Thursday, March 28, 2024

UPND speaks out on President Hichilema’s use of ‘Kutumpa’ cliché

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Southern Province Minister, Cornelius Mweetwa, has expressed concern over the continued abuse of President Hakainde Hichilema’s use of the term ‘Kutumpa Uko’, during his recent public address in the Copperbelt Province.

Mr Mweetwa, who is also United Party for National Development (UPND) spokesperson, says the opposition political parties have taken the statement out of context.

He said the cliché ‘Kutumpa’ is a common saying which is widely used in the Zambian vocabulary when referring to something, which is not acceptable.

Mr Mweetwa was speaking when he addressed the media in Livingstone today, before attending the eight Intergovernmental Standing Committee meeting on Shipping (ISCOS) for Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa.

He said the ruling party finds it extremely strange that the words that have been used before by two previous Heads of State in Zambia are now being taken out of context and be attributable to insults.

The UPND spokesperson said President Hichilema should be judged by the same political yardstick that his predecessors were judged.

Mr Mweetwa said late President Levy Mwanawasa and former President Edgar Lungu used that cliché during their reign.

“President Mwanawasa did at one point use the term in reference to the leading opposition party leader then Michael sata, ‘Nga watumpa; fyala kubipila’, and also President Edgar Lungu once he took over the reigns of leadership of this country did address union leaders who then had indicated that he had failed to provide leadership of this country by saying ‘Kutumpa for the union leaders to say I have failed’,” Mr Mweetwa explained.

He has therefore encouraged those debating President Hichilema’s use of the cliché ‘Kutumpa’ to reflect on how they reacted back then when two Heads of State used the same terminology.

Mr Mweetwa has since called on the opposition political parties to provide relevant checks and balances to the ruling party as opposed to focusing on an issue that has no bearing on the Zambian people.

He said it is unfortunate that Mr Winter Kabimba is saying President Hichilema has lowered the demeanor of the presidency by making that statement.

Mr Mweetwa recollected that Mr Kabimba was one sarcastic person who used derogatory language when he served as Justice Minister and as secretary general for the Patriotic Front.

The UPND spokesperson also explained that the ruling party has great respect for former President Lungu as a statesman and that it is unfortunate that he has decided to start throwing political jabs at President Hichilema.

“Political history is clear in Zambia, that whenever there has been change of government, the sitting President would arrest his predecessor. President Chiluba arrested Kaunda, President Mwanawasa arrested President Chiluba and President Sata arrested President Rupiah Banda, and we as a party in government understand that President HH has not arrested President Lungu because he wants the country to open a new page and begin a new political journey,” he explained.

Mr Mweetwa said President Lungu, as the only surviving former President, should be a unifying factor of the country and not an agitator.

“President Lungu, as the only surviving President, has a duty to provide relevant political guidance when there is political uncertainty in the country. He should have a higher moral ground to summon either the serving President and other parties to unite parties together and restore harmony as opposed to attacks,” he said.

He charged that President Lungu’s political life as someone who occupied political office has expired but that he can be of political relevance to the country by providing relevant guidance.

Mr Mweetwa said President Hichilema has in the past one year and seven months been working tirelessly to transform the economy, create job opportunities as well as business and entrepreneurship opportunities.

He said people should focus on matters of development as opposed to political mudslinging.

Mr Mweetwa wondered why opposition political leaders that had been quiet have now come to the fore to discuss an issue of no relevance to the Zambian people yet they have been silent on matters that border on national development.

30 COMMENTS

    • Yes. In fact, last time I checked, “CHICARLER” (as Kaizar Zulu would say) was a common vernacular cliché widely used by bakaponya in Zambia. But any self-respecting and cultured Zambian, let alone the Zambian President, surely knows that “chicarler”, though a common cliché/slang among Kaponyas, it is an Insult. Or at a minimum uncouth language for the President to induldge in.

    • Continue….

      “Ukutumpa” also is an insult. It may be thrown around amongst peers, but that does NOT make it any less of an insult. Especially directed at an OLDER PERSON, and former President of the Republic for that mater. If not; why then is this word usually used in anger towards another person? If Mwanawasa used it, it was WRONG. If Lungu used it, it was equally WRONG. And it is WRONG for HH to use it. So let us do better folks!

    • The bemba Kutumpa cliche’ does not amount to insults or rough language but it is used to disapprove one’s behaviour or public nuesance so he or she should not be in a habit of repeating the same mistake now and again. Stop politicising it but turn to real issues of development.

      Paul Simbeye

  1. Give this man his job as Minister of Information and media already.
    Secondly, what is wrong with ECL saying we may have lost power but we didn’t lose the love of God? How is that political?
    HH exhibited immaturity certainly when he became visibly angry and asked why Lungu wanted to come back. I don’t think there is anything on record suggesting that Lungu wants to come back. If they want to throw jabs, take away his immunity and prosecute him for having received a bribe in the form of a mansion in Eswatini amongst other things.

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    • HH is simply panicking because the responsibility is beyond what he expected. Please understand where he’s coming from.

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  2. Uku nomba ekutumpest. That’s a bemba word so how can this egg head convince us that it’s a common cliche? I can’t call my father ati walitunpa and get away with it.

  3. NO APOLOGY, APOLOGISE FOR WHAT? HH IS FIGURATIVELY THE FATHER OF THE NATION. AND BECAUSE THAT POSITION THATS EVEN KK CALL THE UNRULY AS ”STUPID *****S” EVEN US PARENTS WE SOMETIMES TELL OUR CHILDREN, LEKENI UKUTUMPA, KUTUMPA UKO”EVEN PAUL AS A SPIRITUAL PARENT SAID TOTHE GALATIANS,”YOU FOOLISH GALATIANS…” EVEN JESUS SAID IT …. OTHERWISE NEVER CMMITED ANY HE JUST SAYING WHAT WAS TO

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  4. Iwe Mweetwa kutumpa uko if you think you can clean up the bad language your HH used he is sowing a bad seed that will sink him in 2026

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  5. Mr Mweetwa said late President Levy Mwanawasa and former President Edgar Lungu used that cliché during their reign.
    “President Mwanawasa did at one point use the term in reference to the leading opposition party leader then Michael sata, ‘Nga watumpa; fyala kubipila’, and also President Edgar Lungu once he took over the reigns of leadership of this country did address union leaders who then had indicated that he had failed to provide leadership of this country by saying ‘Kutumpa for the union leaders to say I have failed’,” Mr Mweetwa explained.

    Leka ukutumpa Deja vu. Read and understand what Mr.Mweetwa was explaining.

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    • Piranha you cannot justify evil because someone else had done it in the past. That’s being naive. What does Mweetwa know about a language that’s not his?

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    • Actually noone owns a language. Any language can be exported and it will take on own trajectories. Just look at English. A Briton wont understand lingo from the hood cos its coded for the US black population there. They even have their own version of the Bible
      It took me some six months to grasp Jamaican English but when i went deeper into Kingston i couldnt understand the pidgin there. Swahili in DRC is slightly different from that in Tanzania and Malawi

  6. The President is right in what he says.
    Lets be honest, Lungu is a guy of pretty low intelligence.
    Also, its about time that HH started making hard hitting speeches and say it as it is. I was getting fedup with the insults he has had to take from these PF guys.
    They were happy to dish it out so they should be prepared to take it.
    HH and his people have nothing to apologise for.
    My advise to the president is, you have hit a nerve, so make more speeches like that.

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    • HH is even worse. He is too superstitious that he can’t move into State House, he can’t use planes used by past presidents, he can’t wear military uniform as per tradition, he refuses to use an umbrella.

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  7. In Africa we never tell anyone we respect ati ukutumpa. Only those we see as trash below us or those we want to beat up

  8. yes BA PF BALITUMASANA.GASING, CADRES AND ALLOWING CADRES TO HAVE RANKS LIKE ..COMMANDER1, 2,3ETC. ORGANIZING FAKE GAY PRTESTS AND MATCES IN ORDER TO MANUFACTURE LIES AGAINST HH. ORGANISING THEIR MEMBERS TO DISTURB YOUTH DAY . WITHOUT ANY REASON PF PLANNED TOJAIL HHFOR LIFE JUST BECAUSE ,,,! KUTUMPAre

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  9. If Mr Mweetwa is serious about the president working tirelessly to improve the economy,why doesn’t he advise his boss to stop being petty by mentioning Lungu and PF and forcus on improving the the economy? Everybody knows Lungu is not eligible to stand again. So why should he be cause for such anger and bitterness? To me it’s more of a diversionery move to have the people’s forcus diverted from certain short comings of the ruling party to petty things like bringing up dead issues that Zambians rejected in 2021.The issue of Lungu won’t emprove the economy, but your focus on the promises made during the compaign is what Zambians want. Please stay focused

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  10. Ba ‘fee color’ bar lay tally canner par fya ‘cool tumpar’

    The language is obscene and can not be defended. It is an insult to justify a swear word. Simillarlly, it is an insult to repeat an affront. What a culture of insults we are brewing! Even if some past presidents reportedly used coarse words, forward thinkers must not repeat such mistakes.

  11. A bad word is simply a bad word. You can’t justify the usage of bad language especially that it was directed at a specific person who happens to be an elderly and respected man in our society and across many borders.
    Now,can anyone wonder why there’s so much imorality in our country? Excuse me for thinking that it’s in our genes and we can only talk about it to the world and do nothing about it at home.
    Would it surprise you if you bumped into a group of kids repeating the word or using it in a song? Don’t, they heard it right. We can only kiss values and morals goodbye for all we care. We’re decayed as a nation. We’re busy asking the church for help yet we can’t even begin to be seen to want that help. We have to be serious about what we say or do

  12. Be careful how you react to what you experience in life! Bitterness, keeping a record of wrong, holding a grudge and always referring to it, ERODES WISDOM, INTELLIGENCE AND UNDERSTANDING….. Whatever our President suffered in the past is beneficial if he takes it positively, but disastrous if he takes it negatively. All he suffered was to prepare him for the task ahead of him whether to succeed or to fail. The choice is his. Nelson Mandela, was positive about his past experience. No wonder he thanked and had a meal with the police officer who broke his rib in prison. How do you describe Mandela? His task ahead of him was a success.

  13. Iwe minister of fimofimo that is not a Tonga saying, so iwe you can’t educate us Bembas on what certain words mean.

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