Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has decided to temporarily withdraw from the “Acting President Deabate” until after the burial of the late President Michael Sata.
In a statement released to the media, Brigadier General Miyanda stressed that his silence during this mourning period should not be interpreted to mean that that he has conceded. He has promised to make a detailed response after the burial to show why cabinet should not have made Defence Minister Edgar Lungu handover to Dr Scott.
Below is the full statement
STATEMENT: THE GUY SCOTT FURORE!
[By Brig Gen Godfrey Miyanda – 31st Oct 14]
Since I wrote against the appointment of Dr Guy Scott as Acting President there have been spirited discussions, especially on the social media. But the debate has taken a racial route, deliberately so because some debaters find it easier as it will get a sympathy vote. As I have NOT responded to the comments this may be interpreted to mean that I have conceded – far from it! The reason I have not commented is that I have suspended this debate on my part until after the burial of the late President Sata. I shall give a full response, punch for punch after that.
But let me make it absolutely clear that I condemn the “racism” that some clever commentators have introduced which is a cheap trump card to win an argument. My article was not and is not about race; racism and tribalism are beneath me. However I will be a traitor to keep quiet on a fundamental constitutional question that must be resolved now. For me if a white man or woman errs I will speak up; if a black man or woman does something that I disagree with I will speak my mind. I reject the idea that we should feel ashamed to speak out so that “muzungu anikonde”.
I have nothing against Dr Guy Scott as alleged; in fact I used to relate to him better than with the late President and I used to tease him fondly as “Dr Chikoti” and always greeted him in Bemba!
I will make a detailed response after the burial, showing why Cabinet should NOT have wrongfully made Minister Lungu to handover to Dr Scott and why Article 45(2) should be read together with Articles 33(1) and 34(3) (b). I will also show why I disagree with the LAZ statement as reported in The Post of 31st October 2014. I emphasise: this is NOT a debate about Dr Guy Scott’s race!
GODFREY MIYANDA,
BRIGADIER GENERAL
[31ST OCTOBER 2014]
QUESTIONS FOR PF BEFORE ELECTING NEW PRESIDENT.
1. Why did PF Don’t Kubeba us about Mr. Sata’s health and what guarantee do we have that they won’t lie to us again? Some people have to account for this….
2. Why do you (PF) allow your cadres to misbehave and disturb our peace?
3. Was the bloated cabinet under MMD reduced as promised? This is partly the reason for the high debt we have now accrued due to limited revenue thereby enslaving future generations.
4. Constitutional reforms promised in 90 days, how far?
5. Where are the jobs and more money in our pockets with this wage and employment freeze?
6. Why allow the vendors to litter our streets?
7. Charges and harassment of opposition political party leaders and people with divergent views, how and why?
8. The
8. The unnecessary by-elections we have experienced, any reason?
9. Appointment of relatives, cadres and friends without giving every Zambian a chance to aspire for the jobs, are others less Zambian?
10. Many contracts to companies that have been corrupting you as alleged by Mr. Chikwanda and making the Anti – Corruption Commission toothless but used to settle scores, just explain?
11. Why have you not pursued our money borrowed from DBZ to be paid back by the people that operated Zambian Airways? You know them…
12. The Late Mr. Sata told us you are useless, how useful can you be now?
13. Why do you (PF) like Don’t Kubebering us most of the time? Any new promises to tell us during the campaigns?
Ci mudala zoona after burial he’s colleagues will be busy strategizing and scheming how to remove PF out of power while he’s planning to be back here to continue posting useless articles . Seriously this guy is worse than Chama chakomboka .
Don’t be surprised to see Miyanda’s name on the ballot paper in January despite doing zero campaigns . In 2006 i voted for him but thank God he lost, he’s a proper shameless clown. If he was my dad or brother I would give him a black eye for stupidly wasting millions filling his candidature when he knows he’s got zero chances of beating Siulapwa.
Mr Miyanda – please do not disgrace yourself any further! Take the matter to court if you’re aggrieved. You can never win an election through social media.
BA Miyanda thank you for this. But I still demand to see you on TV.
Miyanda fye chinangwa. Takwanda skopo uyu mudala. Let sleeping dogs lie iwe.
As you prepare your “punch-for-punch” responses. Please explain to us the qualification of one being a Vice President. It is one argument we are talking about in the debate. I say so because any one according to our constitution can be VP. So if anyone is VP when the President dies, they automatically become President. Full stop.
Continued……..
We would rather let Guy Scott rule up to 2016. Than waste money on by elections.
Sir: I just want to also remind you that your time is over. You are about 70 years if correct. So push for younger Zambian, which I have not seen in your own party. Why do you always think your opinion this the best or right? You cannot win all the time but also be a good listener. My advice is that if you don’t handle this matter properly? You will be seen not to be the leader we know.
Step back, mourn your friend than what you are doing.
Thank you.
Concern Young Zambian.
It is embarrassing and time wasting that Gen Miyanda would go on about his debates on Guy Scott. As Young Zambian, I am disappointed with your approach sir. You have shown weakness of your Leadership. We look unto you. My expectation was for you to handle this matter differently.
Guy Scott can have UK parents but he would not be the First Zambian to have foreign parents. You know it yourself that the Zambian constitution clause was change by yourself and Chiluba. To Block President Kaunda.
Sir Please. Show, we the young Zambians maturity and harmony leadership. Zambia as I write has been seen very mature and better than even the UK?? We don’t look at color but patriotism. I respect your opinion but If you ask Young Zambians,
Mr. M. Chola, who do u think you are . pay tribute to the late president !
in fact you are the most useless person in this country . just know how to post words on the internet . do you dare to speak out your words in the public , cowwards .
I agree with the General.
What we need in this country are true patriots who will fight and defend our constitution from anarchists!
Iyo naikosa kwena. I think Brig. Gen. should be made Chief Justice by the next president. He seems to understand law than the lawyers themselves. Just saying.
But honestly speaking, PF must go. They dont seem to understand governance and even if they do, they break the laws of the land without even being ashamed of themselves. lies, deceit and arrogance characterise PF rule. Even the corrupt MMD government at least used to rule according to the law. But not PF. We cannot go on like this. We need sanity in government. Fellow Zambians, lets vote with our heads and NOT our hearts in January 2015.
Its very clear the intentions of General Miyanda, this can never be a forum to clear constitutional issues. The General’s articles and the demonstrating paid PF cadres is a treasonable.
General Miyanda and those PF cadres including their sponsors must be arrested for treason.
General, as a senior citizen and a knowledgeable man about governance, you certainly know that we are a nation of laws, like other civilized nations. As such, I would suggest that you take your argument to the courts, and the supreme court judges, as interpreters of the law, will decide on the matter. For now, it is important that we safeguard the peace and stability that out nation has always enjoyed.
General Miyanda will be ill advised to take this matter to court. He will be hard pressed to defend his position from a legal stand point.
Are we talking about the same courts that denied Changala a medical review board on the late Michael Sata? The courts are corrupt and it’s an expensive venture for one man why should Miyanda foot a bill that all concerned Zambians should foot? It’s our country not zmiyandas country
Look at the many muzungu anikondes in cabinet.They ought to be ashamed of themselves. Mwenye the biggest muzungu anikonde !!
General Miyanda is insane. Am glad he has never been president and I doubt if he will ever be. Where was he when Mpombo gave the instruments of power to Rupiah? He never commented???
Bro, the Mpombo / Banda issue is very different from this one. It is actually not even clear that Mpombo not babda was left to act bu Mwanawasa. However it should be appreciated that, in the former case both Mpombo and Banda were elligeabble for the possition of either acting or functioning inthe office of the president. Our problem here is that, until our bad consttution is changed, Scott does qualify to function in the office of president of Zambia.
Yes Ba General may have issues, but frankly, he is right in this matter. We all have a duty to uphold the constitution off our dear country. You know if Lungu was left to act, maybe we could have avoided a bye-election untill 2016. This all issue is now necessary because, the man is illegally there,going by our current constitution.
General yes you can suspend but we shud keep our eyes open. scott do no force matters you might have legal support but for the sake of your good name let the will of pipo be done. Remember mbeki who didnt use his authority to protect his desires. The world is watching
pf government must go its full of *****s
General,
I applaud your wisdom. I am also appalled by racist attacks against Dr. Guy Scott. What most of these black racists don’t seem to appreciate is that Zambia has actually elevated her non-racist status by having Dr. Scott as the only Caucasian Vice President on the continent. It is shocking and disappointing that some shallow – minded bloggers want this debate to degenerate into a racial and tribal issue. As you have wisely said, let us debate this issue on the basis of objective legal facts and not race.
@ #5 Patriot
You are very short sighted and a fake patriot.Before you blog ask yourself the following Questions.Where was RB when Levy handed the instruments of power to Mpombo?If you know the amswer then you will know why Mpombo handed the IOP to the VP upon arrival in the country. Check article 39 of the constitution before you show your ignorance.The AG is part of the cartel. He is related to Sylvia Masebo.Article 39 is very clear about this issue please
Who cares about what Miyanda thinks ! He is a finished ex-general, even his wife wouldn’t vote for him – other wise she would be his vice-president at least. Miyanda is so finished that he is now worried about the end of his rent on earth without any impact. Why is it that he is the only finished old guard who seems to be everywhere on social media which is populated mostly by people as old as his great-grand children? It is simply because he can’t convince anybody of his age. Somebody needs to advise him to keep off!!! He had his time as Vice-President and finished off without a goal for Zambia! Total failure Miyanda…!!! Tikuzibani iwe nkote. Kayeseko vinangu, ndiwe osila!
USELESS CHITAPI, SURELY FELLOW ZAMBIANS WE NEED TO DEBATE ISSUE PROPERLY, WHAT GENERAL MIYANDA AS BROUHGT OUT NEEDS SOBER MINDS TO DEBATE AS ZAMBIANS. GENERAL YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT.
WHY BRING IN MIYANDA’S WIFE IN THIS DEBATE DID MIYANDA TOLD ABOUT SCOTTS WIFE? MIYANDA WAS JUST BRINGING IN ARTICALS. LAZY ZAMBIAN READ AND DEBATE PROPERLY. AM TELLING YOU ONE DAY YOU WILL REMEMBER THE GENERAL.
Gen, with due respect your statement has actually hit a chord which you may have inadvertently “calculated” while pushing your argument. The mostly uncritical majority have taken the simple discussion and acted on it! It would be a grateful gesture if after the burial of our President you approach the Supreme Court Bench so that we can all hear both the argument of the institution entrusted with interpreting the Constitution, as well as yourself as the prime complainant. I can assure you that this line might just jump right out of your hands and hence out of anyone’s predictable control. The racism that has sprung up is one such unintended “calculation”. This, I beg.
Argument for the sake of it; and wanting to win an argument on a blogg!! If the General wants to win big time; get to court twanaka!! Cho chise, cho, chise, the same document; aaala!!
Miyanda: the national record-holder at posturing!!!
Mr miyanda, you should just concentrate on campaigning for your party. People are interested in hearing what the next president can offer to them. Not those pugnacious you are bringing inhere. If you are bitter with the vice taking the presidency, what good has it got to do with the majority of the zambians? ( 90days in power)
@Kanjimaano, BGGM pugnacious because of the points he has raised? No. But is he PRAGMATIC? Yes.
The big question is: ” How did Miyanda become a General without fighting any wars” unlike Chinkuli or Peter Suze?
This is only my opinion. I’m sensing a man who has realized that he has steadily been rendered irrelevant in Zambian politics and has now jumped on this Guy eligibility bandwagon in an attempt to repair some of his tattered reputation. And here’s why I think so.
Godfrey Miyanda of the Heritage Party:
2001 Presidential elections – 5th place with 8% votes
2006 – 4th Place with 1.6% votes
2008 – 4th place with less than 1% votes
2011 – 8th Place with less than half of a percentage votes.
@Nyau, is this an indication on your part that you don not have any points to counter BGGM’s point’s on point-for-point basis w.r.t. the topic at hand?
Miyanda takwatafye amano uyu mungongo
Ba Miyanda, for real is this the time you should bring this? shame on you !!!
@Bro35d, I am sure you know this is coming up now because VP Dr. ‘Chikoti’ has never acted President before until now. The constitution has to be complied to at all times especially in difficult and emotional times like funerals when we can not think straight.
Go on debate. Even in the USA debate is still going on on whether Barak Obama qualifies to be President of USA. And this is in his second term. People dont give a damn on what you blog experts are saying especially those who are abroad and dont know what is on the ground in Zambia. You depend so much what the online media is circulating. Yes you depend on these stories which are just the wishes and opinions of some one with personal agenda.
@Deja Vu, I am sure you know that the debate and protests about whether or not Obama qualified to be elected US President was put to rest when Obama produced proof by way of his birth certificate that he was born in USA, and not Kenya as alleged. In short, Obama proved that he was compliant to the US constitution. So, using your example, all Dr. Guy ‘Chikoti’ needs to do, after the funeral, is prove that he qualifies to act as State President in accordance with the current constitution, simple as that.
Cactus @ 19.1 If you are update this issue was brought up again this year by that infamous presenter. Unless you dont follow the media closely you will argue. Remember even RB was not born in Zambia, but he is Zambian and we accepted him. I am not a lawyer but as one who keenly follows world affairs I know a bit about many things. There is nothing to prove. The argument here is that teh Chiluba Constitution bars anybody whose parents were not born in Zambia like KKS( There was no Zambia when David Kaunda Snr was born)………………….
@Deja Vu, I hear you, but two wrongs don’t make a right. But let’s put this on hold for now until after burial.
Should after the burial of the Satan Miyanda is still running such vernomous diarrhea of the mouth, please you have my permission to seriously “waterboard” the idle *****. Ask KK, the best language Miyanda understands to get him to shut the god damn f**k up is torture!
Watch ur language, it’s people like u who in future shall embarrass himself and children. These things come back and will hunt u. Grow up.
It is sad that Miyanda has reduced himself a blogger instead of him going out to campaign so that he can be elected as leader. Surely Miyanda has reduced himself to start defending Edgar Lungu.
Miyanda should join the Zambians to fight tribalism.We want a non Bemba President.Miyanda Join HH so that we can win election. He is one of the people who is making us loose election.
Talk is cheap general and your writings will only incite people to rise against the govt. If indeed you understand the constitution regarding this matter better than the attorney general and LAZ. My advice is let us follow the proper channels in the courts of law. I think what happened earlier this week by protesting PF cadres is enough proof that you incited them by your comments and nobody wants this to get out of hand hence my advice to take legal action. Debating this issue in the social media will not yield any productive results.
This is a true case of ‘cumbu munshololwa’. I have always stated that this general has nothing to do with his time. Honestly, if he is serious about what he is saying, why not go to court and get the matter settled by the EXPERTS. Yet he always wants to show off on the social media platform trying to come across as a self taught constitutional lawyer. How can a serious adult, truly concerned with the issues of governance challenge all to a punch for punch debate on social media? Mr. Miyanda, please listen to your wife and stop being bitter with everyone, hatred kills.
For your points to be understood and be taken seriously, learn to stay on topic and respect other peoples spouses. What does Mrs Miyanda have to do with the topic we are debating?
Way to go, General. This issue needs full attention. Lets mourn and bury our President first, and then squarely deal with it. ‘If it is to be, it is up to us’ so goes the wise adage. For Zambia to take its rightful position on this planet we need strong institutions for our own good. We need to uphold, follow and defend our constitution. We need to be issue-based in how we express ourselves to one another. We need to treat our God given diversity in tribes and races as a strength. We need to re-learn to take pride in being truthful and strive to ‘Do What We Said We Would Do’.
PF will be buried on the 11th November together with MCS. It shall be now a new chapter as we move move forward.
I wonder why such arguments are now being strengthened after the fact. As a General and Christian I believe you are aware the potential this has of bringing anarchy post Our Presidents death. If you are a Leader worth your saut you should have aggressively pursued this matter while our President was alive and managing the affairs of this country. I don’t understand why this argument now when we are fully aware that Scott will only manage affairs in a transitional capacity for only 90 days and post that he cannot hold the office. I hold in higher esteem people like Brebner Changala who aggressively pursued issues to do with the Presidents health while he was still breathing and has since withdrawn the matter after the Presidents death. Act like a real Gen. & fight on the Battle field.
If you are genuine let this one pass and strengthen your debate after the elections have passed and we have a new President. Then I will count you as a serious Brig. general if you can fight the system to repeal such vague laws that we have. And as most bloggers have indicated this is not the right single fora for you to debate this matter…. I would rather its one of the Channels you use besides mainstream media. Learn something from Sata and for posterity pursue matters head-on in Mass media rather than on sites with small exposure Nationally. Please do check internet penetration in Zambia. Don’t Hide here to argue National issues go out there on the Battle field and fight like a real General should
@General Miyanda
Please keep on…look at the votes for those who think you fight genuinely for a better Zambia. Patriotic and interested in reading. If only the electorate could get deeper into you. All those writing disparaging remarks on General Miyanda, have not followed his genuine fight for democracy well.
General, you have made your point and it’s pointless writing again. You must go out and campaign if you are standing. Once again, don’t waste your time with your hands but take your feet to the campaign trail.