By Ruth Dante – Media Director – UPND
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) would like to make it clear that Republican Vice President, Inonge Mutukwa Wina, does not sit in Parliament by virtue of being an elder or woman but as a leader of Government Business and Vice President of the Nation.
While we can forgive the many so called women organisations that have been paid to parrot the Master’s voice to condemn Choma MP Cornelius Mweetwa on ZNBC news, we find it strange that Fisheries and Livestock Minister Nkandu Luo would without shame claim that it was wrong for the MP to speak against Ms Wina, because she is an elder and a woman.
It is such thinking that will make Zambia fail to reduce gender inequalities, because we seem to look at gender instead of accomplishments, competence and skill of a person.
Mrs Wina has on many occasions lied and misled the nation over issues such as the burning of Lusaka City Market as well as the chemical gassing which she blamed on the opposition as being architects in pursuit of regime change.
Her loose rantings on the burning of City Market led to the brutalising of a poor old woman by cadres in police uniform who has since died and this is the woman people want us to respect because of her age.
Apart from that, Madam Inonge Wina lied that the market would be re-built in six months, yet nothing has been done and most of the women lost their capital and today are struggling to feed their families.
She lied as a leader and should be held responsible and not attacking Mr Mweetwa for saying the right things.
She was not speaking as a woman but in her capacity as Vice President and we shall look at her as a person and not as an elder or a woman but a Vice President who is supposed to be factual and truthful.
Ms Wina must be reminded that accepting to hold a public position means being ready to be criticised and called all sorts of names regardless of gender. She needs to emulate strong women that have debated with facts across the world without using gender as a sympathy card.
We would like to state as UPND that, we will continue to criticise the Vice President as long as she holds the second highest position of
the land without consideration for gender or age.
Very logical
That Ruth Date so intelligent and romantic. Ba Inonge must be so impressive with this girl.
I agree. She is a leader first, woman second and very old woman third. She is in a political battlefield where age and sex dont matter. If a politician wants to attract respect, he/she should operate above shallowness and mischievous actions. You cant go on ranting about the opposition being responsible for burnings and gassing when no one from the opposition has been convicted. If that is not shallowness then what is?
You cant mislead the nation and go and hide behind age and gender. What has her not being truthful got to do with her age and gender surely. And where is the evidence that the opposition burned city market and that there were responsible for gassing. This idea of not being truthful cant continue and speaker is asking that Cornelius Mweetwa apologizes. Why and how? The logical thing was to ask the perpetrator of the ‘lie’ to justify her accusations on the opposition. What is demeaning with exposing something untruthful, how can one say Vice President was demeaned. This is beyond logic
And the worst part is she watched the emotional lynchings of her own children and grand children through retirements in national and public interests. Bo kuku should have done something to prevent such a regrettable and dark part of the history of this country.The gassing fiasco led to the death of people and certainly it was expected the debate should have been of better substance.
I can’t see sense in either Mweetwa or the comments coming from the Bantustan supporters. Boooing is okay according to them and they have forgotten about it as to them it’s why should the speaker tell the gentleman to apologise. Anything Mweetwa or T is ok
You can not always have it your own way. You need to learn to give and take. You need to learn to compromise. Sometimes it is necessary to agree to disagree. Disagreements are universal, particularly In the scientific community, peer reviewers can prove the validity of claims made by scientists or inventors. It is the same as applying for intellectual property rights. Some applications are approved on merit and other applications are not approved on lack of merit. When political disagreement is fundamental, then the courts of justice can help those who are wiling to help themselves. Attacks on symbols of power create an illusion of peer itself. Remorse is a sign of humility. Remorse leads to peaceful coexistence. Without apology to grieved , then consequences for perpetrators become a…
It was refreshing to see Mr Mweetwa stand up to the speaker trying to force him to apologise to Veep for her own misinformation. In any case an apology is not requested or forced . It was embarrassing for the speaker – he looked sheepish. We need more of such characters in our parliament – to speak truth to power.
Nkandu Luo’s assertion that the veep should be respected and not criticized on the basis of her gender and age shows the cavalier attitude that PF government has towards serious governance issues. If that’s the PF’s position they should reassign the Veep to some NGO or send her to a retirement home.
MADAM INONGE PLEASE TAKE A LEAVE OUT OF POLITICS.U ARE A TOTAL LIAR.NOT,WHAT THIS RIFF RAFF KZ IS BUSY RANTING.KZ,COUNSEL YOUR OLD WOMAN CZ SHE IS ASHAME OF LIES.IF SHE WANTS RESPECT LET HER HER BE TRUTHFUL IN EVERYTHING SHE IS DOING CZ SHE CAN BRING CONFUSION IN THIS NATION.IMAGINE,WHAT CAN SHE ADVISE US THE YOUNG ONESWHEN SHE HAS SHOWED ME THAT SHE IS LIE.BUFI,WENYE.PLEASE,KZ PUT YOUR HOUSE IN ODER DON’T JUST BE RANTING FOR NOTHING.DON’T TAKE THE LOG IN SOMEONES EYE WHEN YOURS IS BIG.
I’m thoroughly enjoying this debate. It’s high time the PF weighed in with another argument. The one they hv advanced has been neutralised by the accused. It’s 1-0 to Cornelius Mweetwa.
Party political broadcast!!
I don’t expect anything less from this uncultured excuse of a woman called ruth dante. These are women who lack morals and have no clue about our culture. The upnd folk are so desperate for power that they will do anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if ugly women like this ruth went ahead to have carnal knowledge with an animal like a cow or dog at the request of their demigod leader hh, in the belief that such a ritual may help them win an election . The upnd is a cult of tribal maggots who I will destroy and obliterate. I am now on the ground. Basop
It is as simple as that. Former Malawian President Joyce Banda was right to say that the biggest obstacle to the advancement of women are women themselves. On one hand they cry for equality, but will want a man to open the door for them. On one hand they want to do what men do, but will be quick to run to the kitchen when its suits them. Grow some beard you Zambian women. If you stand where men are standing, stand as a man. I admire Margaret Thatcher. She always acted as a human being and not as a woman British Prime Minister. She gave as good as she could get.
Ruth,
Pomp only pleases oneself. It will not take you very far. Even your master will tag you as such and it cone back to haunt only you
Mr. Mweetwa just wanted to create a Zambian Parliamentary fracas and make a Malema-like name for himself – a copy and paste approach. Malema adds intelligence to it. Un-Parliamentary language is just that, un-Parliamentary – it has nothing to do with gender or age – and the Speaker determines that. Parliament has decorum, period. Ruth gets it all wrong – this arrogance is a minus for a Party that has lost so many tries.
Respect is earned , not demanded inspite of being a lier…….
We all remember how this silly old woman watched a young girl being undressed in front of her by PF thugs because she was wearing UPND colours on labour day…..
She also went on to tell lies about UPND militias burning her compound in western province , only to find it was bungling drunk PF thugs sent by kapoyongo and KZ with her full knowledge
What respect ???
You respect her your selves , don’t expect other who are bearing the brunt of her lies to respect her
MADAM RUTH DANTE YOU ARE FIT TO BE THE VICE PRESIDENT OF ZAMBIA. First Madam Wina if you are in Parliament because of age then I advise you step down and allow fresh blood to take over. Second Madam Wina in leadership expect critiques. Thirdly Madam Wina you have been lying to the nation for so long and we have been watching you. So why today you want to blame Mweetwa, he is correct and you should appologise to the people of Zambia for a lot of lies you have given us. Madam Inonge Wina lied that the market that were burnt would be re-built in six months, yet nothing has been done and most of the women lost their capital and today are struggling to feed their families. Just tell us that the Gasser is PF. Tell us that those who burnt markets are PF and you wanted to blame UPND so people…
Continued//// Tell us that those who burnt markets are PF and you wanted to blame UPND so people can think that UPND is problematic. It is a failed plot. ADVISE MADAM WINA BECAUSE OF AGE TO STEP DOWN. ADVISE MADAM WINA TO STOP TELLING LIES BECAUSE WE DONT FORGET WHAT WE ARE TOLD. MWEETWA WELLDONE. THAT POSITION MADAM EXPECT CRTICISMS. BUT BOZA MUSIYE YACHILAMO MULEKE MULI BAKULU.
The Speaker of Parliament is trying to establish a very dangerous precedent of interfering in private lives of MPs. Hon Mweetwa was interviewed at Diamond TV in his capacity as Deputy Spokesman of UNDP. Therefore unparliamentary language doesn’t arise. If Gogo Wina feels aggrieved its her right to sue Hon Mweetwa for defamation of character. Matibini should stay our this issue as it didn’t happen on the Floor of Parliament. Besides to say the VP is “shallow” and “shameful ” is not an insult at all and doesn’t need an apology at all. In fact the allegations made by the VP alleging that it was the Opposition who gassed the People needs a re-traction and apology to the Nation. Hon Mweetwa has nothing to apologize for. Matibini should stop interfering with MPs private lives.
KZ you are sick, taking politics out you deserve to be in a mental block. Foolish and stupid boy son of a gun.
I’ll say again, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Upnd are under no obligation to apologise for anything, but when it happens to one of theirs, they shouldn’t complain. It’s good that the cries are not coming from PF mainly.
Kkkkkkkkk, if u no u are aged its better you resign, many things are said and non has been done, a woman who witness another woman being abused is a bafoon. If you have power you should protect and tell the truth to the powerless not lying and oppressing them… Chiwamila galu kuluma mbuzi not mbuzi kuluma galu.. Mr Mweetwa z ryt..
So ndiye so.
Icho chintu!!!
muntu achimwa ati no she is a woman, when you commit a crime are sentences passed by judges based on gender?
Bo Ima needs to tone down on a accusations.
Bo ima was gladly pointing an accusing finger…
Democracy is demonic and it will take many more years before someone influential Will condemn it and people accept this truth. Freedom of speech or expression must not go out of bounds as the case was with sentiments attributed to mwitwa. Democracy is largely accepted as the best style of leadership but we can the results. Majority doesn’t imply that the voted is right ,but we’re quick to accept without benefit of doubt. Denominations have adopted democracy and see nothing wrong with it and yet it’s not biblical. Mwitwa could still apologize and be accepted as opposed to be adamant and loose the female vote. He represents a government in waiting but is he saying that his government will be intolerant, perfect and stubborn as he is portraying himself. People have complained and an…
Of course hit by folly of reasoning using the heart in demanding from the MP an apology the easiest thing is turning to the gender, social status (ethnic norms) and age of a leader who invited to be stung out of their own free will!
Just because you are a woman should not be an excuse to do wrong!
Just apologize for the lies you told on the floor of the house!
Ms Wina should have behaved like a woman if she wanted to be regarded has one a woman is a mother who Carter for her offsprings no matter the situation she lied what kind of a woman is she let her tell what has gone wrong to the promises she made and not forcing people telling the truth to apologize equally the speaker he must be realistic when asking one to apologize
Ms Wina should have behaved like a woman if she wanted to be regarded has one a woman is a mother who Carter for her offsprings no matter the situation she lied what kind of a woman is she let her tell what has gone wrong to the promises she made and not forcing people telling the truth to apologize equally the speaker he must be realistic when asking one to apologize. Zambia is for all Zambians