Various political parties in Luapula Province have resolved that there be a provision in the constitution to allow for use of local languages in the National Assembly by Members of Parliament (MP) during debates.
The Political parties unanimously agreed that the use of local languages would enable the general public to understand the policy issues easily.
The parties argued that MPs would also express themselves more elaborately during debates in Parliament.
They cited South African National Assembly as one that had no restrictions on language and dress code.
The Political parties made the resolutions during the Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID )forum held in Mansa.
The Political parties in attendance included the ruling Movement for Muity Party Democracy (MMD) , Patriotic Front ( PF) ,United National Independence ( UNIP),United Party for National Development ( UPND) , United Liberal Party ( ULP) and the Forum for Political Parties.
ZCID is currently holding held sensitising meeting to gather more views from political parties at the grassroots level for submission to the National Constitution Conference (NCC ).
The parties also resolved that all MPs who defect to other political parties should not be allowed to re-contest their seat until the tenure of their office elapses.
They also agreed that the tenure for MPs be limited to two terms of five years in office after which they should not seek re-election.
And the ZCID has refuted recent media reports that it resolved to amend the NCC Act to allow for broader representation.
ZCID Executive Director Chomba Chellah stated that the amendments would take aback and delay the constitution making process.
“This resolution was arrived at by the political parties at a forum recently not the ZCID secretariat and it was just one of those resolutions we gathered from the forums,” Mr Chellah said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chellah has urged political parties and the general public to take advantage of its Constitution Sensitisation regional meetings and submit their views on the content and formulation of the national constitution.
Mr. Chellah said the forums being held at all provincial capitals across the country had been organised to sensitise and gather more views from political parties at the grassroots level for submission to the National Constitution Conference (NCC).
He said ZCID would soon organise open forums for the general public at district levels to obtain substantial views on the formulation and content of the National Constitution.
He said that the ZCID was organising meetings across the country to sensitise the public on the constitution content and formulation to enable them hold their representatives at the NCC accountable.
‘we are getting views from the political parties on the bill of rights, separation of powers and the electoral systems and we intend to extend these forums to the civil society and the general public,’ Mr. Chellah said.
Mr. Chellah said that the ZCID affiliated political parties through their General Secretaries would advise on how to present the views collected from the forums the NCC.
He said the forums were also aimed at affording various political parties to debate and reach consensus on important constitutional issues.
i agree with that unlike having MPs addressing meetings in kanyama in English, come on are they doing it for the people ti understand or to show off tuzungu
MPs are probably college grads and I do not see how they can have a problem with the language. English is the language of business in Zed. They can go ahead and speak the local language in their constituences and I see no problem with that.
Yes,yes,yes i agree totally it also gives them the confidence just look have the express themselves in their mother tongue linger.
It’s a pity that our MPs cannot adequately express themselves in English, the formal Zambian Language. It scares me that these are the likely candidates to represent Zambia at a bigger stage if appointed to the International Organizations such as the UN, Ambassador, etc.
Probably we should go a step further to encourage our grade schools to use the vernacular languages when the teacher or students feel incompetent in their use of English. Are they also planning to keep the Parliament minutes in Lunda?
Will parly employ interpreters for other mps to understand who do not understand the local language? Remember not every mp understands all locaL LANGUAGES!
Ba Lsk times mule sebanya, how do u say “us” instead of “use”
Yes, it’s about time we gave local languages their rightful place! Russians speak none other than Russian in parliament and the same goes for Germans, French etc. Only Africans are still communicating in a language imposed on them by their colonial masters. We will never be the truly Zambians we profess to be unless we put our own culture first.
PS.: Also remove those ridiculous Gregorian wigs worn by judges and lawyers in court! When every European youth openly admires our wooly hair and is trying to grow dreadlocks, we are busy stretching our curls and hiding behind caucasian looks. What a low down dirty shame!
#7 Changing a language is not as easy as you think. There are many structures to consider? All written material including computer software would need to be translated to the new language. What language are you going to adopt as the new Zambian language because you cannot obviously include all the 72, Is it going to be Tonga, Bemba, Lozi, etc? The one Zambia One Nation is built over the same principal of fairness and English does unit us a language. Tanzania tried to pull the same stance but they lamentably failed because they could not acquire the basic needs to function such i.e. science material written in Swahili. Advice: Be self reliant then you can then you can afford to call the shots
This is not a bad idea at all although it may have serious repercutions. It will allow MPs to express themselves fluently in a language in ehich they are more confortable. South Africa, Botswana and other neighbouring countries are way ahead in this regard. My only concern is that there will be need to standardize the local languages. Care must be taken to ensure that street language is not used in parliament. I have heard people speak Bemba or Nyanja, for example and the way guys write on this blog leaves wonder what language they are using. This, to me will entail MPs ‘going back’ to learning the USE OF LOCAL LANGUAGES.
faggots.. faggots .. and maggots here
When will we stop imitating our neighbours?
Our system has been gr8 all this time and now you want to start doing unnecessary things. Let the MPs take short Englich courses and forget about retrogressive ideas.
I am personally proud of using Tonga wherever I go, but please let English remain a language of instruction to avoid complex issues of doing translations.
#9 If you willing to let them learn local languages then why can you just teach the formal language as it cheaper and faster beacuse we already have a lot of Teachers of English. It’s simple, if you cannot speak English then stay away from politics.
#4 I agree with you. Our MPs cannot express themselves in English thats the problem not about the masses not comprehending. Again I think with one zambia one nation, one language to unite us is only english. To use each one’s vernacular would encourage tribal divisions. Besides if I speak luvale, the tonga wont understand me. If I use kaonde, the tumbaka will be lost. Let us be proud of our tribes and languages but not to an extent of using them when they are not official because there are 72 languages in zambia.
From #9. There will also be need to employ interpreters – probably another way of creating employment. For the use of local languages to succeed, effective and real time interpretation will be needed. The emphasis is on Real Time. This will require effective collaboration between MPs and interpreters on one hand and serious planning in the conduct of parliamentary sessions on the other hand. Abscence of any of these collaborative aspects will make the parliamentary sessions a joke. On the whole, I think time is ripe for us to be proud and use local languages in parliament while still recognizing the need for effective communication. Nabalundepo Mukwai.
Yet again I find myself at a loss to make sense of some of the pronouncements of some of our so-called political leaders in Zambia. This once again illustrates the one-dimensional type of thinking our so-called leaders bring to the table upon assuming elective office!! The so-called “general public” these leaders are referring to is composed of a majority that can speak and understand English; often better than many of the MPs. Each time an MP will stand up to speak in their native language in our parliament he or she will only be addressing that narrow and small portion of their tribe in their constituency who speak and understand that particular language. What happens to the other people
Zambia is a multi-cultural, multi-tribal, multi-lingo, multi-religious, multi-everything to the extent that you’d be hard-pressed to name me a single constituency in the country today whose residents only speak on language! Therefore, I find hard to believe that anybody or any group of right-thinking people can suggest something as ridiculous as our political parties in Luapula are reported to be making. I have no quarrel with any MP addressing their constituents in any language they wish back in their home constituencies or on national radio and television local language programmes and broadcasts. But it’s silly to go before a “national” forum and start jabbering away in your language (l
What foolish thinking is that? Sure, let’s allow them to speak in the local languages as soon as they have passed legislation that also authorizes the recruitment, training and hiring of interpreters and translators for all the languages that will need to be translated back into English for the official document records that this stupid move will inevitably entail! And while they are busy passing that law, why don’t they also take time out to set the limit on how old one needs to be before they can become a member of parliament? (Since there is such a clamour to set the limit on the age of presidential candidates).
How will Zambians ever hope to conquer tribalism with this sort of thinking? You cannot on one hand proclaim you want to fight and eliminate tribalism while on the other go out of your way to actually entrench tribalism into the constitution! For this is what it is. Instead of fighting tribalism, this sort of absurd thinking is more likely to perpetuate it! I want to believe that when our MPs stand up to speak in parliament, sure they want to be heard by their tribesmen and constituents, but also that they want to go beyond and reach the boarder nation at large. In case our MPs did not know it, there are among their electorate those who may not be the same tribe as theirs nor speak the sam
Between the two evils “Allowing the use of Vernacular languages in Parliament” or “Requiring a minimum education level to stand for public offfice” I will go for the latter. If these chaps cannot even speak English, how to they read and understand the bulky material presented to them by House for debate? Are you also to provide Professional readers to accompany them at home to help them read these documents? This says a lot about our Representative that they are not worthy of the positions they hold.
Are these the same people sitting on NCC?How would such people be objective and offer any substantative arguments in coming up with a good constitution.We seriously need help in improving the calibre of leaders we elect.No wonder they could sign off on an unbalanced budget Emmanuel Kasonde presented at one time.
The first thing they need to do is to increase the allocation of EDUCATION funding so that the youth who would succeed them would be of better quality.
It would be cheaper to have these illiterates familiarise themselves with the English language than allowing use of 73 languages in parliament.
What happened to the race to the manda hill programme?It would expose such people.
#20, Chapi, Yes, these are theme one! You give them too much credit by assuming they have the brains to even think of allocating funds to go towards THEIR OWN education. They don’t!! They can’t see that what they are proposing is far too costly to implement! As usual, they’re trying to hide behind the electorate to cover up their own ignorance.
Whats the problem with MPs speaking in our local languages or the mixture of English and local languages. Mukosha nefishikosele. The idea is let them debate freely
for the time poeple are interested in the debts.
#22, don’t display your ignorance here! The reason they are advancing is not one of debate, but that “the use of local languages would enable the general public to understand the policy issues easily”. How would my replying to you on this blog in Lingala which you neither speak nor understand help you to follow the debate except to those on this blog who speak that language? An MP who cannot explain himself to his constituents at the constituency level is not going to explain himself any better from the chambers of Parliament regardless of the language he uses at that point!
Africa twasebana now MPs cannot debate using official language bwana nafikosa,in this day and age our so call leaders cannot speak or understand English natina ba boyi,start sending this chaps to shibukeni night schools at Elementary level.In parliament English should continue but at their local level they can use their kaponya language.
Let the MPs go back to school…
One of the qualification to be an MP is to be able to read and write in English.For those who do meet this requirement should enrol for intensive langauge lessons.Using of local languages at places of work could lead to seriuos problems and divisions whilest errors in translations could spoil debates
lets also strive to educate the general public,let the government not run away from their duty of providing education to people.With the world really becoming a global village,it is really essential for citezens to be able to express themselves in the official language.Countrymen 43 years of independence should not be treated as a joke.Lack of English knowledge is one reasons why the Chiefs in Southern Province have been asking for a Tonga Minister
Is it true that one electric pole costs over US$1200. I see Zambia buying 4500 electric poles from Zimbabwe at US$5.6 m.
I think, minimum and maximum age limits are needed in the constitution for all the political jobs as indicated in one of the parallel topics on here regarding a maximu one for the Presidency.
Also, we need some level of school qualifiction for all those aspiring to lead the people in constituencies and the country in general.
A lot of time-wasters are springing up from nowhere now, to bring down all the little progress we have achieved in the 43 years of being independent from Britain.
Please, let sense override emotions in this blessed country – Zambia.
Everything has its pros and cons.English is a unifying entity in Zambia due to the differences Language spoken. Interpreters and deciding which languages to use will bring even more tribal conflicts in the House and Country in general. What language is useed in the House of Chiefs? I know it is English.
Retogressive ideas especically that the World is looking for common ground in all aspects such as language, trade, currency, etc. For 43 years English has been used in Parliament, it suprising that this can be brought up as an issue of concern. Total rubbish.
Zimbabwe opposition strike fails
Many Zimbabwean shops and businesses are open as usual despite opposition calls for a general strike to press for election results to be published.Correspondents say many people cannot afford to lose a day’s pay for MDC’s battle to officially handover Zimbabwe to foreign governments they mortgaged the country to before the elections.
Guys this one is easy to solve. Debate in English and have the Hansard published in local languages. English is a unifying language, as Greek was in the ancient world being as far spoken as Palestine. Let us not compare ourselves with SA who are centuries behind us in tribal and racial unity.
But let us establish and encourage cultural societies that promote the use of local languages.
#8 thanks so much for your informed contribution. It is this knee-jerk reaction, and being simplistic to serious issues such as this one that leads to serious mistakes in our judgements. How can you change a medium of communication the way one changes his/her underwear? Zambia cant even feed herself adequately, we want to start something as complicated as changing a language. I hope time will not be wasted in parliament on this issue. There are a lot of schools (if not all) that do not even teach vernacular in Zambia and you start talking introducing local languages in parly. Who’s prepared to pay for that? Do you wish the grz to create another loophole for stealing?
The best thing…
Reading through this debate, I get the idea that people seem to be linking the ability to speak English to being intelligent or having the capacity to articulate issues. #24 your lingala example is misplaced. In my posting at #9 and #14,I alluded to the need for interpreters. This is standard practice where ever there is multi-lingual debates. One might be well educated and have the best qualifications but this may not necessarily mean having the ability to speak fluently in English. He/she can still put my views across in a local language. Education only enhaces our capacity to reason but how we express ourselves is in the language in which we feel confortable.
I find this rather retrogressive. Instead of progressing we want to go backward. The truth is that there is no single Zambian language which can foster modern development-computer age. Our languages have no mathemtical or scientific words/expressions at all and to promote our undeveloped languages to the same level as English, Swahili, Russian, requires a lot of time and effort. It is suprising and amazing that our MPS can not communicate in the official language. The fluency in English has been beneficial to Zambians who have travelled, studied and worked abroad.
English should remain a national and official language and a unifying element of the Zambian society.
…that can be done along the lines of local languages is to re-introduce all mojar languages in all Zambian schools. Enrich the carricula with all the traditional heritages in those languages. Lozi, hasn’t got to be learnt in Loziland, only. It must be learnt from any part of Zambia. The same thing applies to other languages. If this can be achived then we can say making our languages official mediums of communication is in sight. Even then this a far cry.
A further step would be to introduce a cultural course on a degree or diploma level (in universities and colleges). The course content would include such areas as further detailed study of a number of tribes, heritage, traditions,…
…various dances performed in all tribes, traditional ceremonies, dishes/foods, etc. One would be compelled to ask: But, why all these? Firstly, I have never seen a countrythat is never proud of its heritage as Zambia. Look at South Africa. On particular days, (if not all) most tribes perform dances in strategic places for all to see. And this attracts a lot of (local and foreign) tourists. Second, if a country is serious about tourism then it must seriously exhibit its culture through language(s), food, dances, ceremonies, etc. There is no englishman who is interested in come to see how well a zambian can use a knife and fork to eat. They may just laugh at you. Thirdly, culture is…
Cont’d from #36 Profiler, in my contribution at # 9, I was basically highlighting the implications of introducing the local languages, although I personally think it is not a bad idea. Your Tanzania example in #8 is irrelevant since we are not talking about a new language in Zambia. # 12 this tendency of thinking ability to speak English does not necessarily translate into being good MPs. Over the last centuary, most of our MPs have been University graduates though our 1964 – 1978 (with very little English abiilty were better planners and economic governors.
…identity of a given group of people. You lose your culture, you simply lose your identity. Zambians have completely lost their identity. Who wouldn’t recognize a Tswana even if she is dark in complexion? They wear very nice traditional dresses proudly everywhere. South African tribes also have their respective tribal dressings. To a small extent, the only exception is Lozi tribe. I have friends whose children don’t even know their mother tongue. Not that they are abroad. They are in zambia and go to schools in Zambia. When you talk to these kids in bemba or lozi, the parents foolishly say: Awe tabaishiba icibemba. JOKERS you want introduce vernacula when your children cant even understand
total crap! debate closed!! lets get to find solutions to poverty first……debate closed!!
ujygtikoku8hy7
#39 I like Peter’s idea of introducing these local main languages in all parts of Zambia. I mean teach Lozi in Luapula and Bemba in Mongu. This is certainly a sure way of further enhancing the one Zambia one Nation because we shall have a generation that understands everyone else. Of course we still keep English. I go further and say we even introduce Chinese. Too many languages? No, most people I know in Zambia can speak 4 or more languages and Kids have an amazing way to learn these languages
Honestly how can an MP from Senanga and one from Chipata,the other from Monze,another ,mumbwa debate on the same issue and understand each other?Are they gonna be speaking in tongues?
That sounds radiculously matured.I thought t’was going to be better if the reports were finally done in various languages.
Are we bringing drama to the parliament just coz someone said the movie industry should develop?Just present your issues in the official language so that almost all can hear you at once,for the rest of us you can finally report on Radio into our local tongues.END-OF-STORY
Would we do that,then we are bringing molecules of tribalism into the parliament.We do vote for educated guys who can fully express themselves in a common language.They can go back to tell the masses into their languages
We as one of the bloggers wrote,need to teach all zambian languages in all the provinces,mix them up.After that time,thats when we can think of letting the MPs express themselves in the local languages,not now..?.Too early.Muthamangila mphepo?simuza igwila ngakhale pang’ono pomwe.Tayambilani kuphunzitsa ana malimi yonse.Bweletsani chitukoko patsogolo osati kumbuyo ayi.Umphaw’i watenga malo muziko lathu la m’tendere.
Please,please,please and please don’t bring a Bothwell circus in the most respectable House in the land. This is the more reason why someone had suggested a certain academic qualification to be an MP. Let’s have all MPs have a College Diploma and above to qualify to enter the House or never. Or is it one way of creating employment in form of Interpretors and Translators?
Wait a minute, this Party conference was held where? Mansa, Luapula? Is this not a scum by one Tribe from the North/Luapula to push its language to be a national one? I smell a rat, a rotten one.
Now thats how to trigger a genocide ladies and gentlemen. Our country has been doing ever so well in this regard and I’m so sad that after so many years, something of this nature pops up. The use of english has kept us united, it works and if it’s not at fault then why fix? I love & respect all zambians but how long will it take me to translat this message in 70+languages?
These luapulans just want to make their language as a national language above other languages. Tribalism is coming back to Zambia. Now it makes sense that MPs should have a college diploma or above.The suggestion should be rejected by peace loving Zambians.
73 interpretors in the National Assembly is no big deal? Forget tribalism.Talk logistics and What is the Lozi,Bemba,Tonga,Ngoni… word for gender? How about macro-economics or lets say psycho-social welfare.. or eco-system.For a country that has not invested massively in linguistics it’s a waste of time to talk of local language in Parley more so that its’ a National Assembly in a Unitary State and not federal/state assembies.Mps can speak their languages when they visit their constituences.Those Luapulans should have been talking on of a Local Assembly in Luapula and Offices for MPs in each Constituency.
Imagine one MP opening setence and then about 72 inteprenters doing their round …halfway some drankard MP thinks its time to adjourn to go and guzzle @ de cheapest bar in town right in Parley…World record…The Zambian Legislators will be the most productive. These Luapula chaps cant think…do they think everybody is bemba
Finish
No more … closed to be continued in Mansa
72 languages spoken in Parly and 72 interpreters. How interesting. Is it that our MPs are illiterate and can not speak english. How will they explain the macro and micro economics when representing at international forums. As for local political rallies they can use the language of the area without offending anyone.
# 48.
Tell them if they contemplate to use “their language” as a national language, let them try the “pure indigenous Zambian language Thonga”. The earliest immigrants in Zambia are Thonga, well known written historical fact. So if the waste goes to the waste, we shall settle on this language as the second official language. The rest of the languages are foreign from the Katanga region/ Cameroon highlands. If they refuse, the Thongas who are the indigenous Zambian should send them back to their original lands.
Here we are belittling a pipo process while sitting in foreign land.We assume everyone is comfortable with the queen’s language.As much as we have 72 diferent langauges, we can streamline to about 10 common languages, but in fora in parliament use English and translate the Hansard or other public documents in these common languages.Pipo in the rural cannot express themselves in english, so open it up for debate nationwide, if pipo want it, why not.
The suggestion or is it resolution is un thinkable. Zambia has too many languages and their use in parliament can bring more complications than solutions to the illiterate MPs. English is a unifying language and has been an effective tool in fighting tribalism pa Zed. I strongly feel my Luapula people have missed a point here.
#52 ulichipuba saana kolwe!
I guess all of us have spoken well, practically imposisble we shall need over 73 interpreters , otherwise if you restrict to 8 languages it will be considered not right. There is no smal or big language all languages are equal……………Guess point missed!!!!!!!
Its utter rubbish.How r journalists going to be reporting? Everybody will be claiming of being misquoted.
I think ama leaders yesu elo yapwilefye. It seems there is some fear that some Lefi MP’s like Impala (Mpombo) are illiterate and wont express themselves in English.
Mulelandafye akasungu bane. U cant speak, u cant be MP.
This is just a ploy to enshrine an offside tribalistic provision in the Zambian constitution. Believe me, the next thing after this local langusges thing in inserted is “iyooo, we need only one local language, so we should just introduce it in schools accross the country”. That will be the end of Zambia. The reason why we have a minimum standard of education is for the simple reason that all MPs should be able to converse in English while debating in Parliament. If they can’t, I doubt they will be able to even in their own language. As for people in Kanyama, give them bread and butter and not more stupid talk.
You’re all foreigners who brought smelly tribalisnm into my land. Ngoni and Loziz can go back to Shaka Zulu’s South Africa where they came from. Bembas can go back to Mwata Yamvo’s Katanga, Tongas should leff off to Runyokaland (Rwanda). You should all leave my country you foolz.
This is a bad idea, whichever angle you look at it. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.We are peaceful because KK diffused the bomb of Tribalism(primitivism). Chiluba rebuilt it and armed it.Therefore Watch out. We maybe playing with a poisonous Black Mamba.
U want to be an MP, you need to be able to converse in the official language, otherwise you have no place in our assembly of Unit. Let us not bring divisions to our August house.
I am not convinced that the language issue is a critical problem in parliament. These MPs cannot even visit their local areas they represent for the love for Lusaka. I have no evidence that if these MPs used their local languages, Zambia would be a better place. These people (MPs) essentially are trying to disguise their ignorance of real issues by running to their mother tongues which we all know are really technically impoverished of development terms and descriptions. I see this is the period when scavengers are busy burying their heads of ignorance by running off to their mother tongues which are empty of modern terms and descriptions. Shame of the GRZ for accepting such nonsense.
I am amazed that Luapula Province, an area known for having its chiefs supporting the plunderers can now turn out to be full of wisdom on the issue above. I beg to differ. These people do not have any understanding of exactly what the pros and the cons would be if we adopted local languages in parliament. Can’t they see MPs now gathering in clusters based on their common language? This will bring more and more disunity. What happens if the translators are shoddy and end up translating some communications poorly leading to other people feeling insulted? I guess our MPs have too much free time doing nothing other than scatching their full tummies. They are a lazy bunch not worthy a nation.
Watch out for my fellow northeners. They want to replace english with Bemba.
Well, well, well, well,there we are again!!the chaps from Luapula have done it again!most of them find English so difficult and can’t even conrtibute or express themsselves …..it’s a very dull proposal!abash tribalism and abash uneducated MPs….English is our second language whether you like it or not!
Country-men and women, the rationale for advocating for our Honourable MP to use local tongues is to promote a sense of who we are – Zambians and Not English. And proudly so. I have come across South Africans who speak more than four languages. We hence we need to encourage ourselves to get to this level as Zambians. I know alot of Zambian think to speak English is equal to being smart. No..No colleagues. We do not even need Interpreters in Parly. We just need our MPn to speak in a language they can express themselves bearing in mind that English is our 73rd Language. I support the motion Mr Speaker!!
Let Dread end this endless debate, seen? Since the damage has already been done, we have to accept English as national language; to be spoken offishall. But since I an I put up resistance against the system, we have to allow I language too. It can’t be 50/50 but gi dem a chance! Seen?
Following up on #51’s comments, let the government of the Republic of Zambia create provincial parliaments and maintain a major National Parliament in Lusaka.
Provincial parliaments can allow their MPs to articulate matters in either English or their major local language in that province.
Let the provincial parliaments select a small group of its parliamentarians, who are able to effectively express their views in English, to represent the provincial parliament at the Lusaka National one.
This will help in provincial capitals’ infrasture building and avoid the Genesis 11:6-9 (Holy Bible) confusion in our current Lusaka Parliament. Also it will enable people to avoid overcrowding in Lsk.
Note that the bad intention in Genesis 11: 4 caused the action of the good Lord in Genesis 11:6-8 (Holy Bible). As for us Zambians, the motive of using English is a good thing since it is helping all of us to have a better human life while we are surely not trying to compete with the lord God.
My comments in posting # 72 are in line with the actual situation obtaining in South Africa.
This is the highest degree of madness i have ever witnessed. Zambia is a diverse country with many langauges. English is an official language.
lets look at developed democracies where there is more than one language spoken in the country….a selection of “official” languages has been selected….in zambia the official language is english.being able to speak in our mother tongues is a noble idea but at the minute we cannot afford translation services that go with this luxury!!
it is rubbish to find that people can seat only to discuss a non starter topic.English is the only language everyone shall continue using unless you promote other languages and see where this genocide will take us.All zambians are not one tribe therefore no tribe should be used to represent other tribes.TRIBAL TOPICS WILL ONE DAY BRING CHAOS ON OUR DOOR STEPS,WARNING!!!
We do not need that crap from Luapula .If you can’t go to school and learn English then do not stand for the position of MP.Keep your dull self fishing down the rivers or hunting in the bushes.Why should we go back to the cha cha cha days.If the Chinese are learning English because they have opened up to the world why can’t we continue being one in language.It is this kind of foolish and misguided reasoning that has kept Zambia so poor for years.I’m disgusted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please next time you hear such nonsense do not bring it for debate. We have enough and serious issues to tackle as a nation.
ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION
NO VERNACULAR IN PARLIAMENT PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All we need is to set a standard for those wishing to be MPs.Only people that have passed grade twelve should stand for MP. And only University graduates should be considered for president.We are tired of having dull chaps drinking tea and dozing in offices at the expense of the poor dying masses.
No school ,no public office.
Some of you liken the old administration of Kaunda to the current crop of leaders in the later administrations.By 1964 Zambia was still rich and the leaders had the interest of the people at heart.Today , it seems most leaders are busy with their own agendas therefore, need to fight this greed and instill discipline in our leaders.
#79 hammer!
If these people listened to you, we’d be years ahead of ourselves. Manje tulo ba Valentine Kayope!
AGAIN I SAY NO VERNACULAR IN PARLIAMENT
WE DO NOT NEED THE LUAPULA CRAP
ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION
NO SCHOOL , NO PUBLIC OFFICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We Zambians like to waste time on issues that do not develop us. To start with it’s very expensive to embark on such a venture because we shall need more staff to be interpretting the debates from one language to another, by the way at least 8 languages as is on radio. We have to blame ourselves by sending illiterate MPs to parliament. If an MP can not express themselves well in English,then they are what I can term below average in education levels but then what can you expect from such an MP to articulate development issues?
You can’t compare Zambia to Russia becasue we are not at the same levels of development. Russia can more or less stand on their feet but not Zambia.
MMD and Levy are wasting our irecoverable time resource by leading us into rubbish issues as languages in parliament. You brainless fools must learn that someday you will be made to dance on fire.
I would support the idea of distict assemblies then regional assemblies then finally National Assembly. Every body will have passed many stages before reaching National Level this system will ensure that the National Assembly is full of high quality MPs.
I have enjoyed the debate above. I am now doing my PHD. When i started my master’s degree among American college students, they always asked me if i really spoke English or something else. They explained to me that what you Zambians/Africans speak is just a language similar to English and not ‘real’ English. It was very difficult for me as a mature student to fit in & do the chongololo stuff.N-way, the point is, why do we cling to English language? [Unity] is the underlying pricipal considering that we are a mult-lingua/mult-tribal nation. Lets just uphold Britain’s Language & accept mental/cultural colonialism for the sake of unity. one zambia one nation!
A 62 years old woman is doing grade 2 in Mumbwa, so all those who wish to stand as MPs should go to school. The same thing goes with position of a president, those to aspire should have a minimum of Masters degree.
That is why people like Sata should enroll now at the university so that they can have certificates of some sort. These are the chaps who, two days in state house, they want to be called Doctors. How do you allow a grade 7 or is it grade 9 drop out to lead Zed? Him and others must go to school first.
#70 you’re confusing foolishness with patriotisim
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Boston varsity honours KK
THE African Presidential Archives and Research Centre (APARC) of Boston University in the United States of America has honoured first Republican president, Kenneth Kaunda, with the Leadership for Africa Award.
And Dr Kaunda has dedicated the award to visionary freedom fighters most of whom have died.
Receiving the award at Hillton Sandton Hotel, in Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday night, Dr Kaunda said he had accepted the award in honour of the visionary and exemplary leaders.
He paid glowing tribute
Boston varsity honours KK
THE African Presidential Archives and Research Centre (APARC) of Boston University in the United States of America has honoured first Republican president, Kenneth Kaunda, with the Leadership for Africa Award.
And Dr Kaunda has dedicated the award to visionary freedom fighters most of whom have died.
Receiving the award at Hillton Sandton Hotel, in Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday night, Dr Kaunda said he had accepted the award in honour of the visionary and exemplary leaders.
He paid glowing tribute
This is recipe for enhanced tribalism; is divisive, and in any case, very costly to implement in my view. Invaribly, the queston that ought to be asked is why KK and co. fagged English as the business language and even went further to coin the ‘One Zambia One Nation motto’. People read the history! Just bcoz RSA is doing it does not mean it will automatically work here. Excuses, excuses. People should just go back to school as # 86 has suggested. After all Zed’s independnce babies are now 44yrs. plus. Worst case scenario, these should at least have had a go at formal education. My guess is a good number in parly is from this age group or lower!
I personally don’t agree with the notion that education should be used as a measurement of leadership. Having qualifications does not mean you are automatically a leader. There are a lot of other attributes that can enable one to be leader without any academic education.
KK I guess is a very good example (when he used his leadership for national development not other wise). Through force or consent, the leadership he provided together with the other people he worked with, managed to keep Zambia peaceful.
#91 KK did not have as many opportunities as this generation of leadership have. In those days Kaunda was considered one of the educated and his IQ is among the highest in his Generation of Zambian leader. The results of his achievements is evident.
The demands of the current and future Zambia is that we need to have high Caliber Leader, Not those ones being proposed by luapulans who can only comprehend one language and not much in a taught official language.
#92. HK, that’s an absolutely fantastic way of analyzing it!! I can’t nderstand what’s so difficult to understand to both #22 and #91 about this!!
English is and will be our official language for a long time to come. We don’t need illiterates in parliament. Illiterates can aspire to be market leaders, village headmen etc if they want leadership. The thinking of the politicians from Luapula shows how shallow the thinking of party cadres is. These are the people who follow their party presidents blindly and advance the selfish intention. Long live English as our official language and shibukeni must be vigorously promoted. I rest my case.
Lozi is now the official language. Easy, just teasing let just keep English for now.
From the many postings I have read and the news itself, it appears like the people from Luapula are the ones propagating this thing. Could it be that they resent laerning English? And also learning any other Zambian Languages which are not spoken in Luapula?
What constitutes one to be called a tribalist? Who then is tribal among the Zambian people(s – according to History)?
Please, help! Let us all avoid insults, they will surely not take us anyway, except make us guilty in this life.
Let there be pride in speaking local dialects. I agree that even the president should endevour to speak Nyanja while in Eastern, Tonga, Ila, Lenje, Soli or Sala while in Central or Souuthern, Lamba, Bemba, Swaka, lala, while in Copperbelt, central, Northern or Luapula etc. Chinese, Arabs, French and Koreans speak to their people in their local dialects. IF THE JOURNALISTS WANT NEWS THEY ALWAYS TRANSLATE.
viva Zambia. ONE ZAMBIA, ONE NATION. Thanks to David Kenneth Buchizya Kaunda. LONG LIVE K.K. Shikulu!!!!!
#72 hats off to you. Problem is,we have to re-start the National Constitution Debate all over again. While your proposal is rich with wisdom, it amounts to the formation or establishment of a Federal State system whose political ball game is different from the Unitary system we currently have. Similarly, to establish the Federal system is no mean business, especially for a country like Zambia which has just graduated into an HIPC one. We will have to change almost all democratic institutions (if they do exist at all) and other logistics if this has to be achieved. This is not cheap.
Some fellows still think to speak English is to be educated. NO Colleagues!!!. This is a simplistic view of stereotypic Zambian – wannable Americans/English. Don’t you know we have illiterates in America and Britian who can only speak poor English and can not even write English. The fact that this notion was floated my villagemates in Luapula does not mean other Provinces don’t share similar sentiments. The problem with most Zambians is propensity for anything foreign; langunges,food, dress code (even now wearing Nigerian crowns!!).. the list is endless. Let’s be proud of ourselves comrades!!
thanks #98. I would to mention that my comments in #72 were meant to give and alternative to my earlier comments in this thread especially that someone referred to South Africa and Botswana as countries that use local languages in parliament.
So I will now move on to Botswana since I already cooverec SA in #72.
The situation in Botswana is such that all people/tribes have agreed to use Tswana as a language of instruction in schools, obviously because Tswana is the Majority language while there is a very small number of other languages or tribes there. This entails that almost every person, if not all, in Botswana can communicate in Tswana and hence its (Twana’s) use as an official languag
…#100 cont’d.
If you carry out a serious research, you will realise that all languages in Botswana a Zambian-Lozi-like, thus it is easy for all communicate use it in all activities regarding anything there. As a matter of fact, there might not even be more than ten tribes or languages in Botswana and this explains why Tswana was adorpted as an offical language although clearly this is because the Twsana people are much more in number compared to the rest of those 10 or more tribes/languages.
Back to our case, I use Tonga wherever I go as well as other Zambian languages to make people know that where I come from -Zambia – there are so many groups of people and I am Tonga from both parents
Botswana has 28 listed languages, but stricly speaking only 2 exist (Like Tumbuka, Ngoni, Nsenga etc being one thing). Tswana is the most widely spoken language in Southern Africa, spoken in Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia, Angola and Mozambique. It comes in many closely related dialects i.e. Tlahaping, Rolong, Kwena, Kgatla, Ngwato, Tawana, Lete, Ngwaketse and Tlokwa in Botswana. Southern Sotho, Tswana and Northern Sotho in South Africa, Lozi in Zambia, Angola and Namibia. These dialects are largely inherently intelligible. The case is different here, Lozi, Tonga and Bemba are like oil and water,just how the hell do you force one upon the other?. Fire burns ka!
If the people of Luapula so love their language ChitiMukulu the Mwinelubemba imposed on them, they should just enjoy “pyopyolaling” it to themselves as opposed to imposing it on other Zambians who are not interested in Katangese dialects at all. Besides, the likes of Kayope Valentine spent all the time in Parliament snoring, Katele was busy practising the wizardly art of “disappearing” in thin air, now, do you think these Iturian primates will awake from their slumber and stop witchraft if they hear a Katangese lingua blurring on the speakers of the house? I very much doubt anything can delink these evil pre human forms from their evil ways.
We have but, 1 Official language – English!
anzatu cibvuta cizungu!teach ur children english in Luapula pliz..
Cant you all get it? This retrogressively stupid proposal is initiated in Luapula province where people have great difficulty with words and syllables. They say ‘Fles fis’ for fresh fish etc., just as an example. Then there’s this cultural proximity to Zaire(congo) culture in many aspects. Voila! its easier for them to communicate in lingala or Luapulan!
Reading through all these comments just highlight the thinking of most of the people in our country. No wonder we can spend 43 years without having a clear direction as a nation. We need to think outside the box to progress. Because people express their thoughts does not mean they are dull. Infact keeping ideas to oneself is what retards development and progress in life. From the contributions you see that the 43 years have not helped in integrating the “nationals” from different regions to be free in other regions. The fact that a resolution was at a meeting in Mansa does not mean only Luapula people could have been in that meeting. I do not expect Tongos only in leadership in Livingstone,
Ngonis in Chipata leadership, or Kaondes in Solwezi leadership. If that is the case then we are 40 years behind. We probably need KK back to serve Zed for the next 16 years before he turns 100 years (HAPPY BIRTHDAY KK.) You can have a PHD and still be proud of your local language. The problem in Zambia is that we associate English with status and the like. LET THE PEOPLE THINK. Not only leaders but all Zambians should be allowed to think and free to bring out their thoughts. Why do you need freedom of speech if? Yes Parly could be difficult but if leaders at other levels see the need to learn languages why not our leaders using local languages why addressing people they represent. The UN SG
The UN SG is Korean, he uses English, the Pope recently addressed Americans in English, but he is no an Englishman. I am sure none of you is thinking in English, but in the language you are comfortable with. Please keep you hate of the Luapula people to yourself, you are talking against tribalism but all you are saying are tones of Tribalists.
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