During the Vice-President’s question time in Parliament today, Mazabuka Central UPND member of parliament Gary Nkombo, in his question, observed that in most recent times, there had been a lot of statements that President Lungu had made that had caused a lot discomfort and consternation in the country.
“The latest one that he made was that ‘you are going to exclude tribe,’ which is a distinct feature of a social grouping, from the National Registration Card. Knowing very well that tribes are what make a nation, what do you think was going on in the President’s mind when he made this obnoxious statement?” Nkombo asked.
But Speaker Dr Patrick Matibini said: “Honourable member for Mazabuka Central, maybe help me appreciate the meaning of the word obnoxious.”
Nkombo then answered: “Very clearly; I’m a teacher of English – it means very unpleasant!”
In response, Vice-President Wina explained the context in which the President’s remarks were made.
“Mr Speaker, we should take into context where this statement was given. If I remember correctly, the statement was made by the Head of State after visiting the genocide museum in Kigali, Rwanda. Anybody who has visited that museum will never come out the same after seeing the atrocities,” Vice-President Wina said before heckles of ‘question, question’ watered down her voice.
“I’m amazed at the lack of empathy among some of the members of parliament. Genocide is not a laughable matter. That statement was made after visiting that museum and what is on display in that museum will make every person who visits that museum [to] move in disgust as to what human beings can do to others. What happened in Rwanda during the 50s, 60s, was discrimination based on tribe. The colonial masters were telling one tribe to rise against another and they will even mark the houses; this house belongs to such a person of such a tribe. This led to one tribe resenting the other tribe [and] it came to a situation where families were so divided [and] killing each other. This is the context in which that statement was made and the Head of State is free to make statements of this type so that our nation can debate and reflect on issues of tribe and what happens to a nation when tribe is raised above everything else. So, I do not see anything wrong with such a pronouncement or a statement made by His Excellency Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu in Kigali, Rwanda after visiting that museum.”
While in Kigali, Rwanda, last month, President Edgar Lungu proposed that the word “tribe” be removed from the National Registration Card (NRC) for Zambians as a way of preventing tribalism.
However, a green NRC has no provision for tribe but a citizen’s full name, date of birth, place of birth, sex, father’s/mother’s place of birth, village, district, chief, registration date, special marks and the holder’s and registration officers signatures.
For once i support Lungus progressive suggestion. Tribe is a curse on african and most of our problems are as a result of tribe. most people now think not with their brains, but with their tribe. of what relevance is village and chief on your NRC? most modern zambians (youths) dont even physically know their chief or village.
Jbowa, there is no tribe on the NRC. maybe they should say we remove place of birth.
So many Congolese have claimed to bemba and taken up bemba names, the only way immigration dept has managed to corner them is on the village and chief part, some of ended up saying ndimu bembele waku kitwe, yet there no bembas on the copperbelt, but only bemba speakers. Careful with this security breach you want to make.
The only solution is to remove hh from politics and tribalism will die naturally or remove tribalism from politics and hh will die naturally.
why even discuss something that even doesn’t exist? There is no “tribe’ on the reg period. So what was the point of Nkombo`s question as quoted above?
The question should have been that if the President was in order to mislead the nation into believing that there was “tribe” on the reg.
This time mama Inonge showed much intelligence than young man Nkombo.
There are much more serious issues to debate about than this.
Lungu doesn’t focus. Inonge is too old. We need new and young leadership. The NRC doesn’t have TRIBE unless the two have different cards
Oh I forgot and Nkombo doesn’t know his social science. Tribes don’t normally make a nation. A tribe transmutes into a nation
Kaili Lungu is a Malawian who is ashamed of his roots. He claims to be born in Ndola Central Hospital, yet we all know that it was a whites-only hospital in 1956.
If you remove our village, chief, even Kassai’s, Mwachusas, Zimbos, Chinese & Malawians will get NRC’s & flood the country.
Remove Nationality, that what make Trump identify immigrants.
Place of birth,
that is on NRC and passport
IWE LUNGU NA WINA ZAMBIA HASN’T GOT TWO LANGUAGES TUTSI OR HUTU. IN ZAMBIA WE HAVE SO MANY TRIBES AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR ROOTS.
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ECL kindly do not allow your emotions emanating from Rwandas genocide tour becloud your mind. Yes the killing there was an abominable act. Zambia is extremely different demographically and socially. Take heart and also don’t allow HH’s post 2016 polls support for tribe violence make you feel sorry for your tribe. Cold blooded Killers in Rwanda and Southen province in Zambia should not interfere with our national pride the structure of our NRCs. Even when you remove tribe or Place of Birth, Chief or Village from our NRCs our names still carry a TRIBAL tags unless you go into citizens renaming campaign. Wina kindly stop supporting…
…. this talk of change on our NRCs. The dynamics of Zambian tribes cannot yield any act of ethnic cleasing.
Listening to fossils is a waste of time!
There you are Gary Nkombo, an honourable should always consider the context before opening your mouth to spew in parliament what always turns out to be nons.ense from the mouth of the honorable teacher of english. Pathetic again “honourable” Nkombo! One more try!
Actually the form that you fill in for NRC or passport does require to enter your tribe. Cant remember which.
It is the form at the Police that asks for tribe. I’ve never understood why the Police are interested in someone’s tribe. Perhaps there is some kind of profiling – like certain tribes being most likely to do certain things. I was with Mike my British friend the other day at the Police station. I wonder what he wrote for tribe!
Mike wrote Irish, his tribe is Irish, you have never heard of the French tribe or the Welsh tribe. Or the English tribe under chieftainess Elizabeth.
I feel sorry for Zambia and Zambians, Ba President can you please clarify the statement attributed to you.
I have just been re-looking at my NRC, I cannot see any word TRIBE, maybe there is a new one.
I reckon the features and details are anchored in inland and/or sovereign security of our great nation. Please clarify EAGLE ONE
It is the old nrcs that bear tribe column. But then why should president talk about old things is he on planet mars?
Govt must also remove the requirement to produce bank statements when applying for land through councils. This has disadvantaged many women and peasants. The people till customary land and feed the nation by selling to FRA don’t even have bank accounts. Honest people get humiliated by those cheeky council workers as they get demeaned in their own country, as if having an account is what defines humans
Maybe I have a wrong NRC. I can’t see any field which contains Tribe let alone the word itself.
Tribe is implied by ‘Chief’. There are also some forms which ask for ‘clan’. Come on fellow Zambians let us be progressive. A Zambian is a Zambian.
Nonsense ,then how do we get to know which tribes are unfairly over represented or under represented in gov’t employment?
My NRC does not have tribe on it. What are these people talking about? In any case tribalism does not come about because one’s tribe is written somewhere. It happens when one tribe tries to dominate others by pretending they are a superior group. The Hutus and Tutsis of Rwanda are the two tribes involved in the genocide. They even speak the same language only that they believe that historically, one group came from the North (Nilites – Somali type, etc) while the others came from elsewhere. Tribalism is in the mind. You have to emancipate the people from mental slavery by teaching them the truth about the fact that all people were created equal. It is a leadership problem. Under KK tribalism was never an issue. Recent leadership created tribalism in Zambia.
I don’t understand the kind of NRCs you chaps above hold.
Your tribe is information that is derived from the data you give on your NRC.
The village and chief determine your tribe.
So,how dull is our honorable English teacher?
You can be born in Sesheke and still be a Ngoni.
King Lungu makes careless statements and sadly their is no platform for him to be asked what he ment by those same statements and poor bo ma inonge has to mop up for him using the now infamous word “out of context”.
Why is the president not subjected to questioning .
He has the easiest Job in the country where he can do or say what he wants .No wonder during campaigns he said little and his inner circle did the talking and by propagating qualities that where not in him such as! he is christian ,he is humble,he is wise ,he is the one God gave us,he is intelligent.
Katwishi oko tuleya with this blind leading the blind politics.
The NRC is issued after a process. If the President meant the end result, the document, then there is nothing to remove. If he meant the process, the forms that you fill in then yes there is provision there. Matter of fact interviews when renewing passports sometimes subject you to answer questions in a language implied on your NRC as your origin. I believe we need a deeper conversation than just the chitupa itself.
On this one I agree with the President let us present ourselves as Zambians period.
so that we are easily infested by the chinese by this dual citizen clause
What about a Zambian of foreign origin which tribe does he indict. Now we even have dual citizenship which tribe do those belong Zambian for once let’s be serious the President I’d right.
Who said there is no tribe on Zambian NRCs? Its there except that it has been defined in a longer version of District, Village, chief..! This is what opposition can do to learnt people like Nkombo..! Lets embrace the culture of thinking before we talk..!
@munene then we need to remove our surnames too while you are at it….
Those not interested in details like chief, village on their NRCs, let them also remove their names too, number plates on their foreheads with be appropriate.
What is important for now is to upgrade the registration card we still have a second world war era document called an ID which is a shame.
Surly 50 years and some change and the document still remains the same work up ba zambia carefull with these diversions being used as sway peoples attentions if someone makes a statement he or she must be able to clarify ,justify and take responsibility.
hahahahahahah! kikikikikikiki! when i see people debate on this case, I wonder if Lungu and his friends have taken time to look an NRC if at all they even have one? coz they wud have realized that TRIBE is not there! I then wonder how they are laboring so much to remove what is not there! surely these guys are not busy at the offices, whatever the master says goes, even when mama Inonge knows that such a thing does not exist , she is busy defending! Tribe is a BIRTH MARK YOU CAN NEVER REMOVE FROM A PERSON, COZ THEY ARE BORN WITH IT! NRC OR ANY OTHER JST COMFIRMS IT.
It must be terrible for this poor old lady to have to mop up after the president has messed up uttering with thoughtless statements that are not expected of a Head of State. She is too old to be explaining Lungu’s gaffes. It diminishes her shine having to justify his nonsense.
every thing the President says has to be put in context kikikikiki soon there will be a PA to assist in this matter…
Is everyone so dull to support removing from the NRC something which is not on the NRC!!!!
Those not interested in details like chief, village on their NRCs, let them also remove their names too, number plates on their foreheads with be appropriate.
Why can’t our opposition debate real issues like fire trucks and ambulances? These cases are slowly dying out because, the opposition have gone to sleep or find comfort in dealing in cheap issues like NRC tribe or so. We expect them to take government to task including suing government over the same until the truth is known.
Lungu is a corrupt thief who has destroyed Zambia……here he comes with silly ideas while supporting and sponsoring tribal recriminations and procecussions in his GRZ at the highest level…..he was watching and encouraging kambwili , a senior minister in his GRZ , to attack Tongas openly………CK even went on air lying about Tongas attcking bembas while lungu looked on…
This man lungu is no good and a chawama crook. Anything he does or suggest is suspect……
One Zambia one nation , we have 72 tribes in Zambia and we have lived in peace since time in memoria this Chagwa is a scared man who has no vision for our country but is coping how other govts run their countries . In Rwanda they ate 2 tribes competing with each other nothing to do with NRC. I can’t believe the comments am reading. Bottom line is Edgar wants to change everything , our heritage , our pride, our ethinicity , how can I hide the fact that am Nsenga ? It’s my essence of my identity . This man has to go if he has no tribe !please people be wise and see what Edgar means here! It’s ridiculous the man is foolish!
There are alot of pipo on this blog who are not Zambians.
Otherwise,how on earth can someone claim they have an NRC which doesn’t provide details of their tribe?
Let us not be supporting blindly. That thing of tribe is not there on the NRC. It just shows how lacking people are in details concerning issues. Besides, even if it were there, removing it from the NRC wouldn’t benefit anything; those who mistreat others on tribal lines do look at the NRC. The problem is our attitude.
My NRC does not carry word TRIBE – Are my eyes blind not to find where it is indicated tribe.
Madam Wina which nrc do you hold a provision of tribe on it? Are you sure that’s a zambian national registration card? No nrc has tribe on it please so you’re defending something that’s not there. Please do your research before opening your mouth
What kind of lawyer is our dear brother president? The tribe identifier in Zambia is the surname. Lungu=Ngoni, Banda=ngoni, Goma=Tumbuka, Wina=Lozi, Mulenga=Bemba, etc. We will have to change our names like in Mobuto Sese Seko kuku mbegu Wazabanga. If Lungu does not want people to be identified as which which tribal group they belong, then remove all surnames. Ban all local languages on ZNBC because they promote tribalism. WE should have only one language in Zambia. Any one for Lamba? or Nyanja?
Mr G Nkombo thinks he is very educated with a first degree in education that’s how Up and down party assume that they are educated with pomposity
Tribalism will reduce when hh dies
Racism or tribalism has nothing to do with identity cards but mind set! something u shud begin to inculcate in kids never to despise other tribes!!!
village and chief, describes someone tribe, also surname, last time I was humiliated in the presence of others at Solwezi NRC Office, wen I went to get a replacement for my nrc, this officer whom I wont mention, tod me to pronounce my surname and went further asking me wat tribe are u, was that right? I had a photocopy of my nrc, meaning im a Zambian. is Kafue outside Zambia? his accent and behavior described his tribe, I was just quite, they were a lot of people around and were just looking at him. its really unfair the way other pipo behave.
Maybe NRC iyakwa Edgar has a tribe on it, never seen such since whether on the old or new ones. Ba president you cant check yo NRC before yo put up such a statement, Zambia has a lot of problems tht a need attention thn this petty issue, people hv no or lossing jobs every day, exploition by foreigners is an everyday thing. Real issues the president is silent, wht type is he or whose he? Mine issues he talks abt giving contracts ad suppliers to Zambians, bt Zambians miners issues is silent, why?
The issue of tribe is vexatious. Some here like Oval head believe that tribalism will end in Zambia when hh dies. Good luck. UPND was there when MMD was ruling. Tribalism was never an issue. As soon as Pf arrived the ethnicity concept became prominent. In the Zambia of today people get retired or denied opportunities because of ethnicity. Contracts or even something as unlikely as church organizations are divided on ethnic group basis. A more serious approach would have been to use ethnic quotas in ALL GRZ appointments. Otherwise the ranting by most if you here has deliberately missed the real issue.
Gogo Inonge Wina sure!Defending what cannot be defended sure!Our NRCs are our national IDs.They must continue to reflect our true identity and where we come from including tribe.Infact we should not even debate this nonsense
Zambian politicians are so daft. What should have done is simply to suggest a new design of identity card without mentioning the removal of tribe or what it is they want to get rid off. The zambian NRC has outlived its purpose. You need a biometric card which has digital photo in a chip and cannot be forged. These new generation cards are machine readable and will enable the authorities to know all illegally obtained NRCs. Change you zambians, biometric cards are a new way of doing things!!!
HaNamwala can bring genocide! Good suggestion.
HH is corrupt. HE stole money through privatization and behaves like an innocent chap as do all his cadres. Bring back the money from Paradise in Panama! It belongs to Zambians.
You can remove the tribe but names and language will still remain
Even if you removed all those fields associated wit tribe, if your name is Andrew Habeenzu, or Peter Mulenga, or Liswaniso Liswaniso, my friend we don’t even need to ask about your tribe. Tribes are engraved in our surnames.
Maybe we should start using our fathers’ first names as our surnames.
Zambia is on the path to Genocide, as long as President Lungu condones and doesn’t Stop the Zambian Intelligence / OP from perpetuating : Political Assassinations; Torture; Impunity, Gross Human Rights Violations; Use of WMDs; Misuse of Satellite Technology; Planned Air and Road Traffic Accidents; Recruitment, Radicalization and Deployment of children, students and youths in spying and other criminal activities; Hired Foreign Assassins; Falsehood; Deprivation – PHDS; OP’s Hidden Agenda of usurping power;Misuse of ZAF Helicopters and Personnel; Wasteful, Extravagant, Reckless and Unregulated Expenditure of Public Funds – including paying for witchcraft services; Allowing Corruption and plundering of national wealth, by a few, to thrive in Zambia; Undermining of Democracy -rigging of…
Zambia twasebana, briefly : first it was Mukulu issue, second Uubomba mwibala, today NRC issues. fire truck /engine, grain price, jobless mines, what Country ?fully of greedy pipo etc
What are you telling me about the Chiefs now? It means that chiefs are no kingdoms,which means that Chiefs from Bemba land they can rule Tongan land, tee