Friday, March 29, 2024

President Lungu’s Turkey trip questioned

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President Edgar Lungu confers with Vice President Inonge Wina before departure for Turkey at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport
President Edgar Lungu confers with Vice President Inonge Wina before departure for Turkey at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport

Governance activist Macdonald Chipenzi has questioned President Edgar Lungu priorities after the Head of State travelled d to Turkey to attend the inauguration of that country’s re-elected leader Recep Tayyip Erdo?an.

President Lungu recently announced a ban on non-essential trips for government officials as a mark of adherence to a set of austerity measures.

But his decision to fly to Turkey to attend President Erdo?an’s inauguration has been questioned by Mr Chipenzi saying it shows President Lungu’s lack of prioririties.

“After backtracking on his own words that he would never travel abroad, President Edgar Lungu decided to miss the AU Head of States Summit in Mauritania which was making continental decisions, which decisions will also affect Zambia,” Mr Chipenzi said.

“Instead, the President sent his Vice-President, Mama Inonge Wina who has not even briefed the nation what was discussed or what was discussed was irrelevant to her and the nation for her to have remained mute.”

“Our dear President decided and found it important to attend an inauguration ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, a ceremony which is characterised with merrymaking such as drinking wine and other both intoxicating liquor and softies, dancing and making toasts.”

He added, “Logically, in view of the President’s selective attendance of these international meetings, summit and ceremonies, which of the two events were our president supposed to attend-Inauguration Ceremony in Turkey located in the EU territory or the AU heads of State Summit in the African territory?”

39 COMMENTS

  1. This President need to get out of government. we have a lot of leaders who can do better! we can’t stick to only this one! Vote Lungu OUT! he does not care!

  2. We should also question the enormous cost of rehabilitating the 7km Lumumba road in Lusaka at more than $200m??……………………if at all this is true

  3. Macdonald Chipenzi was fired by Fred Mmembe for spying on the post for UPND and now chipenzi claims to be a governance expert

  4. This chimpanzee is seeking attention. It is standard practice that when politicians win elections they invite other head of states to celebrate their victory. This is a personal and tribalistic attack by the bitter tonga and upnd chimpanzee on the president. Useless twit who doesn’t deserve any space in any media.

  5. Guys this person is asking a noble question. We should get away from dealing with sides. Lets debate facts. This guy is raising an important question. It is, I think, stupid though to assume that the president has gone drinking and partying. I hear that Turkey is a strategic partner therefore important to start with the new president. ECL is not lazy.

  6. what diplomatic relevance has turkey got for Zambia? Answer that. So the heads of state doesn’t attend an Au summit but goes halfway across the world to support a despot. Im confused. What sort of leadership when people are asked to fasten their seatbelt and brace for austerity with the current economy. To me it appears like someone wracking up “have been theres”.

  7. Zambia has become a nation of worthless debates. Must hateful Zambians question every move the President makes? The President didn’t say he will not travel, but that travel will be limited to that which is essential at every level of Government. As One Zambian [6] has observed, Turkey is a strategic partner and this trip is calculated to benefit Zambia one way or another.

  8. and auntie Inoge was there at KK airport; cant the old auntie give some wisdom to Lungu that the airport send off & welcomes are a drain on our resources? Zambia’s leadership is a sham; and Lungu going to Turkey is a waste of money; maybe he wants to hide his stolen money there;

  9. “TONGAS WOULD RATHER VOTE FOR HH THAN JESUS CHRIST” says chishimba kambwili. Look at the person talking; Chipenzi a pure TONGA tribalist!! what do you expect from this hateful and bitter man who is tribally inclined to UPND, just trash. I have no kind words for people like Chipenzi who always condemns Lungu whatever he does, bad or good. Presidential travels cant be entirely avoided since they are undertaken in the interest of the nation.This man has never said anything good about Lungu showing typical TONGA DNA. A good expert whatever he calls himself, criticizes constructively and objectively. This is the kind of behavior that divides the nation. Mr. continue hating Lungu and we shall continue hating tribal TONGAS

    • Saimbwende—Education has really failed to transform you. You are still an animal. Go back to the bush where you are used to live with animals. You have no place place in areas where human beings live. Your thinking is that of a typical animal in the forest. You never see human beings, but tribes. Why are you obsessed with tribes? Stop using that name!

  10. Please, please let us be reasonable. Can’t the president even cough without Chipenzi farting? But president is not that easy.

  11. What I know about such trips is that the importance lies not in the event itself, but sideline engagements that leaders do during such events. There is a lot of planning involved at technical level to ensure the Head of State kills several birds with one stone. Mund you, there other Heads of State invited also and this information is shared by countries in advance. Based on that, planning starts to engage in bilateral discussions. This is what I know. But, if such parallel meetings are not being done, then one can conclude it is a waste of resources.

    By the way, these African gatherings do not bring about immediate bread and butter. They are talk shows whose benefits are way into the distant future, if any.

    • Well said. But these Chipenzis will not understand a thing like this. This is beyond their education obtained through rote memory. Governance expert, my foot!

  12. Turkey in Europe is a strategic partner. The TV equipment and modern cameras at ZNBC were donated by Turkey. The president’s trip is to consolidate the economic ties with that country. Does Chepenzi need to be consulted befor the president travels. There are economic advisors at state house and ministry of planning and finance who must have recommended him the president to take the trip.

    • @1,4 That’s is precisely the problem: We are scouring the bottom of the earth for alms. Have we no shame? We are 5th largest copper producer in the world for crying out loud! Should all our interactions be about panhandling? Your president could have used his time to bring brains together to figure out a policy change on copper exports. At the nd of the day he could figure out one thing: how to domesticate value addition to copper. There multi-billion dollar industries in foreign countries built on our copper. When shall we get our share of that and stop panhandling?
      “In the abundance of water, a fool is thirsty…” Robert Nesta Marley, OM.

  13. I didn’t know McDonald Chipenzi was dull. How do you expect the Veep to announce whatever was discussed at AU without briefing the President?
    Is it not a an honour for an African President to be invited for an inauguration of a President in Europe? Don’t you think it would send wrong signals if he shunned it? No wonder we have Leaders of opposition parties with poor foreign policy knowledge and go round the world insulting the people they want to lead. ECL delegated some duties to the Veep, he did not abandon. Stop that kind of hatred. ECL is not like some opposition leaders who fail to even appoint a Campaign Manager for Mayoral elections and they have to be there themselves….shame! Learn to delegate.

  14. As long as we have this Clown Jona Chagwa Pombe, & his dysfunctional Pa M@f1- P.F gonga party in power, Zambia shall continue to go down the tubes.
    HOW I WISH WE HAD A SERIOUS LEADER IN ZAMBIA LIKE MUGUFULI, OR EVEN KAGAME, WHO DESPITE HIS DEMOCRATIC FLAWS, HAS BEEN FLAT OUT CHANGING RWANDA INTO A FUNCTIONING &
    DEVELOPING STATE, whilst Pombe Mutaware is a thieving visionless drunken playboy, who has reaffirmed Zambia as a Corrupt dysfunctional failed State, where violent thugs like chi Kaizer, & Chimpyongo are seen as statesmen, & career politicians. & empty inept Bootlickers like Bowman hold office.
    Zambian’s voted for these Charlatans, & Thugs so enjoy pa Zed!

  15. Fellow commentators. Let us not criticize for the sake of criticizing. There are plenty issues you can criticize ECL about not this one. I personally take it that the number of trips has significantly reduced since Harry Kalaba resigned (before he got fired!). If you disagree, make a comparison of the periods between Jan-July 2017 and Jan-July 2018. You will notice what I am talking about. For anyone who follows global politics and economics, Turkey is a key global player. Good call!

  16. Tribal minion has vomit again; Chipenzi hang yourself on a tree; TRIBAL DNA will send you to death one day: Be an adviser to upnd,SHAME

  17. Life is very funny, if all the people who are against Lungu’s trip were invited to go with him, they cannot even think the trip drains the National coffers.

  18. Its very painful as a Zambian to see a leader who does not even hold a Press conference to explain to his people what he is doing for Zambia, what is he afraid off. KK, Chiluba and Mwanawas held press conferences where journalist were allowed to ask questions. That is accountable leadership entails, unfortunately the humble one is afraid to speak to the nation. Remember Chishimba Kambwili tried to set up a live FB feed for the nation and that is one of the reasons ECL sacked him. He didnt want to be outshone by Kambwili.
    ECL we beg you as our leader to show leadership.

  19. How pathetic that some of you are at pains to defend the indefensible. Austerity is austerity. We discussing the necessity of the trip. Economic talks can be done at the diplomatic or ministerial level. This is an inauguration in the first place. Nothing pressing for the President to go there for. It costs many times more resources for a Presidential trip than for some other government official.
    There are Presidents who hardly travel and their economies are doing far better.

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