President Edgar Lungu is expected to meet chiefs from Southern Province to dialogue over concerns arising from remarks allegedly attributed to Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General Mr. Davies Chama last month
President Lungu will travel to Southern province on 21st July 2015 and he is scheduled to return after he concludes his official assignment.
The Head of State has since called for this special meeting to bring to an end the divisive sentiments some sections of our society were fomenting to sow seeds of discord in the nation.
This is contained in a press statement issued to ZANIS by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relation, Amos Chanda.
The Head of State is a firm believer in the fundamental freedom of expression, assembly, association and liberal values that have made Zambia an exceptionally tolerant society where people value, rather than fear diversity.
“This peaceful co-existence built on a strong foundation of unity has thus far distinguished Zambia as a notable democratic enterprise made possible by the abundant spirit of tolerance the moral majority of our people so deeply cherish and we can’t sacrifice for political expediency,” the President said.
Mr. Lungu has directed that the planned meeting advertised as ‘Chuundu Chaitwa’ of the Tonga People must go ahead un-hindered and with the full protection of the Police.
Mr. Lungu has to this effect asked all those who may have opposing views to the conveners of the advertised meeting not to interfere but to allow for their peaceful assembly.
He believes that this is the nature of the democracy the Zambian people have chosen for themselves.
Mr. Lungu, who is also PF party President, has ordered all ministers, PF senior officials and party functionaries to cease all forms of commentary on the matter and resist any temptation to mobilise and galvanize on grounds of ethnicity, religion, creed and all other illiberal values that may pose a real danger to Zambia’s social cohesion.
He is hopeful that the 21st July meeting with traditional leaders shall be brought to its desired conclusion in the spirit of upholding the nation’s cherished creed of ‘One Zambia, One Nation.’
President Lungu observed that the creed forms a significant part of his leadership and the nation’s vision.
He called on citizens from all walks of life and backgrounds to treasure the peace and unity Zambia has enjoyed over the past 50 years.
“While there have been challenges along the way, and while conflict remains an outgrowth of our diversity, it’s my call to the nation to celebrate our diversity and not use it as a means to weaken the rather well-woven fabric of Zambian society,” Mr. Lungu said.
Appoint a new Secretary General.
That thing called Davies Chama will not have any erection for rest of the year. He must just be watching his back every time he walks out of his house. And what happened about his fire arm? Is Edgar Lungu scared of witchcraft of Chama?
Now after a lot of time has passed and you even let you ministers to issue some abnormal comments with your chama.
One Zambia One Nation no longer resonates well with me for it is being used to hoodwink the people.
So Lungu is meeting the chiefs of southern province and I sincerely hope these chiefs have had a reality check with their subjects otherwise they’ll be speaking for themselves! It is not strange for a chief to be dressed down by subjects in the southern province when their decision is not in line with expectations of the subjects. Thus these chiefs must not be cowed as the Chama insult is felt individually by subjects!
How humiliating this must be for those that cried “wolf” when the advert for the meeting was issued. Feel sorry for the government spokesman who spoke for himself on the matter.
How can the president call a meeting with chiefs to discuss the insults this ***** Chama directed at Southerners. Clearly what Chama said is dead serious if it merits such a meeting. In any civilized country with a functioning government this illiterate ***** called SG, who cant even write should have been fired together with his equally illiterate friend Kambwili
If he was a believer in freedom of expression, assembly he would not have arrested Pilato or HH for meeting marketeers. He would have been speaking against the POA.
Bina chuundu God bless you. I’m glad that he is following you to your place.
Baami don’t allow him to intimidate you or to try & divide you.
If he messes around mukamu kalike akauno kaka yuminine ku bwaya.
This is our country. We won’t allow one individual to break it & we have identified the individual with such intentions as the man coming to visit you.
This is just an attempt by PF to find political penetration in the UPND hardliners’ province, It appears a deliberate attempt to woo voters from a well cooked non- issue, an exercise in futility to disintergrate their voting pattern as a block.
Not ifyo naiwe, you think those Chiefs are styupid? They only had to OBEY the orders of a president. If Edgar phoned me today, I will leave tomorrow to go and hear whatever story he gotta say.
Whatever Edgar told the Tonga chiefs, he only sounded ridiculous. The Chiefs told him already they don’t want to be involved in the political-tribal issues. But just because it is a law to obey the “president”….
But why not discipline ba Chama so that even as the President meets the aggrieved party he will have shown that he does not agree with ba Chama?
Truely. To bring this matter to an end you need to fire Davis Chama. The man has grown big headed.
How does Chishimba Kambwili feel now? Because he said that meeting borders on Treason, and convenors will be met by full wrath of the law. If Lungu had shown to discipline Chama, all this would not be happening, he wouldn’t have needed to travel to the south. But politicians, especially Lungu have no capacity to see it that way.
He didn’t say the meeting was treasonous. He said discussing seccesation would be treasonous and that stands.
too much dullness at @ Napapa Sana.. this is what happens when u talk before reading or listening..
Southern Province is the land of the brave and free. You heard they were coming to speak and these sons of the soil would have defended the rights of Cuundu through:
Vincent Malambo, SC
Prof Muna Ndulo
Dr Beyani
Professor Hansungule
and a host of well drilled prominent lawyers.
Do not awaken the sleeping giant lest like Dr Kabeta Muleya aptly put it, we shall be happy to be in prison for what we believe in or even attain martyrdom!
Southern Province paid the way for the delegation that went to negotiate for independence. We are at the heart of Zambia. We shall NEVER ever leave our fruit of independence for some chancers. If you dont like Tongas, then Zwa from Zambia!! You found us when you ran away from DRC and you will leave us, if you wish
Kambwili was concerned about the putting of seccesion on the agenda not the meeting per se.
I don’t know what some of u want, here is a president who wants to work with everyone. This is a good approach Mr President
It is part of silent genocide
After noticing that southerners are serious about resisting intimidation and being down trodden that is when this Lungu wants to meet the Chiefs! And he wants to conclusively deal with the issue before openly condemning or taking action on Chama! This is time wasting for me as an individual. You can not deal successfully with the leaves before you deal with the roots. Clearly, the president has no vision
This is just a waste of resources. HE can sort this issue while enjoying some distilled water in state house. It is not to late to sort this. He needs to discipline some of his careless whisperers like kambwili, Chama, Frank Bwalya. Voyendayenda avilide avilide may just cause you kugwa again. We Zambians mix well but it these mapolotricians who say things carelessly that are causing people to see each other as belonging to that ka tribe and different from this chi tribe. All in all never invest in politics, it is a bubble that is bound to burst at any time
This meeting is the baby of president lungu and he is the one funding it ,the plan is working in the pf lay down plans,people of sp don’t be fooled, when did lungu start allowing meetings of that natunel
This is not about Chama as far as i am concern. Its just the frustration from Tongas that there own has failed to ascend to power and they want to make an issue out of it
Kikiki UPND always and will be a tribal party.Their followers hate Bembas as if bembas hinder them from winning.I have never seen such a party in my life. Bembas are not ruling UPND cadres.Yo inferiority complex will kill u.The PF is headed by Edgar Lungu(Easterner) and Inonge Wina(Westerner).I’m so scared to vote 4 UPND becuase of it’s followers.Lungu should be very careful!UPND wants to make sure bembas speaking pipo are sidelined in order for them to get sympathy votes from luapula,northern & CB.Please don’t let them control u.Their interest is 2 make sure bemba speaking pipo think u don’t care 4 them.U’ve have already heard that RB hates Bembas.Be careful lungu with tribal party UPND.Don’t be manupulated by a tribal party.Sourthern will never vote 4 U coz their thinking is about…
@RB, you are the kind this country doesn’t need. You can do your politics without ridiculing some people. Avoid negative sentiments. Be positive & talk goodness of your political favourite without insinuating that others are stupid. Please stop this nonsence of always seeing things on tribal lines like your Minister of info.
U are very stupid, u can’t say that we hate who yes it’s u wh actually hate tongas,useless tribleboy.
Mistake,pls let the president meet them from the state homes like he did with chiefs from northwestern.unless they refuse,otherwise it will look as if they are Not important.meeting from statehouse is special than following them.who dosnt want to have time at statehouse.DO IT The same for the same,
“ICHUNDU CHABAKACHEMA CHAITWA, BONSE BA MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MULEFWAIKWA WITHOUT FAIL INCLUDING CHIEF KACHEMA HH.
Mr President well said make sure the same applies to all excited party cadres with fire arms. Arrest all party cadres with offensive weapons.
Just fire Mr. Chama. Mr. Chama has not only insulted the Tongas, but us Bembas who have nephews and nieces who are Tongas and any one who is not a Tonga but married to a Tonga. And that apply to any person who is not a Tonga but married to a Tonga. All of us who have Tongas friends we have been insulted. My nieces and my nephews have been critically hate and distressed beyond recovery. That’s how mr. Chama has done the damage. Mr. President fire Mr Chama before it is too late. Mr. President how are you going to exaplan to mixed kids – Tonga Bemba, Tonga Lozis, Tonga Ngoni, Tonga Chewa, Tonga Lundas, Tonga Kaonde, Tonga Namwanga, Tonga Soli. It’s too late to accept apology from Hon. Just fire hon. Chama.
We of NWR welcome the statement attributed to the Head of State….it’s my call to the nation to celebrate our diversity and not use it as a means to weaken the rather well-woven fabric of Zambian society,”
These facts about the Bantubotatwe are generally well known and indisputable:
….polygamous (just like the Zulus of South Africa, Shona/Ndebele of Zimbabwe, Moslems of the Gulf States and those in Zambia)
….wealthy pastoralists (with some individuals haviing in excess of 12 000 head of cattle in the village equivalent to Kwacha rebased 60 million.
….peaceful and tolerant with their markets dominated by Bembas and where even village headmen are from tribes of North Eastern Rhodesia.
There is no need to fire chama because he like pilato was exercising his freedom of expression, moreover chamas sentiments were not even provocative but merely stated the truth. There is no way tongers can have their own as president following the trybal way they vote unless they multiply their population by 20 per family. Meaning each man should marry 8 wives and produce 160 siblings . When pilato was exercising his freedom of expression you were celebrating. That’s democracy for you. Understand all its corners if you want to walk its route. If you throw mud at others expect the same or more from them. If you live in glass houses, don’t throw stones so they say. Mooooooooooo.
Your values are either pedestrian or you simply mendacious. To equate freedom of speech to hate speech is proof of your shallow personality.
I see you not trained in law to have a modicum understanding of defamation or concepts of mens rea.
That you despise the someone rich who as one person has rightly said is a multi-millionaire rivaling the fortunes of even Zambeef reveals the deprivation of your upbringing not to mention culture.
I salute the wealthy cattle moguls of Southern Province (you call them ba kacheema but continue enriching them by buying their beef in Shoprite, Spar, Pick n Pay and wherever meat is sold!!)
Edgar Chagwa lungu is a LAZY VISIONLESS DRUNKARD COWARD who can’t do anything about Chama!
Edgar Chagwa lungu is a LAZY VISIONLESS DRUNKARD COWARD who can’t do anything about Chama!!
What a waster of resources Mr President – creating problems with Chama so that you can travel (fly) to go and solve them! I thought you know the immediate root cause; why not nip it in the bud by getting rid of the known cause, because it may reccur, if not eliminated? Replace the SG – or is he indespensable; is he your trampcard for winning elections by dividing and rulling?
President Edgar Lungu reputation is gonna be tarnished if he goes a head to attend the ‘Chuundu Chatwa’ Tonga chiefs meeting.
This a meeting PF government Chief Spokes person Chishimba Kambwili branded illegal and would not hesitate to unlish the wrath of law to lock all those in attendace. Kambwili alleged that the meeting to discuss cessation in Zambia is intolerable and animical to the unitary existence of Zambia and therefore treasonus.
How does the entire president attend such a meating?. Government has not retracted Kambwili’s statements. President Lungu is caged between Chama’s remarks and audesity of gollira posture (Ka)Chimbwili.
u shud start first, u condemn pilato and chama will also be dropped fr his position. y a u jst self centred?
When people have no gray matter. Who is the aggrieved person/s in the Pilato case who did not come up when Pilato ‘s head was on the chopping board. In this case its the Tongas who are directly affected and many peace loving Zambians who are indirectly affected. So chap dont join debates when you have no substance but subjective feelings only.
My humble advice to the president is that let him dismiss Davis Chama as PF secretary general otherwise he is a source of concerning and he may bring him a lot of problems in future.Davis Chama is the worst he has no impact actually to the ruling party.
yamfwa would have done better
If the PF President cannot discipline Chama and the PF Vice President cannot issue the “comprehensive statement on Chama” then somebody else should sort out Chama once and for all! Surely this cannot go on as if this Chama is some sort of god.
I think whoever advised the president advised him wisely. Tonga people are as solid as a rock and this meeting was going to take place regardless. The president has spoken very wisely. However, it is kinda too late. He should have acted immediately as soon as this issue started. “Procrastination is the thief of time”, meaning If you put off doing what you ought to do, you will end up not having enough time to do it properly.
You had time to act like a father, Sir (Mr Lungu), and what did you do? You added salt to the wound by justifying Chama’s wicked statements. In fact, he (Chama) simply revealed what the leadership thinks about Tonga people. I think it was more of how he said what he said and the implication thereof. “It’s too late to apologize”..
What is going to discuss with the chiefs?
Just stay in state house
Lack of leadership in this matter. The President has acknowledged that Chama is wrong and what the Tongas are asking is just an apology. Why waste state resources and individual’s resources when simple words can save the situation? So what is PF’s agenda behind the Chama remarks?
lets preach peace , wat is the problem with the call of southern chiefs? people its really a pity to see others discouraging the call. even in homes wen we differ, we sit together and discuss. please stop misleading people, lets unite and build our mother Zambia.
President Lungu you seem to use fancy words that you don’t even believe in. Are you really a firm believer in the fundamental freedom of expression, assembly, association and liberal values? If you are, should you not be embarrassed about arresting Pilato? What about the harassment of HH everytime time. One might begin to think you fear HH the way your party instigates when it comes to him having official meetings? Look we know you’re not intelligent and that is fine but just don’t insult us Zambians intelligence. Look at the people you have in your party, Kambwili, Davis Chama as SG, you have diplomats abroad some with no education. This is all your doing and the reason bad things are happening to our economy. It will only get worse unless you get a miracle from God. PF needs to go!