Statehouse has said that the statement by the Acting Secretary-General of the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) Mr. Nickson Chilangwa, purporting that the acting President of the PF Mr. Given Lubinda was ejected from the Ncwala traditional ceremony on presidential orders, is not only false but also a total and malicious fabrication aimed at maligning the integrity of President Hakainde Hichilema.
In a statement released to the media by President’s Spokesperson Anthony Bwalya, Statehouse said that all guests at the event were bound by the protocols of the event as had been determined and prescribed by the event’s organizing team, and therefore everyone was expected to oblige and that at no point was Mr. Lubinda, or indeed any member of the PF contingent, ordered to leave the ceremony.
Mr. Bwalya said that the inability of and by Mr. Lubinda and his team to observe and keep to what he described as the basic protocol expectations designed to maintain order and ensure the dignity of the Ncwala traditional ceremony, as well as the failure to recognize the hierarchy of invitation desired by the organizing committee, amounts to a total disregard of the authority of the Paramount Chief Mpezeni, at whose innovation President Hichilema was in attendance.
“It is further regrettable, that the PF leadership contingent would attempt to use the Ncwala traditional ceremony as a playground for political mind games and neglect to recognize the show of national unity and oneness inherent in the celebration of this rich cultural, and in many respects, a national event.
“The public is urged to disregard and dismiss Mr. Chilangwa’s statement with the disdain it deserves,” concluded the statement.
According to Mr. Chilangwa PF Party Acting President, Hon. Given Lubinda was unceremoniously evicted from the Ncwala Ceremony on the instruction of President Hakainde Hichilema.
In a statement to the media, Mr. Chilangwa when a PF high-powered delegation led by Mr. Lubinda arrived at the Mtenguleni venue, Mr. Lubinda was ushered to his seat by Mr. Noel Nkoma (patron of the organising committee) upon which the arrival of our Acting President was recognized and announced by the Director of ceremonies and Mr. Lubinda was placed at the very end of the front row in the VVIP dignitaries pavilion.
After an hour and just when the arrival of the Republican President, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema was announced, Mr. Noel Nkoma approached Mr. Lubinda telling him that he had been instructed by a senior security officer of the Republican President that Mr. Lubinda was being asked to leave.
Mr. Lubiinda requested to speak to the concerned officer who had issued the instructions for him to leave, upon which Assistant Superintendent D Mwanza came along and informed Mr. Lubinda that he was commanded to ensure that he is made to leave saying that they did not want any confusion to take place where the Republican President would be.
Asked by Mr. Lubinda as to who was making such commands and what confusion was being anticipated, Mr. Mwanza angrily retorted that he was not to be asked any questions and threatened Mr. Lubinda that he was going to moved forcibly if he did not oblige.
After a back and forth argument, Mr. Lubinda decided against a protracted altercation and proceeded to leave the arena, prompting all members of the PF delegation to follow suit.
“Much as we had the capacity to resist the ejection, we elected to be civil about it for the sake of harmony and for observing the decorum deserved by Your Royal Highness and the ceremony,” Mr. Chilangwa
Noel Nkhoma has started a war that he won’t finish not us all ngonis are UPND and please don’t bring politics to such an important rich culture we cherish like any other of the country.He is taking the whole thing personal to please his Master for his appointment by HH .We where promised the President will unite the nation but sorry now you are taking Politics to traditional ceremonies.What a disgrace.My ancestors are disgusted in there graves for such rubbish
Trouble is that people attend these ceremonies as leaders of political parties. Why not just go as individual citizens looking for fun and willing to sit anywhere and mingle with fellow citizens?
What is so special about this super spreader of Covid19? Tanzania did away with chiefs and see how they have out paced us in development. If I was a president or some official I wouldn’t waste time on this nonsense. There are enough problems in the country to keep one busy instead of wasting fuel on nonproductive events.
CHIEFS WILL BE THE DOWNFALL OF THIS COUNTRY
This is racism of the worst kind… lubinda the only light skinned nigg@ at the ncwala…. kikikiki
I have always doubted Hichilema’s sincerity. Why has he ignored the leaked conversation between his Special Assistant and Hakafumba? He has exposed himself to speculation that he had a hand in it. So how can we trust him on this one? Lubinda didn’t give himself a place to sit. These aren’t events to show your political muscle. This is what led to the Mongu incident. Review those videos and you’ll understand
Politically biased on both points raised, no objectivity here. Start organizing your party, you might get the same big defeat on August 12 2026, stop wars on chairs and who sat where, rebrand, you don’t have time
The problem is no one can trust what PF says………
when they were in government, they were the factory of lies and fabrications……
We remember the bwengwa kidnappings by UPND commandos, we rember GBM training milita to attack ZDFs , we remember UPND getting $1.6 million forigne funding to buy weapons, ………
How can people in GRZ tell so much lies and fabrications ??? If they can tell so much lies in GRZ , What more when they are opposition ????
We hope this UPND GRZ does not go down that path………..
Because in the past regime the President could dictate who sits where at ceremonies and events, they think it is the same now. Please note that we are back to civilization now. How can somebody in his right frame of mind say the President ordered where anybody can sit
PF cry babies at it again
Failing to rebrand and restrategise, just crying for seats at ceremonies now. Very worrying at the rate the PF is finishing by the day
Hh is an arrogant psycho who needs to be locked up in chainama
Mbuzi
The PF delegation operated without any dignity and clearly without the required respect for the local chiefs. The PF-ers had clearly come to embarrass the republican president, and it was a just decision for them to be removed.
Kaizer Zulu has a Narcissistic personality disorder
He is the one to go to chainama for the sake of his friends and family
He is just a spineless f00l
Sorry a crocodile will only give birth to a crocodile not a lizard.
I was among those priviledged to sit in the VVIP arena, we are UPND but our delegations behviour was not good and there was totally no need to even ask PF delegation to leave the arena because they not even near where was going to HH sit. Its clear our top leaders are unforgiving, intolerant and full of self.
Ba Bwalya or ba Walya, you are a disgrace to Zambians. You have failed to articulate how Lubinda failed to comply to Nchwala protocol. Yours is the semantics of English. You can’t justify such wrongs. You lack the spirit of tolerance, forgiveness and togetherness. God help us.
There is a protocol in these places, it is not a question of guess work that because PF were sitting far from UPND, it is okay. The people who asked Given to sit where he was supposed to sit and not where he was is the organizing committee and not UPND, guns are blazing in Ukraine and the price of oil is going up and here we are PF is again discussing sitting arrangements at Ncwala, as usual never focused. No wonder no rebranding taking place
OP dress their plain clothes properly just look at the photo of those men behind the president in tradition gear ..now look at their boots they are wearing polished standard issue ZP boots.
PF have nothing to offer but divisive and trabilistic politics …
OP dress their plain clo thes properly just look at the photo of those men behind the president in tradition gear ..now look at their boots they are wearing polished standard issue ZP boots.
This same protocol Anthony Balya is talks ng about was never followed by UPNN at the Kuomboka ceremony in recent past claiming the republican president then was as ordinary in Mongu as any other person. Sometimes, what goes around surely comes around just a matter of when.
This same protocol Anthony Bwalya is talking about was never followed by UPNN at the Kuomboka ceremony in recent past claiming the republican president then was as ordinary in Mongu as any other person.
Sometimes, what goes around surely comes around, just a matter of when.
I personally think Mr. Given Lubinda is NOT a politician; much as he has spent so much time in politics! Often times he plays to the gallery. He does not have true followers, even in Kabwata constituency. No political clout; no ideological inclination. Perhaps just in it to sustain personal businesses.
Clearly still living in the past
Adults fighting for a ringside seat to watch half naked women exposing their whithered breasts. Rubbish. Stay safe, stay home.
@ deja vu….na twa fresh tuliko…thats why you see these guys rushing to events like this one just to bonk teens
Given Lubinda is a foreigner so he’s not to be allowed to hold certain public positions .
Blame it all on Noel Nkhoma who was patron of the Ncwala organising committee. He is UPND and stood for the Luangeni parliamentary seat. He ushered Lubinda to his seat. One wonders whether the removal of Lubinda from the seat he was ushered to was deliberately done by Nkhoma to embarrass Lubinda.