By Kapya Kaoma
The Zambian Embassy’s duplicitous announcement of the cancelation of President Hichilema’s meeting with U.S President Joe Biden due to Vice President’s Nalumango’s words on homosexuality in Parliament is yet another example of the growing cancerous trend of falsehoods in the baby HH administration.
When I first heard of President HH’s working visit to the U.S, I wondered if his team knew the trip was to attend the useless and ceremonial United Nations General Assembly in New York. But after his team promoted him as among “the select” African leaders to speak at the event, I couldn’t help thinking–are these guys really serious? Then it went from bad to worse! President HH had the most world-coveted meeting with the U.S President Joe Biden at the White House. This would have been a huge deal given that the HH presidency is still in diapers without any record to run on.
As one who has worked on US politics and human rights, my initial response was to follow some White House reporters and the White House Schedule. I didn’t find any planned meeting with the Zambian President. So I am not surprised that the Zambian Embassy in Washington DC. was forced to announce that the meeting is canceled. It is unlikely that there was any meeting planned between President Biden and President Hakainde Hichilema–it was another shameful stunt sold to ignorant Zambians by the government.
If I may educate the baby President team. All diplomatic meetings serve the interests of the President’s nation. In this case, when President Biden agrees to take a meeting with President HH, he has the interests of America at heart–thus he must sell those interests to his people. This is why US diplomatic meetings between heads of States at the White House are a big deal. US Media houses are invited in advance to cover such events. Even when the U.S President travels abroad, the media joins him for that reason. When he takes a call with another foreign leader, the summary is made available to the public.
It betrays logic that the Zambian Embassy should be telling us why the meeting has been canceled, rather than the White House. The White House should announce the reason for the cancelation of the planned meeting with the President of Zambia–if homosexuality is an issue, it would say so. After all, when anti-gay Ugandan Politician David Bahati was disinvited from the meeting during the Obama administration, everyone knew it. So what makes us think that Biden wouldn’t gain political capital by announcing the cancelation of the meeting with a homophobic President of Zambia? The fact that no US media house announced any scheduled meeting between President Hichilema and Joe Biden, but only Plot 1 suggests that it was another narcissistic stunt from team HH.
Unless they are courtesy calls, there’s no reason why President HH should be meeting with President Joe and Vice President Harris separately. But those won’t be full diplomatic meetings or detailed policy oriented meetings. That is why White House meetings take time to plan. In fact, there are many moving parts to them before they are nailed down.
It is saddening that we continue to embarrass our nation to the world by covering up the foolishness of those who are surrounding President HH. The Embassy knows that President HH had no meeting with President Biden. It knows that as per tradition, transcripts of the meeting will be posted on the official website of the White House for every Zambian to see. This is something it can’t cover-up. My fear is that misrepresentation only betrays the trust the outside world puts in our President. It is also a threat to our national security.
Similarly, the claim that President Hichilema is among “the select” leaders to speak at the United Nations General Assembly is equally embarrassing. Who does not know that every head of State–from a maniac like Donald Trump to most inspiring people like President Obama to dictators like Robert Mugabe and Paul Kagame among many others have spoken at the General Assembly? The Bally team may be new, but it needs career diplomats to teach it the basics in International Relations. The General Assembly is the place where nations insult each other. Mugabe took on Trump and Bush. Iran usually takes on Israel and the US–it is boring, but also sarcastic. So Bally’s speech won’t be anything extraordinary but one of the many. The President is in the United States to attend the General Assembly and to do some shopping–“as the youth of Zambia say, Bally will pay.”
President Biden is smart enough to handle HH on homosexuality–he would have allowed reporters to question him. It is foolish to think that President Biden does not know Hichilema’s position on homosexuality; he does. As Second Lady, Dr Biden, now First Lady, visited Zambia and successfully lobbied for the release of the Kapiri-Mposhi couple James and Philip during the Sata administration. Biden has assembled a great team of experts who know HH’s homophobia, including my friend Jessica Stern. Of course, President Biden is dedicated to defending sexual rights, but to think he didn’t know Zambia’s homophobic politics until Vice President Nalumango’s rants in Parliament is crazy. We have been here before–always blame and blame it on gays. Yet they are many countries that have relationships with the U.S and are opposed to gay rights–Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Senegal and Kenya are among them.
My point is, the issue of gay rights has nothing to do with Bally’s failure to honor his campaign promises. He needs to tell people the truth as opposed to deflecting the blame to innocent persons, whose only crime is to be different.
I know Bally wants to build his Christian credentials with bikini pastors after removing their “sacred” Ministry of Religious Affairs. And what else would make him more Christian than shouting:
I promise before God. I didn’t lie.
My failure to provide free education, blame homosexuals.
My failure to increase civil servant salaries, blame gays.
My failure to give you jobs, blame lesbians.
My failure to provide low cost of living, blame transgender individuals.
My brand new Salaula Cabinet; Masebo, Mutati, Musokotwane, and others, please blame queers.
My failure to reduce ubunga to K50, blame inter-sex persons.
My failure to increase the price of maize to 250 per bag, blame bi-sexuals.
My failure to prioritize the Constitution, blame it on gays.
Please believe me. I am your Bally, a Christian President, with a God fearing Vice President, Honorable Nalumango, who has developed amnesia to remember that I, Bally, a.k.a. HH, made these campaign promises in a Christian Nation.
I only promised that, “Bally will fix it!”
I don’t think there was even a meeting arranged. And neither was he going to address the UN in person. All these were just illusions. All the same we wish our president a good stay in the USA.
ATLEAST GAY RIGHT ARE COMING TO THE FORE AND SO MAY IT CONTINUE
ITS NOW TIME FOR THE LGBT COMMINITY TO STAND UP
AND TO SOME OF THE HYPOCRITS WHAT GOES ON IN YOUR MARRIED LIVES AT HOME HEY ???
AND YOU APPEAR TO BE OK WITH THIS
Mouthful indeed
Wonderfull.
Who cares ???
As for Addressing the UN General Council I remember General Idi Amin addressing it and reporter comments THAT IS GENERAL IDI AMIN OF UGANDA SPEAKING A LANGUAGE SIMILAR TO ENGLISH. It’s not an extraordinary feat at all.
‘”…..My point is, the issue of gay rights has nothing to do with Bally’s failure to honor his campaign promises….”
Yes , in their excitement, the statehouse media team must be condemned for acting like the despicable PF statehouse media team that told lies after lies…….
But the this homosexuality angle by the VP is PF propaganda ……..
Some bitter PF still embedded in GRZ tried to blame the Zambian VP…..
You can call the announcement about HEHH meeting Biden overexcitment. Period.
We are also waiting for the dollar to drop down to K5 as promised. Don’t forget also free education. People have talked about Bally as if he is a small god and yet a blasphemous liar who lied to Zambians and gave him presidency.
The problem with UPND praise singers, soothsayers and sycophants is to overrate their Bally above former Zambian Presidents and other world leaders. In their ignorance, they think there is something special about Bally. Go to a saloon in Lusaka and you find it is not uncommon to hear even urban dwellers to annoyingly extol Bally to the point of giving the impression he is such an educated economist that he advises the US on matters of American economy. These are some of the levels of ignorance being exhibited among Bally supporters in Lusaka who do not know Bally has only proved good at managing his privatization loot.
?
I can tell you, the main reason for HEHH visit to the UNGA is for sideline meeting with other leaders and World bodies ……
Almost everyone of importance on the world stage is there………
What better a time to meet world leaders in one place than now ???……..this is saving time and money……
On meeting Biden annoucment ….
Bally 0:1 critics
@SPAKA
TRYING TO BE LOGICAL ON HERE DONT WORK
It will be a long 5 years. I pity this brown envelope Reverend Kaoma, he certainly did not expect a PF loss going by his previous anti HH articles.
Fornication, adultery, polygamy and homosexually are all sins under the Christian God.
No one is hurt when two single adults fornicate. No one is hurt when two consenting homosexuals fornicate. Obviously, someone is hurt when two people commit adultery. All these people are sinners in the eyes of whichever God they worship unless of course they do not believe in a supernatural being.
One wonders why they are not treated the same way by the self professed Christians and their brown envelope Reverends? Start respecting other peoples’ rights. Stop using your religious beliefs to constrain other people’s lives. Nobody appointed you…
Some UPND zealots will, I am sure, blame the failed meeting not on lesbians and gays, but on the PF.
#7 Spaka Ba PF this Ba PF that? PF is not a tribe, a race, ethinic or species. It’s just a club that one can join or quit. Those people you want to get rid of are human and above bonafide citizens of this country. In your opinion a place like Luapula Province which voted PF through out should be disconnected from all government programmes or even ordinary teachers who support PF should be fired? How else can we describe your desperate attitude. If PF committed wrongs, it doesn’t follow that Upnd should follow suit. PF was voted out because of its mistakes. So you haven’t learned from this? Elections are not about hatred, they are about giving you a chance to give power to the people you think will serve you better. You win, you lose you still remain a citizen of Zambia.
@Spaka (7) quote: “But the this homosexuality angle by the VP is PF propaganda”.
Do you have to blame everything on the PF surely? Chushi Kasanda messes up her press briefing as Minister of Information, ati ni ma PF speech writers ebalenga. You can’t even think of other scapegoats?
So the PF staff at the American embassy messed things up as per PF way of doing things te?
Upnd thrive on lies and their downfall will be very heavy.
PF was a criminal organisation.
80% of PF were very comftable with the looting and mismanagement going on , because they were getting rich…….
And HEHH is making a mistake not firing all senior PF caders still in GRZ……..
That VP stance on homosexuality had nothing to do with the false Biden meeting …..it is some PF bitter propagandists trying to embarrasse the new GRZ by linking the 2 unrelated issues.
One was false statement by over excited media team , the other was the VPs statement to dispel PF scare mongering about LGBT rights in zambia……
The first half made an interesting reading but quite disappointed with the last half. No objectivity at all.
How do you judge a person on new job in under a month, diaper President really? No man has ever walked before they crawled.
This article was going well until the, ‘including my friend Jessica Stern.’ Why not just ‘including Jessica Stern?’ What’s the author’s friendship with someone hardly known to this readership got to do with the topic at hand? It’s a shallow and seemingly ‘desperate for recognition’ assertion from someone who is supposed to knowledgeable about the subject. Except for that, the article has good points, SIR.
#15Â Â Deja VuÂ
September 21, 2021 At 8:34 am
” #7 Spaka Ba PF this Ba PF that? PF is not a tribe, a race, ethinic or species. It’s just a club that one can join or quit. Those people you want to get rid of are human and above bonafide citizens of this country……”
By their own admission , almost all GRZ structers are those of PF……..
To be fair, they had 10 years to embed their structers made of criminality in all spheres of GRZ…..
By being methodical and giving people the benefit if doubt, HEHH has not fired the lot of them in one go…….
But we know them , the PF are too used of free money and lies and will be tripping up soon , one after the other , now the cash cow is no more……just watch.
TALK IS CHEAP
THERE WHERE 16 CANDIDATES THAT APPLIED FOR THE JOB AND ZAMBIANS CHOSE ONE BECAUSE HE SAID HE WOULD BE ABLE TO FIX IT. WE ARE THE EMPLOYERS AND WE EXPECT THAT THE EMPLOYEE WILL PERFORM THE DUTIES THAT HE SAID HE COULD—PERIOD……………DELIVER BWANA!
On the trip to America, its just disappointing to learn that the UN meeting is actually been conducted VIRTUALLY, but our employee did not want to disclose this, even though we know he has some other important meeting to attend to, such as with the IMF. Disclosing information to your employers builds their TRUST in you.
Over gays and the like, some commentators are gays are using these social media to advance the debate, but this will never come to pass in this Country……Zambia with all these tribes and with all these rich cultures…
Do you actually believe this nonsense you write? When say Bally has failed….failed what? And which timelines are you referring to barely a month of being sworn in and appointing? This kind of reporting on steriods is dangerous and a sellout to our nation. Namusamwa! Too much testosterone as if you are high on something!
We have said in the past that while RB did his best to reduce political tension by brokering a deal between HEHH and ECL and things went well because ECL conceded defeat without plunging the country in chaos. There is a a lot for this HH regime to learn a lot from VJ. When FTJ took over Presidency from Super Ken there was orderliness in terms of transition. I wonder what could have gone wrong in terms of coordination between foreign Affairs and State House handlers.? As long as former PF appointees are kept in positions expect all these ugly things popping up. The former PF appointees still got that green stuff in their way of doing things. Just see how they have messed up the country instead of advising the politicians they also got involved in plundering national resources.
The biggest problem in zambia is that citizens balibelela ukuchula and thats all they know. So even when someobe as genuine as the current leader comes up to try and help straighten out the country fools like kapya and most of you on this forum, rise up in arms to start attacking progress. I mean guys scrutinize yourselves , and search your hearts and lives ….. all u know is poverty….. let this rich man who knows how yo make himself rich help create riches for zambia……… shut your poor mouths up and watch so you learn…. He is meeting world bank president, IMF leader, USA chamber of commerce…. Just Those 3 meetings will put a dent on the kwacha dollar relationship.
Imagine a scene where some people create a fictitious meeting with the Almighty Joe Biden, trumpet it to the entire village, how proud the people should be in their Igwe for being the first one to meet the most powerful man on Earth. Because it’s fictitious, a way must be found how to get out of it. The Chief Priest comes up with the idea of condemning the most precious thing to the Americans. It works… someone announces that the meeting is off because!!!!???
Quote’ My point is, the issue of gay rights has nothing to do with Bally’s failure to honor his campaign promises.’End of quote. This was part of the writers summary, @24 its you that believes in nonsense. The writer simply is asking why the have backtracked on almost all the campagn promises they gave out and where elected on those premises…and he speaks on behalf of all the people that voted for this Govt thinking this is what they will do but have said may not happen. The reason why Africa will never develop is because people refuse to be students of history and things continue repeating themselves. Some begun to worship ECL when he took over and some are doing the same, never wanting to reason with dissenting views. He did not say he will fail to run the country, he refers to…
LT please publish productive articles that are discussing real Zambian problems. Useless topics like these are a waste of time. The most important thing is we have a president who has some level of respect for Zambian resources and people. Not Lungu who oversaw a team that looted and destroyed the country every hour.
Kikikkki iwe Kapya Kaoma lekefyo, under 5 supporters will come heavily down on you. They hate criticism of their god.
Its just about Hatred for one HH.pF cadres still crying for the lose…Kaoma move on your writing is not objective and it does not inspire at all…Hatred… you will die with heart attack,take it easy.Now HH should sought out what pf destroyed within a month…be objective Kaoma
#21 Spaka..let him fire all those that different political leaning. Remember these are family people with each supporting more than three persons. Let it be so. What makes you think what Mr Hakainde is doing is different from what presidents before him did. Even the rainbow cabinet will along the line lose some colors. File this posting for reference.
YOU BWANA NEVER VOTED FOR HH. YOU VOTED PF. I HAVE PROOF FROM YOUR PREVIOUS COMMENTS. DONT SAY WE VOTED FOR HIM, YOU VOTED FOR A CRIMINAL AND THE CRIMINAL LOST. GET OVER IT PERIOD.
What a stupid, silly and naive article to write! The author has this holier than though attitude that screams ‘PF bootlicker’. Very biased indeed..
P.S. The American English used in this article is equally pathetic.
Only fewer people will attend President Hakainde Hichilema address because the tone there have set.
Going after PF members who were involved in corruption does not amount to a witch hunt or vindictiveness.
The subsequent convictions and asset recoveries will be enough to pay for the free education the 1.8’s are shouting about.
HH and his team need to get down to fixing these corrupt thieves
#33Â Â Deja VuÂ
September 21, 2021 At 12:20 pm
” #21 Spaka..let him fire all those that different political leaning. Remember these are family people with each supporting more than three persons. Let it be so. What makes you think what Mr Hakainde is doing is different from what presidents before him did……..”
Yes , we hope he fires all hard-core PF caders on GRZ , you are after all the minority , the aggrieved majority will rejoice ……..
One thing the PF have against them is the honesty of HEHH and because he is going to be a normal president driven by the rule of law………
Just that alone will condem the PF and most of his critics to a lonely life of one man protesters on street corners……..
People will soon have no time for you , just wait……..
This Kapya sounds he is experiencing gayism in his household.
Very well written ba Kaoma! Their small god is already failing, he’s in a confused state.
Kapya Kaoma is suffering a serious bout of sour grapes.
Every article from Kapya Kaoma is like a cruise missile offensive weapon to attack the new HH administration .
This article is educative upto paragraph 9. From paragraph 10 which starts with …. my point is… it’s all boring and that’s where you lost it.
The HH administration will make mistakes in the beginning but we’re ok with that. At least they have a plan to develop Zambia unlike the previous pack of thieves.
Surprisingly, sir you and your pf cohorts are the only ones who want UPND to fulfill promises in 6 months. Those of us who put them there we will wait for our beloved leaders to bring development to us.
It really does leave one’s mouth with a bad taste! We are hoping for this government to succeed; but if they are already concocting these stories to impress citizens, then, am afraid they are on a slippery slope down hill!
Just wondering who benefits from such opinionated dump. Non beneficial in my opinion.
You are busy whining while people that have looted your money are roaming free. Zambians focus on nonsense. In the UK an MP will get in trouble for buying an expensive bottle of wine and yet here they own your country.
Prince Kaping’a and Shishuwa vs Kapya Kaoma and Sean Tembo. Keep them flowing guys. It’s keeping us busy
This skinny little b*** his boyfriend must be tripping on her…
I am still celebrating the 12 August 2021 election results.
I am still celebrating the 12 August 2021 election results.
I am still celebrating results of the 12 August 2021 election results.
upnd supporters, please tone down and understand that as much as HH is our president, he is mere mortal and will surely make mistakes. You seem to be paranoid and frightened of any criticism against the gorvenment.
You are now in gorvenment and criticism will surely come. Learn to take responsibility and not deflect issues to PF who are no longer in power. Time is ticking and voters are watching. Nizanu!
I am still celebrating the results of the 12 AUGUST 2021 general elections.
I thought I knew how much PF supporters were hurting – reading article after article like this one has made me realise I underestimated their pain.
I hurt during the Dununa period but lifted myself up and went on with life.
Guys, guys, there is life after an election loss. We know it was a monumental and stunning loss, yes we know it may not have been expected but move on.
Bitterness wishful thinking hoping, every single day that UPND will fail does not make those wishes come to pass.
HH, who PF said would never rule, Alipampando – live with that. I know 5 and 10 years is a long time but 2031 is realistically your best bet of beginning to be noticed by the Zambian voters.
OK people saying UPND has backtracked on most of their promises – which promises kanshi?
Tekeni bola panshi. Be reasonable, be realistic UPND cannot fulfil promises within a month.
PF promised “More money in our pockets.”
We gave them time – we even re- elected them by way of giving them benefit of the doubt. More than 8 years later – is there money in our pockets? No but there is billions in theirs.
We know you hate HH but what option do you have? Ten years nipatali ka
8 years later
@Moment
You say Bally is being treated like a small god.
Well, Lungu was treated like a big one!
Bitter losers. Nothing positive on HH will be said by this man. He was beaten together with Lungu on August 12. His articles against HH before, during and after elections show exactly that he was a PF surrogate. The beating of PF is by extension his beating too.
I can’t believe it that after all the scandals PF cadres are still crying for more ndalama mu ka saka. It’s over bane…be strong n face reality.
Yawning.
Damn it, nothing sounds to have changed.
Kikikikikikijukija Hehehehehehe nkunkunkunkyu hahahahahaha kwekwekwekwe kwikwikwikwikwi kwowokwokwo!
Just wondering how meeting a human being can be such an issue.
All I know is h² nipunka. Puti wa puti.
H² meeting sleepy joe won’t fulfill h²’s big fat obese lies.
Question the man in the yellow, white, and black sweatshirt and a scarf who told him that it’s winter in the USA this time of the yeah!!!! they say everywhere you go always check the weather with you!! !lol
Only sore losers can write such hopeless things. Trying to sound very learned but your bitterness shows. And your comments about HH fulfilling his promises gives you away, coz who builds Rome in one day? Your disgraced looting govt which destroyed the economy and built an unprecedented cadersim culture in Zambia with their shameless daylight looting Presidebt and ministers is gone…booted out unceremoniously. The sooner you and your colleagues of like minds come to turns with this reality the better for you@ you might even enjoy life in the new dawn!? !