President Fundraising dinner at Mulungushi Conference center
The president of Zambia, H.E Edgar Chagwa Lungu, will be attending the United Nations meetings this September. The meetings attract all the world leaders as they converge on New York City to discuss international politics. Past Zambian presidents, including Michael Sata, have attended this meeting.
During this time, PF USA, the branch of the Patriotic Front in the USA, will be hosting the president for dinner and below are the fees:
The first Tier Of Fees are:
$1000 with a processing fee of 39.95 = $1040 is the first tier of fees for the dinner. This gets you a seat closer to the president. Other than that, this fee can also feed 130 Zambian families for a month and can send 10 Zambian school girls to school for a year in primary school.
The Second Tier of Fees are:
Gold VIP which will costs you $500. That’s half of the Platinum VIP. At an 8ZMK to $1 exchange rate this is 4000ZMK; this again can assist a poor family send 5 girls to school for an entire year.
The Third Tier of fees are:
$300 (Silver). This again is money that can go a long way for a family. Finally the last tier of fees is Bronze which is at $200.
While I certainly understand there are costs associated with meeting the president, we have the Zambian Mission to the UN @ 237 E 52nd St, New York, NY 10022 Tel: 212 888 5770 that we already pay rent for; so if the organizers used this venue they would cut on the costs of hosting the president which would eat away on the ticket pricing. If other items were needed, such as drinks and snacks, we would have justified at the most between $50 to $100 ticket pricing. This would have been ideal considering the economics of this situation.
The president of Zambia is coming to represent our country and give it its continued platform on international stage. In that same light, I would love to see our president also meet people who, without a doubt continue to carry the mantle of citizenry in this foreign land. I do not think the prices being advertised by PF USA should be tolerated by our president because they automatically alienate many of us who can’t afford. Accessibility to the leader of our country should not follow the same classism that is endemic to our larger society in Zambia. Zambia is not an aristocracy but a democracy.
The disparity between the rich and the poor (kwa and ku) continue to grow in economic life in Zambia, I do not think that this should also be reflected in the accessibility that we get for the men and women who are leading our country. All people, rich and poor, should receive an equitable access to the leaders who represent them. These outrageous, discriminatory prices do not serve the interest of a democratic society. If at all there should be a price to attend the event where people can meet the president, it should not discriminate against Zambians who may not afford the $1000. To many of us $1000 is one month rent, $500 will support a Zambian family in the USA with two months’ worth of food, $200 is the price of text books for a Zambian college student; all these people who may have an interest to attend the dinner won’t be able to do so because it is financially discriminatory. ONLY those KU will have access to him, and as a result we will continue to structurally disfranchise Zambian families who can’t buy their way to the political round table.
President Lungu, should not support this at all.
One Zambia, One Nation
George N. Mtonga II
Atlanta, Georgia USA
Is the underlying objective to raise money for school girls in Zambia and for other vulnerable Zambians or is the money being raised targeted at PF activities such as campaigns and appeasements? The fact that this is driven by PF in the USA and not by ordinary Zambians in the USA is what reveals that the interest is not poor Zambian people alleviation centric!
The writer of the article is third world for sure! I paid $1500 to meet Obama and all I ate was salad. PF is innovative enough fundraise, it’s what political parties do! Why are you hating on those who can afford to drink with EL?
Why should you want people’s hard earned personal money to feed families in Zambia? When are Zambians going to learn to feed themselves!
You have fully understand and both explained and clarified the matter. I don’t see the references to home scenarios making any sense.
This is PF fund raising dinner cakuti cakuti. If people have no money to buy the tickets, just don’t go. In addition, why not petition the Zambian Ambassador in the USA to have a citizens’ “meet-and-greet” the President event, entry free for everyone?
Simples.
Whoever is collecting that money is a crook. You can’t charge a FEE of $40. What is the fee for? Is it to use for bail out when he gets arrested? Creating that website is just $12 per year.
Let me tell you upfront that that dinner is already a flop. I made few calls, no one is doing about it and no one knows where that PF office is in Rochelle, New York.
WHAT IS THE BIGGER DEAL?
People pay $100,000.00 for a 50 minute show just to watch May Weather land 10 punches on the opponent which money ends up in the pockets of the two fellows!
Surely, what is the bigger deal, if part of my $1000.00 will be used for my dinner, for meeting the president and the rest could used even on vulnerable back home?
The comparison is wishy washy. I pay to enjoy mayweather pummeling someone after both have trained 6 months for the show. Paying to watch Lungu eating isn’t in the same league. Theres nothing to enjoy there cos Lungu is no expert at munching. That’s why there won’t even be pay tv there . If you wanna pay for this why not pay to see Lungu combing his hair or brushing his teeth?
We have heard from this tonga man, what do the organizers say?
How is this fundraiser affecting your ba.lls chi car lar
Nobody will attend. The “raised” money will come from China or diverted from one of the euro bond kalobas we borrowed when Miles (sampa) was miles away in the corridors of power
The bum Edgar is flying to New York as a Head of State paid for by taxpayers on taxpayers time, taxpayers will pay for his allowances, his secruity…why then should Zambians pay to see this bum a $1000 a head….the dup this dinners fundraising yet he is only raising funds for his party…this Chawama bum has cheapen the office of the Head of State.
Agreed you are a careless wisper.
Mtonga come back home if you suffering in the USA. These are the pipo who claim can provide solutions yet are sweepers and cleaners in homes for the old Americans
This is PF fund raising and want to raise as much as they can. Remember no govt resources for political parties in 2016. So PF as usual is ahead.
Comment: So how does this affect you? as you have rightly put it, this will be in the USA not so? please sometimes you pipo should bring matters which are directly effecting you. Not ukulalanda landafye.If u’er in the America yes, but not thousand miles away in Zed. ifyo its like complaining about Load shedding in Zambia while you’er based in America.
….I don’t wish to think that a loaded gun has been pointed on the head of every Zambian living in USA….$1000 may be exorbitant to Mr X and peanuts to Mr Y….personally even if they had pegged it at 50cents…I wouldn’t attend…why??…because back home the guy has failed the call a much serious gathering…an indaba we would call press conference..to answer a few burning questions Zambians have for him…I do understand the failure to do so by the late but not with the so called learned lawyer….
..@1eLISHA…some people have businesses back home tho they live in USA they are directly affected by loadshedding…besides it affect the economy of Zed..there is cause to worry even if u are miles away…
Ngati palidi nkhani apa a Mtonga namwe! Nanga kukakumana ndi atake Tasila amapatikidza? Ngati makobini asowa, khalanibe kunyumba ndi alamu basi!
Some People ED Should Not Travel With to Reduce Costs
1. First kids
2. First relatives
3. First besties and BFFs
4. Amayenge
5. ED
His George Mtonga chap just can’t afford to pay for the dinner. No one is being forced to go!
Nanga apa palipo nkhani a Mtonga namwe? Munena ngati kuli muntu omwe adzamupatikidzani kukavakacha ndi atake Tasila! Ngati ma kobini ofunika mulibe, inu khalani chabe kunyumba ndi alamu. Futinso ngati inu mulikufuna kuthandidza tiwana twa skulu kwathu ku Zambia, chomwe chamletsani ndi chani?
The president is in the US on official government business, funded by zambian taxpayers and not party business. So it is not right that a political can hijack official govt business into a party fundraising venture. The PF have no right to do that and it is a criminal offence.
No rent is paid for the Zambian Mission property at E52nd St. It is the property of the Government of Zambia. It is good to right when in possession of the correct information. Moreover, attending this function is a matter of choice. PF sympathizers, who can afford will pay the requested fees, while those who cannot will stay at home and enjoy their peace.
$1000 is nothing bane where we are. I spend that much in one day and don’t feel drained.
herein lies the problem. Some people are so oblivious of the sufferings of many people back in Zambia. if anything, Zambians in the States should be galvanized to demonstrate at the UN to show our displeasure at the appearance of the Zambian president for obvious reasons. PF or not, we need to rise above our party affiliations and want to see good for all Zambians. just like some of you PF followers being able to afford $1000 for this kind of nonsense, it would be good for every Zambian to be able to afford $1000 for whatever nonsense they choose to be part of. and by the way I can afford $1000 but I am also cognizant of the suffering of the average Zambian and it makes me sick to my stomach. it is imperative for those that have been given much to speak out against the injustices of those…
NANGA NIFUNDRAISER YAUSO
some comments are fiction books,while other ones are of economic concern,seeing a or greeting ECL does not benefit majority of zambian-americans unless u have pf contracts backhome.am aware of the choice of venue but a cheaper venue would have been ideal.since this is a pf matter,so how is the president going to meet zambians who dont ascribe to the pf misrule.
The writer is just trying to raise a storm in a tea cup! Please be reminded that this is a PF fundraising venture and you should even commend them for being innovative! Iam willing to pay $3000 for the event coz i know that the money realised will help to mobilize our party! Keep it up organisers and reserve a closest seat to the president for me at $3000.
I have no problem with these so called exorbitant dinner fees because I believe in justice. If anyone is stúpid enough to pay any money at all for this stúpid dinner then he deserves to be robbed of that money. That is justice.