President Rupiah Banda today led hundreds of Zambians to lay wreaths at the freedom Statue in honuor of fallen heroes.
Earlier, President Banda was accorded a 21-Gun salute.
And Zambia Army Chaplain Colonel James Phiri delivering his Independence Speech and quoting from the Bible in Genesis 13 reminded Zambians on how Abraham preached peace and reconciliation.
Col. Phiri said that all Zambian regardless of their political, social, and economical status should bury their differences and reconcile and love one another.
Col. Phiri, who is also Reverend and Zambia Army Director of Religion and Moral Services, urged Zambians to desist from quarrelling but preach brotherly hood noting that the declaration of Zambia a Christian nation is founded on One Zambia One Nation Motto.
Chief Justice Earnest Sakala, Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa, Lusaka Mayor Robert Chikwelete, cabinet ministers and opposition All Congress Party leader Kenny Ngondo witnessed the laying of wreaths at the Freedom Statute.
Others are International Labour Organization In-Charge of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambque Gerry Finnegan, patriotic Zambians and visiting sympathizers of the late South African nationalist, Oliver Tambo.
[ZANIS]
Blah Blah Blah……….. Same rhetoric!
Bwe bwe bwe bwe fimo fine !
Its a pity that at 45 years of independence we still cant see the meaning and benefits of gaining such independence which our forefathers fought for. Zambia is still in leadership vaccum, everything seems to be moving on automatic operation, we have no voice on our own justice and freedom, the entire economy is in the hands of foreign investors and imperalists, mines sold, zamtel saga,half, zanaco gone, no meaningful salaries for zambian workers, poverty is sky rocketing coupled with corruption among leaders, compromised jurdicial system no rule of law to protect the masses etc. when will zambia gets its full independence? Lesa twafwani.
Has anyone seen the half naked RB with King Mswati on Post site?? shameful indeed…
#T.steven, yes i have seen it, on post news paper, RB is a disgrace imagine a president going to Swaziland just to go and strip.
Does he know there are strip clubs in washington DC. He looks like some creature
That’s the type of people we vote for at ba Plezident nolufumo panse, and Looks like LT does no want that picture,,,,,,,,,pliz bring it on this web
Who’s the old lady RB is stooping to greet on the pic? LT we need subtitles to all the photos you publish – be professional.
Those criticising RB for exposing his belly in Swaziland – I don’t see the big deal about it. After all Africa’s climate naturally calls for loose clothing or even toplessness. Why else were traditional Kings and Chiefs of old like Shaka etc. sparingly dressed with only a leopard’s skin? The tuxedos and ties that you have now adopted have nothing to do with authentic African dressing, so be real and stop pretending to be someone you’re not (fronting) pleeease!!!
Ala Mwandi Ba RB badambwisana maningi ala instead of him and his sleepy cabinet working on the problems facing the country. He was busy else were show casing his big tummy.This fuel crisis is a serious problem.we are yet to see another Zimbabwe
YACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #8 you are the same people who are the first ones to disgrace women wearing minis or loose colthings in africa, and yet when (men) an old man shows his fat belly full of c r a p, you say it’s normal to show the ugly repulsive body in public.
#10 you don’t know me to judge me and even if you knew me your thoughts about me wouldn’t budge me. If the sight is offensive for your taste, why don’t you simply overlook it? Why must we always create a subject matter out of someone’s dressing? Ala!
After seeing RB belly in the Post, awe shuwa I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, gasp, gape…. I don’t know. Any who, they say when you go to France do what the French do. So I guess RB was just trying to “be down”. He was like ‘King I got your back dawg, you know I’m down for whatever’. LOL. On a serious note though Zambians deserve better, we all need to think of ways of making things better back home. If it means going home to vote lets do that. If we have dreams about setting up businesses lets also work towards that. Happy Independence my fellow Zambians Love you all.
As a ngoni warrior, I would like to commend RB for dressing in traditional attire while in the company of our brothers in swaziland. And, Mswati you are a disgrace, why didnt you ‘donate’ one of the reed dance girls to your thirsty brother. can you call him again next year and make good of your mistake.
#12, Mimi, when I saw that greasly belly WOW!!!, I almost chocked…..LaughOutVeryLoud!!!!!
There is nothing wrong with RB dressing like Mswati at the Reed Dance ceremony because as a Ngoni he identifies himself with that culture. The Post are trying to be melodramatic about it. What the bloggers here should be saying is that if RB can dress like that at the Reed Dance in Swaziland, then we should see him dress like that at N’cwala.
Nine Chale. Posted this on the other thread for you. #46 Bushe walikwata amano iwe? How can someone with a s t u p i d Germany flag come on here and talk such nonsense. Of all the places the last place one would ever want to live is Germany let alone display their s t u p i d flag proudly like that. You are in Germany because you`ve run away from poverty in your country you f**l. I have been to Germany and I would never go back. They spit at you!
Ba Nine Chale @ #11, your response to Orchid @ #10 that “If the sight is offensive for your taste, why don’t you simply overlook it? Why must we always create a subject matter out of someone’s dressing?” fails to recognize that (1), it was Rupiah Banda himself who ordered the charged against the Post for publishing the so-called “phonographic” photo of the women in her birth throes; and- just a few days ago, it was the same Rupiah Banda who made fun of the PF candidate GBM’s shape and size and called him “ sack of maize” Does he get a pass because he is president or because he is rupiah? Be sensible in your analysis of issues.
Mswati comes to Zambia, Rupiah gives him land and cattle. Rupiah goes to Swazi, Mswati gives him a goatskin and makes him strip!! Nice exchange! What kind of head of state bears his body to the world like that? Is that pronogrphic or what? Way to go go Kanitundila!! Seriously, Mr. president, you need help, And now!
Mswati is three, four times younger than Rupiah, at least! And yet, here he is being stripped naked in public by his own gandson! Aint life a bi.t.c.h? No surprise really, his own wife is even younger than Mswati, come to think of it. So he is used to stripping in front of his ownchildren and grand children! Everything this man does puts Zambia sharply into more ridicule in the eyes of the entire world. What a leader!!
You know what people? Dont defend things just for the sake of it. That man is supposed to be our HEAD of State and should project an image to the world that correctly reflects its people, their values, ambition, mentality, thoughts, education, development agenda. The world doesn’t know any of you here on the blog and other Zambians all over.. but they know and follow Rupiah. Wehave international careers.. Is that how you want people to think of you and Zambia. with such pathetic images, how can I even convince people here that Zambia is a wondeful place and that they should purchase a holiday say to South luangwa or Livingstone..????? how will I proudly say I came through Zambian universty how?? HE IS HEAD OF STATE NOT JUST ANYBODY AND NEESDS TO CONDUCT HIMSELF IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY!!!!…
Lets be serious .. That man is negatively affecting all Zambians everywhere world over.. Total lack of ambition, total lack of due care and responsibility. When you are HEAD OF STATE YOU REPRESENT THE BEST OF US.. why the hell have we not seen Her Majesty the Queen’s thighs and boobs anywhere???? she is HEad of State and represents the best and of her people!!!! Think NIne Chale think!!!!
The Reed Dance, or “Umhlanga” as its calles is Siswati is a shameful culture that demeans women in the most extreme way. I knew that some Ngonis here would give the excuse that since Swazis are also Ngoni and Kanitundila is also Ngoni, then its alright for him to identify himself with their culture even if after more than a century apart even the languages spoken in Swaziland and Chipata are as different as Greek is from English. We have all noticed the extent to which he has gone to identify himself with Zulu tribes in the South leaving his own Chewas, Nsengas, Tumbukas etc. Nudity like this, whether dressed in Umhlanga or not stinks, especially such a big belly and loose skin ought to be covered at all times.
Nine Chale I agree with you. There is nothing wrong with how Swazis and how for that matter many Africans including our very own ancestors dressed. There is nothing inherently pornographic in not wearing colonised western clothes. Please people it is time we freed ourselves from mental slavery as Bob Marley articulately put it. This shame we feel towards our own bodies is something alien to Africa that was imposed by bazungus when they came to Africa and colonised and enslaved us. I for one am happy to see that Swazis have retained their own culture and will not be dissuaded by biased opinions castigating their culture emanating from Western circles.
I wonder how many head of states have visited King Mswati’s residence and dress up like him.. RB had this ‘urge’ to have a ‘feel for it’.. like naine mwee!!!!… after all he, is fulfilling his legacy by fruitlessly jet -setting world-wide within a year of his tenure..
At least RB would have thought twice before stripping off his huge crappy belly. I feel pity for Thandie… I would turn off all lights before stripping at bed time with RB!!!!!!!!
The situaton called for him to dress accordingly,nothing wrong, infact it depicts his maturity in reading the circustances well. Well done RB for wearing MTEMWENDE.
For the ignorant peole that find it wrong,have you seen Vladmir Putin shirtless picture on a horse? admittedly he is in better shape than Bwezani, obviously he is younger. Silvio berlusconi has also been shown without a shirt, so has Obama. Grow up, get over it.
#25 Put Putin , Obama, and Silvio together with RB abd look at there faces first and then compare there physical appearance as in the whole Body and tell me that we have a gud demu handsome President. Certain things have to be covered fullu stop mwilasuminisha umusebania
Just leave the man alone – he is a Ng’oni. … maybe he was even given one of those nic things for thae nite…no wonder he left that thandie girl….
i CAN APPRECI8ATE DIFFERENT REACTIONS TO THE PICTURE. BUT I FEEL HE WAS DOING AN AFRICAN THINH AND SHOWING CULTURAL IDENDITY THAT IS COMMENDABLE. LETSS SOMETIMES TRY TO LOOK AT THINGS THRU THE EYES OF AFRICANS AND NOT THE BIASED GLASSES OF THE WEST