Thursday, March 28, 2024

President Sata refuses to ban use of Machetes

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President Sata addressing a Cabinet meeting
President Sata addressing a Cabinet meeting

President Michael Sata has refused to issue a ban on the use of Machete (Pangas) in the country. The president was speaking today at Statehouse house during a meeting that was attended by Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers and all Patriotic Front Members of Parliament.

In response to Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education Minister, John Phiri who asked the president to issue the ban, Mr Sata explained that the move would lead to loss of business by some Zambians.

The President has instead directed Home Affairs Minister, Edgar Lungu, to deal with all law breakers in the country.

The Machetes have been at the centre of PF cadres infighting.

And President Sata has directed all PF Members of Parliament to frequently visit their constituencies in order to understand the challenges their people were facing in their respect areas.

The Head of State noted that some MPs have never been to some parts of their constituencies where people are in need of their services, a scenario he said will work against them in the 2016 Presidential and General Elections.

Mr Sata observed that some of his MPs do not visit their constituencies and do not speak about issues in parliament but just sit and observe instead of representing their people in the house.

He further observed that MPs have the whole weekend and should this period when parliament goes on recession go and explain policies and other issues to the people but that they choose to be in Lusaka.

And responding to questions from the MPs on the perceived divisions that have rocked the party between the two alleged camps, the President stated that the party was intact and do not recognize the two camps as they are all ministers under him.

He stated that Justice Minister, Wynter Kabimba, and Defence Minister, Geoffrey Mwamba, were mere ministers under him and not leaders of the camps stating that MPs should tell the people in their areas that there is no division in the party.

Mr Kabimba explained that the demonstrations that have been witnessed and linked to the two leaders should be dismissed as the Head of State does not recognize the two camps.

Mr Kabimba, who is also PF Secretary General, further added that demonstrations are the signs that their leaders are not doing what the people want, adding that demonstrations were also a wakeup call for MPs to do right things.

Both Kaputa Central Member of Parliament, Bweupe Ng’onga and his Luponsoshi counterpart, Chungu Bwalya, appealed to the President to give a directive on the protests by some party members over the leaders in order to end the alleged divisions in the party.

Many back benchers were given an opportunity to ask questions on various issues affecting their constituencies which were responded to by the President.

51 COMMENTS

  1. What I don’t understand is why does it have to be the president to decide on such matters.Surely a committee can sit down and decide or the police can use their famous ‘likely to cause breach of peace’ and ban machetes.

    • Right decision

      They are better than guns, lets be honest…

      If you met fate , you would survive with the machete and not guns

      The presidents is probably thinking this way, and of course he is right
      He should ban sex before marriage though, and imprison anyone who makes a woman pregnant they are not married to

      Thanks

    • Mushota asosa. Nomba iwe Mushota, how can you criminalize sex? I tell you who would have gone in if that were the case. 1. Bill Clinton for eating Monica. John Kennedy for munching Marilyn Monroe. Ba late Shintwanikane (MHSRIP) for eating banakulubantu bantwanikane. The list is endless. Even you Mushota, you have been eaten several times LOL!!!!!

    • At least the President was questioned on other matters except why he allowed Masumba to continue as a deputy minister while he was facing criminal charges and also why he is not lying aside the his two ministers on record of corruption.
      The truth will resurface soon.
      The barn on Pangas did not mean, the barn on the use, but people carrying he same publicly.

    • You would be mad to think that Sata the VSTC can ban the very weapon of his choice. Sata started encouraging the use of pangas way back when he was in MMD and soon after forming PF. Remember the chawama incident?

      I think it is not the use pangas that should be banned in order to maintain law and order but the use of violence during demonstrations in general. Sata should have condemned the intra-party violence in the strongest terms and command the police to clampdown on any violent PF party cadres. But as usual he has circumvented the real issues of violence because he thrives on violence and confusion.

    • I start to like Guy Scott slowly, he attended Mandela funeral, and managed to attend Sata’s PF’s MP conference.
      But Sata and ka worsted material Kabimba couldn’t do both.

    • @ Mushota

      I quite like your quirky logic, its fantastic. President Sata’s decision makes a lot of economic sense too: why should you punish the whole industry just because a few individuals are abusing the tool. To prevent men from abusing their wives, you shouldn’t have to ban marriage. Anyone who criticises our President Sata’s decision has low IQ. I have always maintained that Mr Sata and the PF always have basic common sense at the centre of their policies and that is why their policies always make sense for the socio-economic development of this country

    • How can one ban their party symbol? Its *****ic to ban something that symbolises and rimes with PF which is panga fighters.

    • Ed. PF Lungwizo says, “You can wield pangas anytime and anywhere in Zambia, but don’t you dare say ‘panga’ in public. We’ll lock you up!” Lol.

  2. Good thinking Mr. President, banning Pangas is running away from the root cause of violence in the first place. As president you should take responsibilty for the violence recently witnessed in your party and stamp it out accross the country. Panga’s have always been a tool in subsistence existance and survival in Zambia and just because some morons have used it in a fight we shouldnt ban it?

  3. How can MCS deny the existence of camps within his party when the same are published in newspapers all the time? Cadres carrying coffins with Kabimbas name have been seen on TV and in the papers. This is burying ones head in the sand. Well, this kind of denying will not do the Panga Fighters any good. It will only accelerate their early exit from the political scene like UNIP.

    • Iwe survival – zero, do you understand that giving credency to a matter that is dead is allowing it to resurrect? The issue of power play between Kabimba and GBM will settle itself at the 2016 convention. It is a dead issue. and the president is more interested in discussing development projects than playing politics with his ministers and MPs. That is how it should be, stop the wasting of time on none issues.

  4. Wat a shalow reasoning and a run-away to the truth! Reporters do some qourtings pliz so that we understand from the president’s statements, and not just from your paraphraised setences.

    • You are dark, so dark, from the sores of your feet, your middle arse to your hair and your insides are dark too! Evil man you are.

  5. He is not a serious president,he takes matters at snares pace,division in pf is real,pangas are used by pf cadres,its good to be brave when u encounter a problem than to pretend,because it will resurface in the last minute and screw up everything.sata only acts to those who are vulnerable like the two deputy ministers.he is truly a hyena,feeding on a dead carcus.

  6. Lol. Surely this doesn’t even deserve a comment. The whole head of state uttering such? Why not legalise all other profitable criminal activities so we can keep everyone in business?

    • We can not stop selling pangas just becoz they were used by PF cadres.Are we going to stop selling condoms also just becoz you found your son with it when infact you are against it.Deal with cadres and not those selling pangas

    • Sata was asked a question. If he did not answer as you are suggesting you would still call him names. He is damned when he does and damned when he doesn’t and he is gotten used to it – which I think is dangerous.

  7. THE QUESTION WAS MIS-DIRECTED. HOW CAN THE PRESIDENT BAN THE USE OF MACHETES? HE MIGHT AS WELL BAN THE USE OF AXES, HOES, PICKS ETC IN ZAMBIA. BECAUSE THESE TOO CAN BE MIS-USED IN AN ASSAULT. IF SUCH INSTRUMENTS ARE MIS-USED IT DOES NOT NEED THE PRESIDENT TO ISSUE A BAN. BUT RATHER THE POLICE HAVE TO RISE TO THE OCCASION AND PERFORM THEIR DUTY.

  8. It’ll be illogical to ban the use of machetes. It’s a multi – purpose tool used for cutting trees, meat……. list is endless. What is to be addressed is the misuse by the PF cadre s to hack each other. Dr. John Phiri, is this a question you can ask in a cabinet meeting surely? Someone needs to check his credentials.

  9. USA has one of the highest gun crimes and yet the sale of guns on non-negotiable. In the UK alcohol related incidences cost the tax payer billions of £s – should they ban alcohol? You need to tackle the root cause of crime instead.

  10. AM SURE THE OTHER PAPERS CAN GIVE US THE FOLLOWING HEADLINES:

    THE POST: “SATA DIRECTS POLICE TO DEAL WITH LAW BREAKERS”
    ZAMBIAN WATCHDOG: “DICTATOR SATA APPROVES BLOOD SHED USING MACHETES”
    ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL: “SATA URGES MPS TO VISIT THEIR CONSTITUENCES”
    DAILY NATION: “SATA TRAINING MACHETE WIELDING MILITIA”
    TIMES OF ZAMBIA: “MPS APPEAL TO SATA TO GIVE DIRECTIVE OVER PROTESTS IN PF”
    THIS SHOWS THAT REPORTERS ACTUALLY HAVE AN AGENDA AND CAN SOMETIMES MISLEAD THE READING PUBLIC. SO WE NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS WITH SCREAMING HEADLINES

  11. Problem is not the panga you people, the problem is the people who are using it. If it is banned, they will start using other things like okapi knives, if it is also banned, they can use the axes. Be reasonable and support the reasoning behind. Deal with crime pepertrators, you deal with the problem, capwa.

  12. BUT IMWE, YOU DONT KNOW THAT THEY ARE PREPARING FOR 2016? MATCHETTES WILL BE AT PLAY. SO HE CAN NOT BAN THE USE OF THE SAME. HISTORY WILL REPEAT ITSELF LIKE THE CHAWAMA SAGA. WATCH THIS SPACE.

  13. Thats his favourite weapon. The one he used to hack innocent Chawamians. Its too much to expect this old old madala to ban any form of confusion.

  14. BY THE WAY WHAN IS HE GOING FOR MEDICAL CHECK UP IN UK?I MUST THINK THAT KABIMBA AND GBM AER THE WINNERS OF TO DAY FOR ALLOWING THEM TO US PANGAS,

  15. Pangas are not as straight-forward as guns. They are actually a very useful tool for peasant farmers and other equally productive sectors of our economy. It is like banning a knife because, in a feud someone stabbed another. Curious how we think banning will reduce law enforcement – it just poses a headache to start inspecting panga wielders and figuring out who has a license to carry it and who doesn’t. And the suggestion was made by one DOCTOR?????

  16. President Sata’s response on the use of machetes, which have negatively tarnished the image of the ruling PF party, speaks volumes. We wonder as to whom will the ordinary Zambians ever turn to for their personal security.

  17. If the President were to issue a statement banning pangas/machetes our overzealous (acting outside the law and professional boundaries) Zambia Police would be very happy to start arresting any person they see carrying the tool/implement or selling them. Especially if you were in the opposition and you are found carrying a panga/machete…uuumm. So His Excellency knows the limits/serious weaknesses of our Police Command and therefore decided to protect the people. In any case, any implement (hoes, axes, sickles, slashers etc) can be truned into weapons.

    The President was very very very wise on this one. Congrats sir. I salute you on this on.

    • My friend the problem is not the panga but the way PF cadres went around on rampage with the machetes in the streets when they fought. This time you buy one if you don’t have it because they are a hot cakes even the people who have no homes and fields where these tool could be used for, they are buying them for their own safety.

  18. Ladies and gentlemen, ifyo namona apa is for me to start using a panga on my girl friend whom I suspect to be running around. Our beloved President has fallen in love with the tool why shouldn’t I? And by the way he was born when the same tool was very much in use even when a discussion would have worked in times of conflict. My advise to all well meaning Zambians is that, just buy a panga and keep it in your bedroom corner. CAPWA………… BECAUSE CONFLICT RESOLUTION IS NOT PART OF HIS EXCELLENCY’S TAGS.

  19. Mayomayomayo!!!!!!!!!!!, Oh no I could imagine when the Tusi and the Hutu fought including the Namurenges, pangas were used and innocent people died. Our prayer is that who ever shall be found with a panga during by-elections and especially someone foreign in the district where by-elections shall be conducted, must be arrested and if police refuse to arrest, mob justice shall apply.

  20. Mayomayomayo!!!!!!!!!!!, Oh no I could imagine when the Tusi and the Hutu fought including the Nyamurenges, pangas were used and innocent people died.

    Our prayer is that Zambians must not allow to be used by the Devil. I know the angels of the devil are coming one by one in our country to harden the hearts of the political cadres so that they can be used.

  21. This was a choreographed meeting. My fellow bloggers don’t bother your intelligent heads trying to make sense of the nonsense. MCS gave the questions to the people that asked. That for you was a press conference with the reporters being Dr Phiri and the MPs that asked the questions.

  22. The ban on tujilijili affected people’s business/livelihood. To refuse banning the parading of machetes/pangas shows serious lack of leadership qualities. BULALI FULU MANI

  23. As long as pangas are sold openly on the market… GBM has no offence, because one needs to know how to use it… Once you ban pangas, then it will become an offence to own a panga… Davies Mwila is late… Even if GBM is caged,the UPND will not lose any popularity because people have already decided… Stay in the dark until August 11,then he will be acquitted and you will take his place… That is just adviceoooooooooooooooooh!!!! He who laughs last……………………………

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