Thursday, March 28, 2024

NUMSA claims that Zambia under Lungu is apartheid

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Numsa president Andrew Chirwa reads out a memorandum of demands during a picket at the Zambian High Commission in Pretoria on Tuesday
Numsa president Andrew Chirwa reads out a memorandum of demands during a picket at the Zambian High Commission in Pretoria on Tuesday

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa on Tuesday marched to the Zambian High Commission in Pretoria, demanding urgent steps to foster democracy in Lusaka, respect for human rights and press freedom.

“Zambia is a country which was once a safe haven for South Africans fleeing oppression under apartheid. Numsa will not be silenced while that country degenerates into a dictatorial state. To be frank, it is our view today that the Lungu government in Zambian is no different from what apartheid government used to do in South Africa,” Numsa President Andrew Chirwa said during the picket.

“We have observed that since the elections of 2016, Zambia has deteriorated into an authoritarian regime. It is common knowledge that the elections in that country were not free and fair. Since Mr [President] Edgar Lungu contentiously assumed power, there has been a steady increase in brutality and tyranny, and an erosion of democratic freedom in that country.”

He said current day Zambia was effectively “a dictatorship”.

“The world must not wait until mass murders take place to arrest the fast deteriorating situation in Zambia. The time to act is now. It is in the best interest of all Zambians, and the people of Africa that the current situation in Zambia is arrested and measures to restore democracy are taken urgently,” said Mr. Chirwa.

Among other demands, Mr. Chirwa said Numsa wanted an end to “violence and brutality” being meted against Lungu’s opposition in Zambia.

“We demand that the fake state of emergency which Mr Lungu called for, be immediately rescinded. We see this as an apartheid tact to silence dissent and arrest opponents in that country. We demand the withdrawal of the trumped up treason charges against the UPND (United Party for National Development) leader Hakainde Hichilema, and for him and all other political prisoners to be released with immediate effect. This man has been arrested for months now, being charged with treason, for what is actually just a traffic offence,” said Mr. Chirwa.

He said Numsa’s march to the Zambian embassy did not mean South Africa did not have its fair share of problems.

“We are part of the African working class in all 54 countries of the continent of Africa,” he said, adding: “Zambia was once a safe haven for South Africans fleeing oppression under apartheid. It is our view that today President Edgar Lungu’s government in Zambia is no different from what the apartheid government used to do,” Mr. Chirwa said.

We do have our own problems. We have our own special kind of a dictator who is President [Jacob] Zuma. He has not arrived at the level of Lungu yet, but the signs are there, he is going there. We have our own challenges of institutions of governance which have been stolen on behalf of the Gupta family in this country. We have a public protector [Advocate Busi Mkhwebane] who is a Popeye. Today she says this, tomorrow she says that,” said Mr. Chirwa.

But Zambian High Commission in Pretoria says there is no crisis in Zambia.

The denies that a state of emergency has been declared in Zambia and says reports to this effect in South African media are inaccurate.
High Commissioner Emmanuel Mwamba said yesterday that there are also no curfews or disruption of ordinary life or business in anyway adding that he was shocked at the reports.
Mr Mwamba strongly denied Zambia was sliding into a dictatorship.

He was addressing about 100 members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) who marched to the high commission in solidarity with the working-class citizens of Zambia and to hand over a petition.

NUMSA protesters
NUMSA protesters

45 COMMENTS

  1. Yes PF is a fascist tribal regime for Easterners and Northerners. Let us just allow each province it’s separate way. Enough is enough.

    • Let us just allow each province to go it’s separate way. We should stop pretending that we are one nation.

    • Georgina, your refusing to accept defeat would put people like Daniel Munkombwe to shame. Why do you have a problem with Easterners and Northerners? Just campaign in a way that shows that your party is not tribal. To say a Tonga started UPND to a Tonga should take over from him is not acceptable. A bemba started PF but a Nsenga has taken over from him.

  2. In Zambia now not even a Union can go protest against their own salaries.
    Let anyone go out there to protest against State of Emergency, truly times in Zambia can be compared to any worst.

  3. Thank you S.A..

    The xenophobic attacks is S.A. are largely fuelled by the millions of zimbabwean refugees in S.A. who are fleeing the dictator Mugabe.. …..NUMSA sees parralles with how Mugabe started of and don’t want another flood of refugees fleeing lungu……already Emanuel mwamba is on record saying Zambians make up increasing numbers of asylum applicants in S.A..

  4. Look at who is talking about apartheid in Zambia. Probably he was in his mother’s nappies when there was apartheid in South Africa for him to know there can be no comparison between that abnoxious system and what is obtaining in ZED today.

  5. Numsa should not start something they will leave to regret including their sponsors…Xenophobia is ripe in this once racist South African Country and they think they have matured these hired boer terrorists…Leave Zambia to Zambians…look the whole world knows that Zambia is a constitution democracy and they respect it…Zambia does not even have a devils constitution like your country okay…

  6. Really who cares what NUMSA rants from SA about Zambia?i guess only those in 3.5 provinces who lost 2016 elections!!
    IF ECL rule can be compared to Apartheid,then SA’s Apartheid was good because we are enjoying life under ECL and its life as usual here!!!
    THE ARREST OF ONE TROUBLE MAKER HH CANNOT MAKE NUMSA TO COMPARE ECL’S GOVNT TO APARTHEID!!THIS TOTAL NONSENSE!!

    • Precisely. Who cares what NUMSA says?? What authority are they?? They are a trade union in RSA, who gives a sh*t??? The rightful authority which Zambia subscribes to, the AFRICAN UNION (which the RSA government is part of) has already put this matter behind them, what is NUMSA’s agenda??? That s.t.u.pid picture with a thug holding a “numsa stands with the Zambian people” plaquard definitely doesn’t include me. Total garbage!!!!

  7. hahahahahaha just showing there illiteracy. Since when did PF become whites for this to be a racial discrimination or anything close to it. Let them just mind SA business, if they dont have a clue of what Zambians look like.

  8. UPND rent a crowd (group) Njala…
    Pay ma loya, muza vutika
    I like the new definition of Dictatorship. We are in control
    You can bark all you want but the PF chikochi is moving

  9. These are the same people that have failed to recognize Zambia’s niche in their struggle for freedom.Zambia sacrificed a lot for their liberation struggle but when Zambians visit their country they are butchered like rabid dogs.This time around they think they can come and lecture Zambia on democracy.They need to pay Zambia for the role she played in their struggles.Zambia is poor because most of the resources were being channeled to liberate these unappreciative people.They need to pay Zambia for the struggle she participated which was not her’s.

  10. Chirwa is really a silly man – does this fool understand what he is saying when he compares Zambia and the Apartheid system? If this fool was born after 1990, it is not Zambia’s fault. This is the foolishness of Africans – the foolish Chirwa was paid some pieces of silver by the same boers who oppressed his parents to rant against a practicing democracy. Really silly.

  11. WHERE WERE U WHEN CITIZENS OF OTHER AFRICAN STATES WERE BEING KILLED? WHERE WERE U HIDING WITH YOUR SO CALLED DEMOCRATIC VOICE DURING RECENT XENOPHOBIA?
    LET OTHERS WITH GOOD MORAL STANDING COMMENT.

  12. You are very Useless Mr. Andrew Chirwa! If you and your 100 sheep have nothing better to do with your time try volunteering at homeless shelter or something instead of just yapping senseless issues like what everybody else outside Zambia is doing. Social media news has really blinded the folks beyond our borders.

  13. NUMSA which people of Zambia are you standing with? Stop barking. In fact it is not long ago when you were killing and dehumanizing people from other countries residing in your country (South Africa). What good things can you teach us apart from just barking and at the back of your mind you even know the answer! Can you stop inciting Zambians! Zambia is ours and NOT even a single day have Zambians poped their nose in the wrangles in your country, leave us alone.

  14. What type of thinking is this ? These guys may have a black president but they still under white domination . There are areas where black monkeys like Chirwa cannot go. If you think HH is a hero for reasons best known to yourselveyourselves you can appoint him as Numsa president. Leave us alone you xenophobic radicals.

  15. NUMSA SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON RESOLVING THE GUPTAGATE SCANDAL IN SOUTH AFRICA. THIS CORRUPTION IS RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE AND DECIDE TO SHY AWAY AND HIDE BY COMMENTING ON ISSUES IN ZAMBIA. IT IS TOTAL MADNESS TO COMPARE APARTHEID WITH ZAMBIA – WHAT DOES THIS CHIRWA USE TO THINK?? IS IT HIS BACKSIDE INSTEAD OF GRAY MATTER IN HIS SKULL??
    THERE IS SOME SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THESE COLLEAGUES USING RED ATTIRE: VIZ – NUMSA WEARS RED AND ARE DISORIENTED, EFF OF MALEMA WEARS RED AND THE GROUP IS CONFUSED AS SHOWN BY THEIR BEHAVIOUR IN PARLIAMENT, AND UPND WEARS RED AND ALL THEY KNOW IS BOYCOTT PARLIAMENT AND REFUSE TO RECOGNISE A LEGITIMATELY ELECTED PRESIDENT. PLEASE – PLEASE – CHANGE THE ATTIRE TO GREEN, BLUE, OR ANY OTHER COLOUR BUT NOT RED.

  16. This NUMSA President may have originated from Malawi and went to South Africa through the old Slavery form of labour recruitment known as WENELA. Very soon xenophobia will catch up with him to be bused to Malawi.
    Chirwa is buying his stay in South Africa by being “st.up.id”.

  17. A Union has money! I feel sad that poor and illiterate Zambians can be hoodwinked by losers! How much are you being paid?

  18. Zambia is fine? Are you standing up for people from Namwala? With the spirit of Shaka the Zulu? Xenophobia? I get it!

  19. Kekekekeke people remember that Mutale Nalumango and her upnd team were in SA last week.so they paid this Mr Chirwa from NUMSA and as usual gave him fake news about Zambia.this Chirwa thing organized 100 poor youths from soweto to match to Zambian Embassy,hoping that his nonsense may force PF Govnt to release HH-shocking!!
    PLEASE TELL NUMSA THAT AS WE SPEAK TODAY,HH IS TAKEN BACK TO MUKOBEKO WHERE HE BELONGS!!
    Life in Zambia under PF is fine and president Edgar Lungu is a dictator only in upnd cadres heads!!

  20. You know, most countries like Zimbabwe took a greater part of two decades for Mugabe to commence his reckless slide into the political abyss. And remember even in his advanced age he is still intellectually sound compared to our snob Chagwa. No wonder Lungu’s slide into dictatorship is moving too fast for neither him nor his unintelligent cadres to appear intelligent in their analyses! It’s dizzying them, the next thing is Chagwa is “Laurel Kabilared” & these same wolves hauling in his support are legging it hard like Zwangendaba’s Jeres this time backwards to RSA to seek forgiveness and refuge! You bet Table Cut Mwamba will be the first to climb that wall into Union Buildings seeking asylum.

  21. Anyway, with thus tribal charade of favoring only Easterners and Northerners in all appointments, it will only hasten the demise of Zambia. It won’t be long before the South, West, Central and North-West break off from you rats! And since Zambia is derived from Zambezi and that it will no longer be flowing in your part if the world, you can go on to name your new country Katanga Democratic Republic or Blantyre Kumawa fimo fimo!

  22. Since I find Lungu and all his supporters intellectually challenged on any matters of substance, let me draw only a small parallel even fools can comprehend, the “frog in boiling water” myth that simply won’t go away. Everyone, including Lusambo and Kanyo Mumbi-Phiri, who has heard a political speech knows this story: You put a frog into a pot of boiling water, and it jumps right out. But if you put it in a pot of nice comfortable water and then turn on the heat, the frog will complacently let himself be boiled. One standard version of the story is here. The reason it’s so popular in politics is that it’s an easy way to warn about the slow erosion of liberties or any other slow threat you want to talk about. Mark my word, you’re slowly cooking in Chagwa’s pot!

  23. NUMSA stands with UPND not the people of Zambia. It’s the people of Zambia who have rejected UPND 5 times so please do not force your filthy hands on Zambian people. Zambians are liberators and we have the experience to read between the lines when people are attempting to brainwash us. You can do it in South Africa, not Zambia!

  24. Kupusa bati a Chirwa. didn’t Mr. Mwamba tell you to mind your own business? For your own information HH and UPND are history here in Zambia. So get lost together with your sponsors.

  25. Lungu became Zambia’s president in 2014 and there was no claim of it sliding into despotism. That is until Hichilema claimed before going to polls, that HE WOULD NOT ACCEPT ELECTION RESULTS IF HE LOST. Come results he has acted exactly what he said, and dragged every unsuspecting and selfish opposition member to side with him in not accepting elections results and disrupt public order as ways of demonstrating his REFUSAL OF THE ZAMBIAN PRESIDENT. It is Hichilema who is doing everything to hurt the Zambians. He wants the world to punish Zambia wit economic sanctions in which Lungu or himself will not suffer but the poor ZAMBAIN VILLAGERS WHOSE SIN IS JUST TO CAST A VOTE

  26. JUST WASTING YOUR TIME, ZAMBIANS ARE NOT BOTHERED BY HH BEING IN PRISON. HH IS NOT A FACTOR IN ZAMBIAN POLITICS, MAY BE IN SOUTH AFRICA. NUMSA CONCENTRATE ON CREATING EMPLOYMENT FOR YOUR PEOPLE WHO ARE SLEEPING HUNGRY. ZAMBIA’S ECONOMY IS BOOMING UNDER EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU.

  27. ARE YOU NOT SHY TO TALK ABOUT ZAMBIA, DID ANY ZAMBIAN PROTEST AT SOUTH AFRICAN HIGH COMMISSION WHEN YOU WERE KILLING AND CHASING ANY FOREIGNER FROM YOUR DIRTY SOUTH AFRICA, DURING XENOPHOBIA. YOU QUACKS. YOU ARE JUST POOR, SUFFERING.

  28. Zambians protested at the south african high commission in Lusaka but the Zambia Police blocked the demonstration. That is the difference in South Africa Zuma is called corrupt , insulted no one gets arrested! Democracy and free speech is present in South Africa. Even cartoons of the President are published without police arresting the author! Here try!!!!

  29. Chirwa, did you protest when your people were killing other Africans? Zambia is peaceful except for a few agitators from Namwala.

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