PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON Amos Chanda says no formal recognition honor was accorded to any youth this year on Youth Day.
Responding to media claims why government decided to honor the late leader of a section of small scale miners, Mr. Youngson Kalobo, Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, Amos Chanda said government had not awarded any records of honour this year to any youth.
Mr. Chanda explained that the formal Honours’ List is under the Presidency, headed by the Her Honour the Vice-President and this year, no special recognition was given to anyone.
“On Women’s Day on 8th March, the President made a special recognition of some women; so did Hon Given Lubinda on International Human Rights Day on 10th December 2018. On Youth Day, President Lungu laid a wreath at the Freedom Statue in honour of the fallen youths who contributed to Zambia’s freedom struggle. He did not specifically confer any honours any one individual,” Mr. Chanda said.
He went on to explain that government has a formal procedure that requires structured approvals for anyone to be be given State Honours.
“The formal Honours’ List is under the Presidency, headed by the Her Honour the Vice-President. Her committee identies and evaluates potential recipients and the approved names are entered into the Government Gazette which is exclusively published shed by the Government Printer.”
Therefore, any other localized decisions outside this established criteria and protocols does not constitute State Honours.
Meanwhile, in a series of tweets in response to Mr Chanda’s statement, academic and political commentator, Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa, stated that the President’s spokesperson appears not to understand the distinction between the State and the Government. Dr Sishuwa, who had earlier criticized the move by the Government to honour a known gangster who caused havoc during his time, tweeted:
“Amos Chanda is being deliberately disingenuous. First, there was no claim that the individual honoured by the Kitwe DC and Copperbelt PS on behalf of Govt appears on the State Honour’s List, so Amos is making a counter argument to a non-existent argument…Second, President Lungu’s spokesperson is conflating the State and Government. This perhaps is indicative of his and the PF’s general assumption that the State and the Government are the same. They are not, and Amos would do well to learn the distinction between the two”, tweeted Dr Sishuwa.
Dr Sishuwa, an outspoken critic of government excesses, also advised Mr Chanda to desist from usurping the role of the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Dora Siliya, who is the appropriate and official spokesperson of the Government.
“And while it should be fairly obvious to many, l should also mention that it is beyond the functions of a presidential press aide to speak on behalf of Government. That task is the responsibility of the Minister of Information and the Chief Govt spokesperson, @Dora_Siliya. Lastly, officers of any Govt that operates according to the law cannot act outside powers given to them by the State. If they step outside the institutionalised due process and start arbitrarily to dish out honours, they are operating outside the formal rules & must be dismissed!” he wrote.
Amos when will ICC arrive, you promised you invite them. If ICC comes and find that you are defending Jerabo gangster Kalobo, it will be hard to justify that gangs are controlled from State House. If State House don’t have any gang members, why is that Amos is one defending government, instead of Dora?
And this is how the lose the media war but go to CB it’s another story
Those who have time to read, what is trying to say. have no time and patience for political cadre rhetoric. please paraphrase it in one sentence.
Well articulated.Thank you for the timely clarification
Denying specialist
So why can’t you reprimand the this Binwell mpundu who decided to honour that thug without following proper procedure.
Binwell Mpundu personally benefited financially from Youngson’s ideas on the black mountain; hence the honour
Sò the statement ends there?Kalobo was honoured by Kitwe DC,are you telling us that nothing will be done to the DC?Even admonishing cant never?
“Therefore, any other localized decisions outside this established criteria and protocols does not constitute State Honours.”
Amos Chanda atase, how low can.you sink young boy? That criminal was honoured at a government function by a government official District Commissioner appointed by the President, the presentation was made by a Permanent Secretary no less. Its bragadio ukusabaila and trib.al altogether for you to claim that it was not a state
honour but it was a government honour all the same. Aren’t the above officials what you have appointed yourselves.
Just apologise you boy, then it will make sense.
Otherwise I am angry with honouring a criminal, it should have been jailed 10 years post humously instead.
Interestingly this Amos boy does not even deny that honouring by the government took place! His only issue is the degree of honour!
@upnd cadre. You took me by surprise. For the first time, you have gone against the grain by not talking about tribe and Jay jay.
Wow! There’s actually more to you than your usual mantra?
Tell you what guys? I am fed up with all present politicians. I am standing for President in 2021. Next year on 2nd January 2020 I am launching a party. Support me, but no trib.als please, I can do without them!
You have my vote lol
PF and lungu need your support badala….
It is scandlel after scandel…..
Any localised decisions outside the established criteria and protocal does not constitute state honours.whats the diference between the state and government?can some one educate me.
There goes the devil with his lies, he actually thinks people are going to buy the sh!t he is talking about really!!! too little too late baba, your party is know for such nonsense… full of thieves and Kaponya`s and I don`t see how you won`t honor a r@pist and a person who caused mayhem in innocent peoples lives
This toad nauseates Zambians . When is the mansion in Swaziland going to finish and who is is paying for it ?
Hmm testing the waters… Can’t handle the criticism
Any recognition by a government official at a government function is an honour. Even mentioning the name of a criminal at a government function is an honour.
……..kikikiki, I need your vote now.
I have a few interim positions in our new party, you are invited, but no corrupts, no frauds, no trib.als, no thieves.