Thursday, March 28, 2024

You will see me on the day of nomination for August 11 Elections-GBM

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DEFENCE Minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM)
Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM)

UPND vice- president for administration Geoffrey Mwamba has said that that he was going to contest the August elections despite not clarifying over his academic qualifications, saying he would be seen on the day of nomination,

Speaking yesterday at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mwamba said that he said he was not going to go back to the PF and that he was in very good terms with UPND president Hakainde Hichilema.

Mr. Mwamba emphasized that he cannot be so naïve as to go back to a party he claimed had failed the people and subjected them to suffering.

Mr. Mwamba further said that even if he is not picked as the running mate he will remain a strong UPND member and stated that he is also ready to recontest the Kasama central seat.

Meanwhile, SOME Members of Parliament (MPs) and a councillor have gladly welcomed the new law that requires them to have a minimum education qualification of Grade 12 certificate.

Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Kasenengwa Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Victoria Kalima said in an interview yesterday that the new law is good because it brings in quality presentation of citizens to parliament.

Ms Kalima said the law is long overdue because it is important that people are represented by knowledgeable individuals.

“This is a wonderful law in that it brings in quality and enables us as a country to have knowledgeable lawmakers. We need people who understand various fields and policies,” she said.

Ms Kalima said she will participate in the forth-coming elections because she meets all the qualifications and wants to represent women in the country.

Chavuma MP Kenneth Konga said it’s a welcome clause because it doesn’t make sense for uneducated individuals to represent a learned society.

“I have always been in support of this law because we cannot have uneducated individuals representing learned people,” he said.

United Party for National Development (UPND) Magoye MP Oliver Mulomba said the new law does not affect him as an individual but that it will adversely affect other potential leaders.

Mr Mulomba said people who do not have this qualification but have the potential to represent people well have been deprived of the opportunity to do so.

“The law of having a Grade 12 certificate does not affect me as an individual but those who do not have. It has been passed and I cannot go against it,” He said.

Mr Mulomba said the local government should have been given lower qualifications because most councillors only have experience, not educational qualifications.

Chilenje Ward eight councillor Maggie Zulu said the law is good but should not be compulsory because voting is not based on education qualifications.

Ms Zulu said, however, that councillors should be able to understand and explain things intellectually in the chambers.

She is, however, concerned that some leaders, especially in rural areas, do not have Grade 12 qualifications.

UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said even if the new law will knock out some candidates from participating in the forthcoming elections, it is good as it will enhance quality.

20 COMMENTS

    • If someone can not qualify to stand then he should not qualify to vote. How can you vote in a system that discriminates against you?

    • Here in North America there is what is called grand fathered in. In other ways, current mps who not qualify like GBM should not be affected by this, new people should.

  1. ….the supreme law could have gone further to restrict voters to those with minimum grade 12 certificate…..how do someone vote without understanding basic constitution clauses..
    …..I once asked my 78 yr old uncle from the village what he understood by 50+1….he said…’ for some one to win in our village, there must be atleast 50 villagers to vote for him plus one more..’ don’t argue you were not there….he went on further to ask me if those 50 villagers are supposed to be equal number of women and men….I did not answer him, i just laughed it off…
    …it could have helped to minimise violence during elections because most of the kabovas and ba ngw’angw’azis would have fallen off…..

    • …thanks ba LT, so after all you also do read our comments….I can see you have started numbering the comments….thank you once again….

  2. Am smiling a rat from GBM, I hope he is not planning to buy a G12 certificate. For GBM only, he should show proof of some of his classmates, which year and who was his head teacher.

  3. I applaud this clause. The same constitution says every zambian of sound mind & not a criminal qualifies to run for political office. In essence it brings in the bill of rights more so the part that talks about every zambian deserving to go to school. So it becomes the responsibility of govt to give all of us an opportunity to go to school or else the law will be discriminatory.

  4. That is the way to go. Zambia is not short of intellectuals to elect numbskulls. The bar should even have been raised to a graduate from a recognized university. We no longer live in the stone age era of primitivity. The globe is fast moving in this digital age.

  5. The best should have been :
    (1) First Degree for presidential
    (2) Diploma for MPs
    (3) Grade 12 for councillors

    How do you expect a simple grade 12 to rule people with degrees sure. Check even UK qualifications the Zambian School Certificate is not sufficient to called minimum qualification , for example check the entry qualification for ACCA/ACA/CIMA

  6. I agree with Scrutinizerer above. What about voter’s education? Allow only educated voters to participate in elections so as for them to elect / choose their fellow educated candidates. Most of these uneducated voters vote without thinking as long as they were given chibuku or money.

  7. GBM PF CANT PLEAD FOR U WHY.WHETHER U WILL BE A RUN MATE OR U ARE LOSSING ELECTIONS.
    ACTUALLY U GBM PUTTING U AS A RUNNING MATE IS A DECOMPAIGNING MATTERIAL ALL TOGETHER.
    IN UPND MWAKOKAMO FYE DEATH U WILL BE PO~
    TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

  8. This statement by GBM implies three things;

    1 – GBM assumes he will contest the PM seat
    2 – GBM assumes will be HH running mate
    3 – Confirm that GBM has no capacity to think being a grade 7 drop out.

  9. Grain Bag of Maiza (GBM), just start night school by mid this year seat for GCE exams and the you will qualify to stand, masumba was jailed for using a certificate, which he did not qualify to hold. Nevertheless you a an useless man holding on to the Kasama seat thru court injunctions what a shame, that not a mark of popularity!

  10. I feel sorry for GBM because is very far from reality and what he doesn’t know is that slowly is getting finished by day.Very soon even the vice presidency in UPND will be removed frm him. PF is a party that can understand GBM and not the disgrutled UPND

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