The Zambia National Women’s Lobby (ZNWL) has joined other civil society organizations in condemning Defense Minister Geoffrey Mwamba for a statement attributed to him in the media suggesting that beating a wife by a husband is a sign of love.
ZNWL chairperson Beauty Phiri noted that the statement by Mr. Mwamba is retrogressive to the efforts being made to deter gender based violence in the country.
In statement released to media, Ms. Phiri also noted that the country does not expect a national leader like the Defense Minister to pass such a negative statement in the media as such a statement has a potential to entice young men in the country to mistreat their wives in the name of showing love.
Ms. Phiri has maintained that there is no beating that can be described as loving way beating as Mr. Mwamba was quoted to have said in the media.
The ZNWL chairperson has since encouraged men in the country to promote dialogue in place of physical confrontation as a means of solving problems.
She has also challenged men to team up with their female counterparts in building a cohesive society devoid of violence.
You women,,also! just push for GBM´s dismisal! just demand he GMB gets fired…his statement was stupid to come from a serving minister
Imwe it is part of our culture even in my Luapula province.We are told when getting married to beat but not injuring her in the process.Just a soft slap to her face or bums.And we are encouraged ukumushina mumatanta madam.It is a mixture of romance and discipline.Katemba chupo.Some things don`t make sense if you look at them in the western context.So apa ine madam nimuma akalupi but alifye muli all smiles chabe.Kind of reminds me of one Saudi Arabian raised doctor now working in the UK who has refused to learn how to drive saying she respects her culture because in her culture women are not allowed to drive.Despite becoming a surgeon and now living in the western world she has stuck to her culture.People laugh at her but she doesnt mind.Remove your western reading glasses..
Miss Phiri spousal beating is part of Bemba culture. A Bemba woman would sue for divorce if she is not getting her fair share of the whip. You can deny a Bemba woman her conjugal rights but she won’t accept to be denied the stroke or two of a sjambok from her husband. They even boast to their friends when they have been beaten by their husbands: Bulya bushiku bali nguma bashi Chilufya! It is a badge of honour!
Spousal beating is NOT part of Bemba or any other culture for that matter! Your comments are disgusting and an insult to women. You ought to be ashamed of yourself for even verbalizing such unsavoury thoughts. Get out of the stone age!
Yes it is part of bemba culture.Although ba GBM bena baliumisha.Kuma panono.
Mama Sutra. Niwe walanda ichishinka! You have told the truth. Some women even doubt your love and say ‘tabanguma’. That even fuels suspicion that you are cheating. That said do not beat your wives gents! Is spanking allowed?
in Bemba culture..its allowed ..thats what we were told..kekekeke
Mrs GBM is equally to blame! What kind of woman allows herself to be beaten and humiliated constantly like this? She has no self respect and is a bad role model to women everywhere.Shame on GBM but shame on the wife as well!!
Mrs GBM is just a victim of primitive Bemba culture. Don’t blame her. She’s a victim who needs our help. We need to civilise our Bemba friends!
I don’t think that’s love ,if u love me u don’t beat me,Mr mwamba pliz don’t let abakuchipata2 Laugh at us.
Clearly, GBM is confusing ‘Control’ with ‘love’. In a traditional marriages, control is of the essence. Some men achieve it by wife beating. Love in a traditional marriage is not the primary reason people get married, no. On the other hand, in a civil marriage, a man and woman fall in love and they decide to get married. Once we understand the basic difference, we will know how to respond to GBM’s confusion.
Imwe it is part of our culture even in my Luapula province.We are told when getting married to beat but not injuring her in the process.Just a soft slap to her face or bums.And we are encouraged ukumushina mumatanta madam.It is a mixture of romance and discipline.Katemba chupo.Some things don`t make sense if you look at them in the western context.So apa ine madam nimuma akalupi but alifye muli all smiles chabe.Kind of reminds me of one Saudi Arabian raised doctor now working in the UK who has refused to learn how to drive saying she respects her culture because in her culture women are not allowed to drive.Despite becoming a surgeon and now living in the western world she has stuck to her culture.People laugh at her but she doesnt mind.Remove your western reading glasses.
neva saw dad beat mom no mata how furious.
He was beating her from the bedroom.You are not supposed to see it as children.It doesn`t have to be violent.It is all about discipline and the man solidifying his role as the head of the house.Tradition sometimes sucks if you look at it critically especially with our western world oriented upbringing and education.I know what GBM meant when he said what he said.The interpretation depends on from which point one looks at the whole issue.
How unfortunate!!!!!!!!! Your parents were not trully in love , they were living together as happens in many of today so called marriages. For any disagreement, today’s wives rush to the police or lobby groups. Marriage disagreement should be resolved within the family by involving elders. These ngo’s are misleading women resulting in divorces and when these women divorce their husband, these same ngo’s distance themselves. Families and children have suffered because of wrong advice from these ngos’. Advice to ngo’s: leave women to enjoy their marriages. Stop this marriage interference . Find your own men to marry you and deal with your own problems. Imagine, if GBM’s wife had heeded the calls of these ngo;s, she would have been a divorce today
PF urges us to “read and understand the Manifesto”.
OK… it looks to me like the Manifesto talks about gender equality and increased representation at all levels of decision making.
Perhaps GBM might therefore explain how his statement that is “culturally appropriate to beat a women” leads to gender equality and empowerment of women? Maybe the “honourable” Minister should read and understand the Manifesto too?
why is it that most of these ladies talking about GBV are singles? The fact is in bemba culture we beat but not severly (intukushanda), just a slap on the cheek or bokosi and a kisi after 10 minutes then she will be all smiles and thereb is reconciliation. In bemba there is a saying “inganda yabula ulubuli te nganda iyoo”
there z nthng 2 debate here, tu ma loving shinaling wl continuewther u sek the devil’s help or nt. na aba bene balepela tu ma statements ve ben beaten several times & cant bring it 2 the public bt want 2 prtnd ther marges r pefct wen in fact far frm it. Mwandi tata GBM conitnue tu loving shinaling
My bemba bothers pliz,wateva beating ur taught before marriage is not the GBV that’s being talked abt,u can’t give yo wife a red eye and call it ama loving,awe I refuse to accept that,I think in every culture there certain things that don’t make sense but let’s sieve and apply the things that are applicable to human and enhance the welbeing of everybody
This overgrown pumpkin should realise that not all women are as dull as his Chama who quickly dropped the charges after he gave her a vicious hiding. Women have become very vocal and will no longer take any nonsense. This man is absolutely vile and is inciting violence in happy homes, just because his home is a circus.
You must be a divorcee who has so much hate. If you are married, i pity your poor hubby..
& u guyz u shld ve respct 4 yo leaders. u really r hypocrits, on 1 hand u want 2 use God 2 defnd yo useless pnts on the other u use de devil’s bible 2 insult yo leader-His honor GBM
@mwinelubemba,your honor GBM my black a**! Wen something is wrong its wrong regardless of who does it.will give praise were its due not on nonsensical stances.
I remember i had this namwanga chick in chingola who once asked me that “nomba imwe ninshi tamwakalengumako ngatwaupana ninshi ?.” I think this is one issue which is relative depending on the players social and cultural background.It might be wrong or right depending on the reference point(cultural reference point).Brother GBM was right(Again it is relative here).It is just too unfortunate that his statement was lost in interpretation which is due to the fact that he was thinking in bemba and speaking in English.
Lost in interpretation? What the heck is that? Just accept that you’re primitive. Don’t bring innocent Namwangas into this. Learn to deal with your own demons.
@Nalwamba I`m talking about my own experience and not what you want it to be.It might not be your cup of tea ,but you have to know that my walk is different from yours so we don`t have the same references points.I don`t expect you to agree with me actually.
I like this story because my thesis work was based on GBV in African culture.It is considered normal in some cultures.My Swedish supervisor was shocked when i presented the statistics of those who thought it is okay.
Bana Mwamba balibapakula, how? katwishi. Pantu ine teti kuti nayambafye uku butuka round the dinning table, chi dugude chanaka nakunaka
GBM is a Great Big bag of unsubsidized Maize ! The man is too LARGE- with a PEA-sized Brain ! Is this the calibre of leaders you VOTED into government ? BRAIN_DEAD ALREADY ! All he knows is how to steal from government coffers and blackmail SATA !
If you read about SATA’s speech at the AU conference, he talked about the protection of women and children and empowerment of the girl-child ! He also emphasised the policies of appointing women to key political and corporate positions to promote equal rights and gender empowerment !! Now, why would the so called Great BIg bag of Maize (GBM) choose this same time to “UNDO” everything that SATA is saying at the AU ? This sound suspicious !