Government is not happy with remarks attributed to Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) General Secretary, Susanne Matale, that there is no logic and value in celebrating 50 years of Zambia’s independence this October when Zambians still wallow in poverty.
Chief Government Spokesperson and Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Mwansa Kapeya, says the statement is regrettable and retrogressive.
Mr Kapeya said contrary to Rev Matale’s sentiments, Zambians have every reason to celebrate the country’s 50 years of independence this October as they have always done in the past 49 years.
He said Zambia, like many other countries world-over, still faces many developmental challenges but that this does not mean that the nation should not celebrate its independence which was achieved at great cost and sacrifice.
Mr Kapeya said in a statement released to media in Lusaka today that the country’s founding fathers and mothers spared nothing in freeing Zambia from the yoke of colonialism.
“No pain was too hard for them to bearer and no load was too heavy for them to carry. Indeed no life was too precious for them to lose for the cause of freedom, prosperity and dignity for Mother Zambia,” Mr Kapeya stated.
He said no amount of material or monetary reward can ever suffice to thank the gallant men and women for the immense and immeasurable sacrifice they made in liberating the country.
“As Zambia turns 50 later this year, it is opportune time to remember the Kaundas, Nkumbulas, Kapwepwes, Kamangas, Bulawayos, Mama Chikamoneka, Mama Kankasa, Grey Zulu, and indeed many other unspoken heroes and freedom fighters.
“We remember and pay tribute to them and never forget that it is to them that we owe the freedom we enjoy today as a sovereign nation,” Mr Kapeya said.
He said failure to appreciate the logic and value in celebrating Zambia’s Golden Jubilee, is contempt of the highest order against the gallant men and women who sacrificed their all for the freedom of mother Zambia.
The Chief Government Spokesperson said the country has been at peace for the past 50 years during which citizens have had peaceful transitions of power from one Government to another over the years, much to the envy of the world.
He said this is no mean achievement for which all citizens have every reason to celebrate.
Mr Kapeya said Rev Matale’s argument that it is meaningless for Zambians to celebrate 50 years of independence in the midst of poverty is akin to the misplaced notion that the poor should not celebrate their birthdays and wedding anniversaries.
“Just like the United States of America and other developed countries celebrate their special days, Zambia should also celebrate its special day proudly and freely like the national anthem says,” He said.
Mr Kapeya said Government is under no illusion about the enormity of the economic and developmental challenges Zambia faces even as the country turns 50 years later this year.
He said this is why Government, under the leadership of President Michael Sata, has intensified and accelerated the pace of development to uplift people’s living standards.
Mr Kapeya noted that roads, schools, universities, clinics, hospitals and other social and economic infrastructure and facilities were being built country-wide and that Government has also placed high premium on job creation through creation of a conducive environment for both local and foreign investment.
He further stated that Government has heightened the fight against corruption in order to maximize accountability and utilization of public resources for the benefit of the people.
Mr Kapeya said these and other measures demonstrate Government’s commitment to building a better and prosperous Zambia for all even as the country prepares to celebrate 50 years of independence this October.
let the woman of God alone. Are you one of the useless proud referred too?
No new constitution no independence celebrations!
Useless MP………. No wonder your boss refers to you as such.
Governance is serious business, it’s not chintobentobe or ifyabukaya.
NOT YET UHURU!
Well, well, well payback time kanshi. Ba Mwansa Kapeya you used to the darling of ifyabukaya but governance issue umm neh! Did you ever see your sick lion Sata Satana attending any national celebrations/commemorations when he was in opposition? He used to say there was nothing to celebrate while the majority Zambians can’t afford food on the table. Did you ever see Sata Satana going to State House when in opposition? So today Sata can test his own medicine of isolation and dancing to his own tune of nothing to celebrate whilst the majority Zambians starve. Well the best solution is just to shut it. Zambians are not demented by all means to forget what Sata used to do.
GBM FIRED and he joins ABZ party to recontest KASAMA seat UKO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Madam Suzan Matale was right on. There is no need for Zambia to spend billions of kwacha organising the indepence celebrations when the prices of mealie meal and fuel are beyond the reach of many of us. The jubilee is just meant for the monkeys in the field to help themselves by looting even more. We want a constitution. The kwacha is fairing very badly on the currency market and this government seldom talks about such issues. Why then must we celebrate? The best would be to have mass demonstrations on that particular day so that we as Zambians can express our displeasure and anger at the way this f00lish PF government has mismanaged the affairs of our beautiful country. Kapeya himself has all of a sudden acquired excessive affluence from nowhere. The law will visit you.
Which Zambian sacrificed their life for Zambia to be free? Even the so-called freedom fighters, not even a single scratch on their bodies! Just dots left by pimples. Stop over sensitizing the freedon struggle. It wasn’t that bloody. The struggle for independence has to translate into economic prosperity. Matale is right. The money to be spent on celebrating political independence should be channelled to economic ventures
“Lelo, lelo ” ba Kapeya.Zambians cant stomach anymore “BUFI”Just give us our new constituion
no wonder their leader sees that they are useless and don’t reason..there’s sense in what the Rev.Matalae is saying..viva abstinence to golden jubileee..
I HAVE NO DOUBT KAPEYA IS ON THE TOP LIST OF USELESS MPS FOLLOWED BY GABON DISASTER MAN
@7 is right. Mass demonstrations to register our displeasure as a nation over so many issues, among them high mealie meal prices and the constitution should be they way to go. I am suggesting to make this color-coded with either Black or Red or both.