bread , cooking oil. Not to mention the police brutality he encouraged his paramilitary to unleash on innocent people and the violence perpetrated by his vigilantes against poor Zambians struggling to buy essentials. Talk about the endless road blocks, where every one was required to carry NRC or else you get detained until you pay a bribe to the paramilitary.
KK days were dark days for Zambia
I salute you ZAM CAB. Kaunda should detach himself from all sorts of political activities.His comments and behavior on independence day is not befitting a retired politician.period.Kapeya is talking from the point of ignorance.
I dont know why i somehow understand when DR Mumba speaks more than others, i think his critics are more mature than others, i think he has a point, what i find amusing is how every Jim and Jack wants to jump on the band wagon to be heard, well, some of you castigate for wrong reasons, thats why when you do, information is distorted and misinterpreted. Dr Mumba is someone you can listern to, he tries to bring out the best out of the situation, in short, he doesnt speak from without, i think he is presidential Material, i wish he was the VP so that he could be the President should HEMCSs decides to step down.
once the old guard retires, then it will be tu kabolala tu HH to loot with impunity.
I would rather have a senile old person in charge than ka kabolala and greedy HH
I guess if he had criticized PF they would not have been protecting him. Instead they would have been threatening to withdraw his pension. Criminals!!!!
Please take note that KK has gone beyond retirement in politics, he is now reverend, a blessing upon Zambia, one to be idolized because God has blessed him to live long for Zambians like Mumba and Changala who were born after independence to see the man who liberated us Zambians. He greatly abhorred the suggestion from anyone to Zambians not to celebrate our national day. KK is not politicking, he is the Father of this Nation you cannot take it away from him. I still remember the first time I saw KK in 1961 at public rally at Lubengele groung in Bancroft/Chililabombwe my heart skipped breaths each time he waved his white hankie, I felt the same last thursday OCT 24th. Please revere KK in Zambia the same way Mandela is in South Africa, afterall KK even contributed to the liberation of SA.
KK is NOT a member of PF, thats what retiring is.
Ba Mwansa Kapeya, you have not addressed the issues. Just because KK is a founding father does not give him a nationwide license to talk anyhow and call others foolish. He wants to bring back the UNIPist culture of hero worshiping the president. That is wrong. What did we vote for in 1991? Pleeease!
This PF government will suffer defeats if they adopt this attitude of castigating any dissenting voice. This is childish. We need different voices and debate to flow.
No one is above reproach,censure,upbraiding…call it what you may….not even KK. The moment you elevate some folks to a demi-god you’ve lost the plot to logic and reality.All have sinned and fallen short,says the good book.
Senile retiree ? Come on ba pastor Mumba you are better than this.Give the man the respect he deserves.You shouldn`t allow politics to take over your sense of rationality.Smh
But its this same KK who is insulting others, even in a home if a parents keeps using unpalatable on his children, the children will one day respond and insult back. So ba KK should realise that he is the Father of the nation and stop what he is doing otherwise people will lose respect for him and start calling him names which he himself is calling others. Let Kaunda learn from other world leaders who have done their part and now respected worldwide, that way even AU and other organisations like the MO Ibrahim find it difficult to honour this old man. KK should come to his senses being old does not mean knowing it all.
Iwe chikkala saulosi just go to hell. The truth hurts. KK chipiba elo takwata mano. Indoshi nkalamba iyi.
Saulosi whatever your name is how does one respect the so called elder who insults people? Is it normal to call people “little things”? Is it ok for the elder to call Ministers foolish? I guess Saulosi and co did not listen to that stupid speech by KK in Kitwe hence their blind support. For goodness sake KK should retire and concentrate on his KK foundation for children. I think because of his behavior donors have withdrawn their support. No ba Kapeya and Saulosi. KK is truly dividing this nation. He has put himself in the firing range and he should expect missiles from the opposition. it is tit for tat.
Saulosi, did you listen to KK calling the opposition and those endorsing Sata as fools? the big man as allowed himself to be used as a carder and therefore we can call him whatever we want. Remember he who seeks equity should make sure that he comes with clean hands, but is KK`s hands clean on this issue? he is just another useful I.D.I.O.T.
Thats the problem with you the young generation of these days.For you anybody you don`t agree with politically becomes a subject of your insults.Give the old man a break !!!
no saulosi. the old man should give us a break and wen i say us i mean the zambian people a break.we dont want that unip mentality back in zambia again.thats why 2016 we want sata to bounce aswel cos he has that mentality of unip in his blood.
@Saulosi, I am sure you would not have been talking about respecting elders if he had criticized PF. Today, you are not “ndeloleshafye.” People have overtime seen through your subjectivity much as you try to claim to be objective.
@Saulosi awakes from the slumber. Get a life mune.
KK is busy insulting others and you want him to be respected for that.He is an I.Di.oT.
Anyone rremembers Sata andScott’s 1991 popular song…….leta ubwembya tume……about mushumfwa???? Then I thought Sata was mad…..and now seeing the Sata with KK, I think Sata is mad!!!
As usual PF’s response is childish and bereft of substance. The issue is that the statements KK has been issuing are not only divisive but they are a disservice to his legacy. It is very evident that KK is senile and the onky reason Sata wants him at his side is to prop Sata’s declining political fortunes. Any disinterested observer can see that the PF is abusing KK. Further, KKs involvement in politics and his repeated endorsements of Sata are begining to look like he has come out of retirement – which should have cosenquences for his pension.
Rather than address these real issues, the Ifya bukay man is resorting to the ‘ respect the elderly ‘ card, and that PF refrain of ‘ swallow youf pride blahh blah , blah ‘. Can you for PF for once admit that you are wrong.
on kk i always have one question.why does he always carry a white clothe whether in winter or summer?with or without flu?and why always white?is this not a satanic practice?he even hold it same way from one angle.i wonder what would hapen if the clothe was suddenly grabed away from him?
IWE CHI MWANSA KABINGA AKULYAFYE ULUPIYA ULWA FREE. ELYO FONKO FONKO ALETUKA ABANTU NINSHI MWALETININA UKUMWEBA ATI ULEKWATA INKUMBU OR ULUSE KU BANTU? KAUNDA NAPENA INCLUDING URINE BAG. ABAKOTE NGABAFULA MU GOVT YOU CANT GO ANYWHERE. LEARN TO RETIRE AND ENJOY YOUR MONEY. MWANSA KABINGA YOU MUST HAVE RETIRED A LONG TIME AGO & YOU WORMED YOUR WAY INTO GOVT IN ORDER TO EAT LIKE YOUR SENILE MUNKOMBWE APTLY PUT IT. LET THE YOUNG GENERATION TAKE OVER. LOOK AT THE UNITED KINGDOM, YOUNG FELLOWS MANAGING THE AFFAIRS. YABA!
Kapeya instead of issuing such a stupid and childish statement you would have gone to advise this former stateman in the name of KK who has reduced him self to a F.OOL to spend his little time on earth quietly in his house we Zambian have built for him at great cost rather than insult us…..
Mumba and Changala spot on … useful i.diot of a senile retire thinks we have forgotten what he did to Zambians
@haleisa halenya
ulimbwa iwe kwati fye ni kapeya.
So that’s your best shot at TheEngineer?
Shut up child.
@the engineer
My comment above was to someone else that gave a very unsavory reply to your comment. I think LT removed the comment. – thankfully.
Sata should appologise publicly for insulting KK and pushing for his deportation to malawi first before any other person gives respect to a disrespectfulold man. Kk should should respect others to be respected back many times over.KK is no saint at all.
“as a Christian and pastor, Dr Mumba should least be expected to be such disrespectful to elders.” This statement from Mr. Kapeya is a fallacious type of reasoning that uses a negative character of a person as a reason to oppose that person’s argument or claim (Ad Hominem). Truly I am also wondering whether KK has actually retired from politics or not. Gives a break please, Old fellow should retire and give room to young blood. You think in all this country you are the only ones who can lead people. Ba KK munayamba bwino, buti manje mufuna kuononga, nama statements yanu. Ndimwe bamene mubweza ziko pansi.
Mwansa Kapeya, typical cadre mentality. How does he describe as beyond politics the utterances of KK during independence celebration? If he wants the old man be respected, he should remind him that he has to act beyond and above politics otherwise let Mwansa Kapeya shut up. Give credit where it’s due.
This is the problem when you have a government full of fossils. Ba fikkala retire from politics (KK, Kapeya, Chi Sata, etc); You have outlived your usefulness. Zambia does not belong to you alone mwe mbwamwe. For how long are you going to live on tax-payers money imwe bakolwee kanshi?
I now understand why pf performance is bad.with due respect if you can go and get advice from kk.then something is very wrong with you.the man is old .pleas help him to enjoy his life than putting him in a situation he can not articulate issues.govermet should advice kk to be the father of the nation.those insults on Independence Day is a disgrace to him and his family.this is free advice to pf
KK has missed his opportunity. In my opinion he has done more than Mandela but his continuous commitment to be abused by the person he described as a demagogue in 1991 leaves no kind words for him by those who felt insulted by his utterances. What KK said on independence day should have caused Kapwepwe, Nkumbula and other founding fathers to turn in their graves. Mwansa K also should be reminded that KK IS NOT THE ONLY FOUNDING FATHER. May b we can safely say the surviving father among those who were in the limelight though I believe there are many in the silent world.
KK is a useful I***. He cant be trusted at all. Not so long ago he was against UKWA but today UKWA is his god. Bafikala wakeup and reason, this former dictator doesnt deserve any form of respect for dividing our country. Chi saulosi matole yobe waumfwa
KK has lost his credibility. even though Ci mmembe and his fellow gays at the hopeless post news paper are busy showering praises for this *****. what did he do for Zambia? mwanawasa even did far much better in his seven years. this man is an *****. nacikafwefwe mwe. I am tired of this fool.
kapeya is just as indiscipline as is deadly kaunda.
kaunda has become an agent of underdevelopment.kaunda founded no peace as zambians in western province dont know how this outspoken peace feels.crazy kapeya and all those in support
To be honest with you Kapeya you deserve your own statement “mischievous, misleading and disrespectful to thinking Zambians and therefore you should be dismissed with the contempt you deserve”. KK is the reason Zambia is in such a position in the first place, he left the country with no economy to talk about. Thanks to Mwanawasa we started going in the right direction.
Father of the Nation my foot! What does this same thing mean? My grandfather lost his life protesting against Ian Smith,what does he have to show for it? Now some well feed old yokel should claim to be my father forget it!
Th government has not stopped Hyena Hyena or Neverwas Mumbwe from inviting KK to their functions. They have been beaten pants down by the PF’s initiative.
ulimbwa iwe kwati fye ni kapeya.
Sunkutu,KK called the ministers foolish and wicked but what wrong has Mumba committed in calling Kaunda a senile. check your dictionary before commenting from the point of ignorance.Kaunda should do unto others what he would like them do unto him as a rtetired politician if he wants respect or fellow politician will take him on.
@sunkutu, kabalwe iwe
Mwansa Kapeya should know that he can not force people to respect this thing called kk. I for one DONT HAVE RESPECT for this ***** of an old man.
If KK deserves ALL the respect FYABUKAYA is claiming for him, why is it that KK has not been used in the region for any thing like other former heads like Mandela, T Mbeki, RB and others ever since he lost power?
Answer; he wasn’t as good as his praisers are potraying him. Nevers & Changala are spot on; being a pastor does not make one blind of wrongs committed by pipo like KK, tell him. He is a divider of our country not uniter, let him go back to his country MALAWI. He is more of a destroyer than a builder, actually he is the reason Zambia is still sufering like this, if a real Zambian became president at independence we would have been better.
He is a robber to Zambian independence……….
KK has few days on earth to do good. His handlers – Fred and company should free the old man. Let him rest and reflect on his life. It shocking that we do not see lots of writings about KK in form of biographies. This is what Fred should be sponsoring, if he really loves KK.
Meaning of Senile = Showing a decline or deterioration of physical or mental functioning, especially short-term memory and alertness, as a result of old age or disease.
By all accounts, this is an accurate description of KK. How is this an insult?
PF are using KK to draw attention of the masses away from real issues like lack job creation, poor healthcare, internal squabbling, lack of strategic national development plan, budget overun with no concrete results to justify, …the list is endless. PF Govt is like a joke. A bad joke.
These are empty rantings from an empty can in the name of Mwansa Kapeya. The best he could have done was keep his mouth shut rather than utter this rubbish. He has not said anything at all. What he needed to tell us was whether KK was in order to utter the words he uttered on that day. From the way Kapeya has come out we can tell that he conforms with KK’s insults. These are the things that are making the PF very detached from reality and in the process making the party unpopular.
The biggest favour all politicians can do Zambia is use the fifty year celebration to acknowledge that a generation of young people in 1964 failed to pass the baton on and have raised fifty years worth of missed opportunities which they themselves have the responsibility to put to bed. Think beyond yourselves and give future Zambians who will have no choice but to play catch up in a technological age as part of a global village – let them redefine our course, pay attention to our resources, capture the imagination and motivate efforts to build who we can be. Anything else puts you all in the history books as failed potential with lack of foresight blinded by personal ambition. I’ll hold on to that dream.
Well said. Exactly my thoughts.
A Phiri… and yet you criticize Field Ruwe for saying the exact same thing. Is it personal vendetta or what? If I were to cut and paste your sentiments in Ruwe’s article they would fit as hell.
Hmm. I see it more like providing an alternative view to his first sentence and pointing out that there are others who share his view and others who have a different viewpoint. I am sure he has a thick enough skin to take criticism. Failure to pass on the baton would be our common ground but you are welcome to see things in your own way. I draw the line at seeing progress from an intellectual only standpoint but that’s my personal opinion. Feel free to cut and paste. I prefer to digest. Smile.
ulimbwa iwe kwati fye ni kapeya.chikkala you think like a dog
stan york
KK is wedded to insults much the same way Sata is wedded to lies. They have made a terrific combination and if you add senility in Kaunda’s case and the bafoonery of Sata, you have a terrible combination that can only lead to total disaster in this nation. We are headed for the worst times in this country’s life I assure you countrymen and women. KK + Sata = Unmitigated Disaster!
Sata was the first to react durin Mwanawasa’s tenure against KK taking sides. He even challenged KK to make it official if at all he had come out of retirement so that he could be be ‘taken on’ by the opposition then ( Sata ).
Mulongoti said Pf should not be parading Dr Kaunda…Sata on labour day reminded K.K how they used to praise him saying K.K wamuyaya K.K wamuyaya… ati this old man thought i will never be president . Kaunda also took his turn to tell Sata at independence day “Mr.Sata how old are you?” Mr. Sata standing up “i am 76years” Kaunda “i am 89years” you see this young man i call him umwaume why aim i saying umwame?…..beacause he has bring development road are come up every where,universities you can name it. Oh sorry gentlemen may be i missed his insults.
KK has every right to express himself freely and also exercise his freedom of association.He spent most of his life fighting for these freedoms.
In the US,Bill Clinton campaigned country wide to secure Barrack Obama’s second term.The republicans hated him but the american people listened.He is still regarded as the best democratic president of recent times.Gen Collin Powell(A Republican) also endorsed Obama..
The fear Mumba and Changala have is that KK is still viewed as an upright person by a majority of Zambians(Forget the few hundred people who blog on LT and ZWD).He has some influence on the Zambian electorate..Trying to fight the old man won’t help them in any way..They should rebuild MMD to what it was under Levy Mwanawasa.The MMD’s was messed up by FTJ’s and RB’s corruption.
Independent – wake up!!
KK is free to support whoever he wants to. He must do so with clear rationale and consistently! What example is KK setting by claiming one thing (Sata in presidential material) and then another (sata is the best thing thy ever happened to Zambia!) when it suits him? He is an opportunist and a sore looser, who needs to grow up!
Independent – wake up!!
KK is free to support whoever he wants to. He must do so with clear rationale and consistently! What example is KK setting by claiming one thing (Sxxxa in presidential material) and then another (SXxxx is the best thing thy ever happened to Zambia!) when it suits him? He is an opportunist and a sore looser, who needs to grow up!
@Enka, all have sinned and fallen, without exception, including so-called messiahs and prophets. Making demi-god of anybody is the root cause of frictions and divide in society, nation and the world.
LONG LIVE KK!!! ONE ZAMBIA ! ONE NATION!
I have told you before go to Zambia and stay with him.Awaiting your insulting comment.
please give the old man some written speech..his memory is failing hi,..period..
The former dictator is trying to get back into politics, the govt must halt his benefits and arrest the cadre, KK.
Full leash muyayaya with a frog, ukokwine Ku Muchinga and Malavi.
KK busy being a PF cadre, no wonder he has failed to write his memoirs because of dictatorship mentality.
Koswe Kalembula, Katapa Kolwe.
There was once upon a time when KK praised Levy Mwanawasa for giving him his freedoms and steering the Nation economically. Again , when RB became President , KK was busy praising RB during the time he was being handed keys to his newly built home!. The fact is that , KK is human and will not bite a finger that feeds him . If it was right to praise Mwanawasa & RB then , its also okey to sing songs of praise for Sata and it will be okey for him to sing songs of praise for Nevers or HH or Chipimo. If I remember very well , there was a time when KK praised Nevers and also predicted victory for Mumba in 2001 , and it was the same when HH stood under the UPND/FDD/UNIP pact. Let us not stifle the old Man’s freedom , I don’t think it will be right for him to insult Sata during independence…
KK, be like Grey Zulu. Retire peacefully.