The opposition United Liberal Party (ULP) has expressed surprise at the decision by President Michael Sata not to attend the late former South African president Nelson Mandela’s memorial service after declaring a 7-day national mourning period in his honor.
Party president Sakwiba Sikota says after declaring 7 days of national mourning for the late Mr. Mandela one would have expected that President Sata would go on to attend the memorial attended by over 100 world leaders.
Mr. Sikota however notes that the decision by president Sata to declare 7 days of national mourning for the late Mr. Mandela is a good move befitting a world leader of his kind.
He says according the Mr. Mandela 7 days of national mourning is an indication of the great importance Zambia has placed on his funeral.
Mr. Sikota says this is why it was important that Zambia should have been represented at the highest level just like other heads of state from other countries had to postpone their planned programs to honor the late Mr. Mandela by attending his funeral.
The ULP president was speaking in an interview with Qfm.
Sikota is living in cuckoo land.Did he want the socially tasteless old geezer to go embarrass us in front of the whole world?
@Enka
Good one!Lol!
Why not? The World needs to see what a joke or is it cesspool Zambia is! Why should we be ashamed of our own President? We made our bed so lets sleep in it. Bravo Sikota! Sata should have made an appearance!
@Enka… Keekekeke, now I change the mind, embarrassments yes. No no no, I change my mind again, Sata should have been there, there were so many people who were embarrassed, including Zuma himself.
Sata might be protesting on behalf of Zambians for not giving KK a chance to speak at memorial.
Our Beloved Country Zambia was represented at the most highest level to mourn Comrade Mandela during the memorial by sending His Honour the Veep a whiteman and his wife, to practice the principle Mandela loved most for all races to co-exist, and the presence of venerable KK (Liberator) of Southern Africa summed up the humility of our President, to let those who mattered most in the values of Mandela to represent Zambia. ULP president please just keep quiet, in L/stone we have not yet recovered from the ten years you misrepresented us in parliament. Just continue making more money in your pockets from court cases, God bless your career!
South Africa has a lot of people with BALD HEADS which would have created a lot of
discomfort to Michael Sata.Based on this he asked Guy Scot to attend the funeral on his behalf,
The irony is that our President went to Kenya to attend that country’s Golden Jubilee celebrations when the President of that country was in South Africa attending the memorial! Anyway, President Zuma maintains a bald head and our President loathes bald heads!
Oh, there is a story on the ZWD that the President did not travel to Kenya because he is unwell. Does the President’s personal doctor work for ZWD?
Sata is intelligent. He sent the best ever representatives to the funeral. Guy Scott, white vice president in Africa (example of non-racial democracy) and KK (the gallant fighter against apartheid, who accommodated ANC operatives in Zambia while Mandela was in prison.
ayi
@Innocent…
With people like this fellow Innocent the country is going nowhere. He has to defend his party leader no matter what. He is so indoctirnated he has ceased to distintinguish sense from nonsense–total blind loyalty that has left him unthinking. Imagine him becoming an MP or Minister, he would be a rotten nut to crack. He has no shame. There are people who I know know him in person and see him as a useless, possibly bipolar patient. Sikota makes more sense than you—thoughtless cadre.
Is attending a funeral compulsory? Let those who now want to associate themselves with the aparthide fight have chance and repent for having been calling Mandela and anc terrorists and Zambians terrorists supporters. Zambia championed the real war against apart hide.
mandela-sata is a magnetic theory of south-south poles repel. how do expect the promoter of violence and vindictiveness attend the thanks giving ceremony of the promoter of piece and reconciliation? its impossible his class is jomo kenyata his fellow promoter of violence. maybe its a reason he decided to go to kenya for golden jubilee celebrations. they are birds of same feathers
Spot on!
Now you are talking. You could even say north-north pole – Net resultant ; REPULSION.
He did well not to attend cos he would have affected they way people judge Zambians. The first lady told him not go there and disgrace her. Good move first lady keep it up please.
Lets move on.This is not news.Thats why most zambians are not productive.
@SURE
To you in your small confused brain ,its not news. But to the rest of Africa and the world at large it is shocking that a president of a country which played pivotal role in the struggle against apartheid did not attend a memorial service for an global icon.
Please rid yourselves of this confusion you contracted from Sata the toilet cleaner.
Thank you “Sure”. KK is a former President. what highest level do you need? KK was friends to Mandela. Lets be productive indeed.
did you attend yourself? not every can attend. Your vagaries are for your attention and not Sata’s. You want to make an innocent person look evil when yourself you are worse. Dont Judge others. Sata has his reasons for not attending the funeral and thats none of your concern.
Shame! there goes another confused PF zealot defending the indefensible.
Wanzelu , I don’t see what the fuss is all about ! Sure , I was also surprised he didn’t attend ! But then , KK was there ! And please don’t label me as PF coz I am not !
H.E. president MCS had a very important appointment with school boys and girls from Chinsali. Besides, the memorial was attended by so many powerful world leaders which could have made it impossible for H.E. president MCS to be recognized! I have a hunch he will go for burial since Obama is not likely to attend. Instead of driving a non-convertible car MCS would rather ride a motor bike which will allow people to see and marvel at him, if you know what I mean.
Sarcasm at its best!
When USAID Says Circumcise you jump and do just like wise. because you think the president in that country is powerful. it is our President who is powerful. bushe fililo kuyayaya fye. abanabo ba Kaunda ebaileko… if you are well known and you are not my friend why should I come to your funeral. bushe bonse balishile kuli Mwanawasa?
Solitary not all world leaders attended the memorial service the president was represented by Guy scot just like China was represented by the vice and moreover our own Father of the nation Dr Kenneth Kaunda was there and other ministers the president might attend the burial on Sunday.
And you think the other world leaders will respect your confused President? Occasions like that provides a forum for informal networking if you don’t know.
To make it worse some journalists were even thinking Guy Scot or KK is the President of Zambia on many occasions during the procession.
Wanzelu ( ? ) . It was a misnomer !
Sakwiba has run out of court cases to keep him busy. Stop looking for negatives all the time.
Mandela was more closer to KK than Sata, South Africans hold KK in high esteem and he was just the right man to represent Zambia. Sata did his part – declared 7 days National mourning. Zambia was adequately represented by KK and Guy.
KK is one ex President, Scott is VP and the CURRENT PRESIDENT shall represent the People of Zambia.
Learn diplomatic protocol “observer”.
The people of South Africa are NOT easily going to forget this insult.
142 Mandela ( great man as he is ) was also an ex-President !
@LCD
And what EX-PRESIDENT!!!
No skeletons to hide. No tribalism. No nepotism. No corrupt practices. No constant misunderstandings.
Just honesty, humility and extremely high moral values.
By the way, can you assign “honesty” and “high moral values” to today political rulers (not leaders) without been ashamed of your own lies?
Mr. Sikota, why are you surprised? After all, it was gathering of WORLD LEADERS! Maybe no one sent invitation or HE is not a member or he may be “misunderstood”?
President Sata was present at the memorial and was announced by the lady as being present. What is this guy talking about? Marijuana perhaps?
THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMINI NETENYAHU, IS ONE OF THE MANY AND NEARLY ALL OF FRANCOPHONE DID NOT ATTEND.
THE FIRST LADY WAS IN ATTENDANCE ANY WAY?
you guys the man is sick please try to understand its beta he dint go cos those urine bags wud have busted and as a nation we would have been embarrassed even more its good like that.so please leave him alone.mr sata pls go to London they pompolola those bags. health is more important than politics
@Bilonda. I agree. People, the man is sick. HE IS SICK.
Please Sata. Just come out in the open when are unwell. No one will mock you. We understand because we are human beings.
But if you keep on be secretive, the mockery will keep on mounting. You can’t blame them for hammering you
Rubbish rants from sikota ……What difference would Sata have made which KK did not make? Sometimes if you have nothing sensible to say its better to keep quiet….
Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.
Yap, you are right to equalize two giants of democratic principles, compliance with human rights, abuse of office, nepotism…..
Good job he didn’t go. By now we would all be burying our heads in the sand from total embarrassment. He would have sat next to fellow gestapo Mugabe and turned the service into a circus. Thank God for small mercies.
Its good he dint go. South Africa gave precedence to Western Leaders than African Leaders. They forget who sheltered there oppressed asses during their struggle. Kaunda put us at great Risk by allowing them to have there head Office in Lusaka and yet he couldn’t even speak. #$%#%$# them!
malilo siya sila, amalilo tayapwa, malilo yo maara chaa literally meaning’ a funeral does not finish’ kuli naku kudza. MCS can go their later. there are many reasons of not attending a funeral; after all he had representatives
Kekekekekeke!
Wena Sakwiba niwena fokumwi weza inge mutu ya kula mwa katendele! Kona kulu wena hauboni fo kusweu kuli Sata yoo ki mukuli tuna nji? Kaswende ka machende ka mu honile, muluto ona seu ngongelela mutakafululele. Esi mane Kaseba yena sa somisa kusili kakuli SataNi yena kusoma kwaapala, seli feel mane inge ya tukufalelwa ku laba mukolo ka muhala kuli a shatulele fabuse bwa Lyambai ang’umelanda iyoyo weenda na Mbung, kauke inoosha ki mbaamba haku konahali!
Sata is against everything that Nelson Mandela stood for. That’s why he only acted to declare 7 days of national mourning after pressure from the media. He then opted to send that Scott who insulted South Africa and it’s leaders. Freedom for all sends shivers down Sata’s spine.
All that his handlers needed to do was sedate the bugger by an overdose and he would have been quiet. Otherwise it was a wise decission to leave the loose canon behind. We haven’t yet developed the recall button in case he starts puking his usual embarassments in the presence of other world leaders
Did Chiluba ever met eye to eye with Mandela? Mandela avoided chiluba because of personal reasons.What is the fuss all about attending Mandela funeral. Mind you these are fellows from defferent back ground.What deals can you strike at a Funeral?
Yes he did when he FTJ asked Mandela to send top professors in law to see the charges he had labelled against KK….
What worries me is how suddenly as Zambians we have remembered KK…are we not the ones who destroyed him? Are we not the one who called him Old Mushunfwa? We called him a criminal, locked him up and now we want the world to respect KK? We are a bunch of no-gooders its no wonder we are sooooo poor we are time wasters sitting on gold and not knowing it….lets shut up and live in our own spew…
I’m jst thinkin aloud. Imagin Sata dies today. How many Heads of Sata wil come & morn with us in Zambia? Coz his really sent a wrong message across how wud he elect not to go for the great icons funeral Mandela
We shall cross that bridge when we get there
The best representative was KK although his presence was acknowledged. Lets be realistic gentlemen.
Let madiba rest in peace. Mu zambia 7days you condemn. Finshi mufwaya? Leave Mr saka alone. You mst learn to honor your leaders.
People in our country are naturally petty and very ungrateful. Our President is humble and may have felt inadequate to attend Madiba’s funeral when KK IS there and this paid off because Obama stopped over to chat with him.That chat with the Head of a Supper Power was symbolically and even practically a critical channel KK opened for Zambia and the United States .Bravo Michael your strategic calculation has paid off.I must end by saying l was touched at the national morning Mr Sata gave Madiba .
A.M
It is not appropriate for Sata to attend the memorial service because he dos not believe in Mandela’s ideals. Sata practices discrimination and ethnic domination, which is evil. He could not rub shoulders with people like Obama.
I agree with the analysis in this article. HEMCS should have attended the funeral — and it is not too late, he can still go and save face.
A gathering of world leaders is a great place to strengthen ties. Whatever beef HEMCS has with Zuma do not matter — HEMCS is a civil servant, a servant of Zambia and should do what is best for Zambia.
#OneZambia #2016
zambians it will be byelec
The. Man should do the honorable thing and resign sata is not medically fit or mentally stable to continue as president. The only problem he faces is that his masters membe/nchito want him to continue sheilding
t.hem from crimes against the Zambian people of defrauding Zambian financial institutions to almost k100 million .Furthermore data can not engage in a meaningful interlectual discourse as he lacks the mental capacity hence his absence from international fora let alone hosting a press conference he is interlectually bankrupt.