CONTROVERSY has erupted over Copperbelt based musician Pilato’s latest politically charged hit single ‘A Lungu Anabwera’. Critics of the musician have accused him of defaming Republican President Edgar Lungu in his song saying he is bringing the highest office in the land to ridicule.
But Pilato says he can not defame the Head of State with his song and was merely bringing out his message.
And the musician has revealed he has started receiving threats over his life since the track rattled its way on social media with massive shares.
The musician however says the intimidation coming from the Patriotic Front membership and senior government officials will not deter him from speaking about the ills in the country.
Pilato, who has shot to national attention over his polarizing lyrical content laced with running political commentary says the Patriotic Front leadership taught Zambian’s the MMD was evil and wondered why the PF was now in bed with them.
“Those that claim to be friends and believers in the ideals of the PF should be the first to apologise because, its the PF that taught us the evils we knew and know about the MMD. It is the PF that told us that the MMD were corrupt, it is the PF that told us that the MMD were responsible for sufferings of the so many Zambians today. It is the PF that told us that for us to move forward we needed to vote the government out.” Pilato said
Listen to the song here https://www.reverbnation.com/pilatoyaku
POLICE in Lusaka have instituted investigations into the alleged defamation of the President by musician Chama Fumba, alias Pilato, and have recorded statements from four complainants.
And the Zambia Association of Musicians (ZAM) has advised artistes to respect the presidency.
Lusaka Province commissioner of police Charity Katanga said in an interview yesterday that police are investigating the matter and assured that they will get to its root.
By press time, Ms Katanga said police had recorded four statements and members of the public were still going to file complaints at various police stations.
“Currently, we have recorded three statements and I have just been informed that another member of the public is making a similar complaint at Chilenje Police Station,” Ms Katanga said.
She said the first statement was recorded from Patriotic Front (PF) provincial secretary Maximo Kakumba, 36, of Lusaka’s Garden township.
Ms Katanga said Mr Kakumba complained to the police about Pilato’s song and an article in the Post newspaper edition of May 30, 2015 under the headline: “Pilato’s song excites Lungu’s critics”.
“He complained that the article is demeaning to the head of state and also about Pilato’s song, which he produced before the police,” she said.
Ms Katanga said Mr Kakumba told the police that the song by Pilato is allegedly targeted at President Lungu, which is disrespectful and has brought the name of the head of state into disrepute.
Ms Katanga said Mr Kakumba’s statement was recorded yesterday at Lusaka Central Police Station around 10:00 hours.
And ZAM secretary-general Gloria Kabongo said in a separate interview yesterday that artists should be mindful when making reference to the President.
“We should be mindful of what we sing about. Even when we express ourselves, we should do it within the confines of the law.
“The presidency is the highest office of our land, hence the need to respect the office-holder,” she said.
Ms Kabongo advised artists to desist from singing about the President in a demeaning and insulting manner.
She said Zambian artists are lucky because they go scot-free whenever they insult the President.
Ms Kabongo said this does not happen in other countries.
And Evangelical Youth Alliance International (EYAI) president Moses Lungu has called on President Lungu to take legal action against Pilato.
He said relevant authorities should ban Pilato’s song because it is a bad song that should not be given airplay
Reverend Lungu called on the police to take action against the musician because his behaviour is unacceptable.
And MMD national youth chairperson Bowman Lusambo said that the youth are disappointed with Pilato.
“Though some people are saying that he is an artist and should be allowed to express himself, the song he has sung demeans the President,” he said.
Mr Lusambo said it is unfortunate that Pilato keeps mentioning President Lungu and the MMD in a disrespectful manner in his song.
LYRICS TO THE SONG
Alungu anabwela kuchokela ku chawama…..
Kuchawama kuja Sana sebenzo nditu
Pubwelako kuja ana tenga sutu case
Mu sutu case muja munali ma jemasoni
Pamupando wakateka anapeza nipovuta
Alungu ana ganiza son nizayenda kuti kateka wa PF anamwalila kudala
Alungu ana ganiza sono nizabweza uti? RB na Dora ninabweza nikudala
Sata’s Voice:
Pantu balya Ba MMD empulumushi shikalamba ishakuya ikata abaiche bakalume mulandu wansala.
Alungu anabwela nogulisa pati yao,
RB na bana banabwela mu PF, mu PF muja bana tenga namanchito,
Alungu balemela noyi balako banzao, Kambwi ana ganiza sono nizayenda kuti? Ni Party yanga iyi tinapanga namudala.
Guy Scot ana ganiza sono nizayenda kuti? Ni Party yanga iyi tinapanga namunzanga mama…..
Sata’s Voice:
Takwaba umuntu uwakuti apyana umuntu umunobe elo lya wapyana, walaba no muntu uyo wapyene walaba na bana ebo ashile………
PILATO:
Antu amu Zambia benzo funisisa change na change inabwela bana sanka ba PF
Na RB poyenda analila nditu sure…
Manje ba PF babweza be tinapisha?
Bantu ba ganiza naku voter nikwachani? Tina Voter ba PF manje lelo ba Gulisa, nama carder yaganiza manje tizachita chani akulu bantu bonse awe lelo ba gulisiwa.
Sata’s Verse:
Campaign yaba MMd batile Sata akaleta inkoto, aba Aids akabaposa mumumana?Aba mabele ayakulu akabaputulako am abele? Nomba Lesa ifi aba nimalyotola bushe Sata ewatwele inkondo ku ba Lozi?
Pilto:
Katwishi mayo hehehe mwandi bushe abantu bakene ishina lya MMD? Bakene abali mu MMD cameleon tachinja achinja fye color lelo ni blue mailo ni green hehehehehehehehe.
Rofex
There is nothing to apologize for. I the 1980’s we had a musician do “Imisango yaba Chairman”. some overzealous minster banned the song on ZNBC but President Kaunda unbanned the song and sang it in public himself. Truth can not b hidden. Just go to Chawama and show us development there, then we ca talk
SPEAKING INJURIOUSLY OF THOSE IN AUTHORITY, REGARDLESS WE LOVE THEM OR NOT, IS UNCHRISTIAN. IF YOU READ THE BIBLE AND OBEY WHAT IT SAYS, U WOULDN’T BE IN SUPPORT OF PILATO. UNLESS OF COURSE U ARE OTHERWISE IN OPPOSITION TO THE BIBLE..
There is indeed nothing to apologise about and it would be stupid to anyway. Presidents all over the world are insulted daily, it comes with the job, get over yourself you Lungu, get over yourself. Respect to the Pilato, respect!
@1.1 Jesus said about Herod: “Go tell that fox…” (Luke 13:32). Did Jesus insult Herod? No, but he knew Herod’s character and described it as such.
Has Pilato insulted anyone?
@WS
CHECK WHAT THE WORD “FOX” MEAN IN THE CONTEXT THAT JESUS USED IT. AND IF IT IS DEROGATORY THEN LET PILATO BE DECLARED RIGHTEOUS. AND YOU CANNOT COMPARE PILATO TO JESUS. IT WOULD BE SAME AS COMPARING GOD TO YOUR PASTOR..
This is a marvellous script. Hats off to Pilato!! We need more brave people like him.
If Lungu is wise he should reflect on these lyrics and make amends. The TRUTH hurts. These are not insult. Everything he has done so far is foolish. He is taking us for granted.
Bwana Lungu, Pilato has just placed a mirror in front of you!
@ mervis
Please do not invoke His name in order to justify open criminality. Shame on you.
Police have nothing to do in Zambia. These actions of the police are more embarassing to the president. Only in fascist police states do people always try to control what people say, sing or think. Being a public figure exposes you to criticism and ridicule on a grand scale. If you cant take the heat, get out of the kitchen. These are the occupational hazards.
GO TO CHAWAMA AND YOU WILL APPRECIATE THIS SONG.
On PF being sold to MMD and RB, you have to be dull if you cant see it.
For other things, Sata says them all in the song.
Good Job Pilato.
Can someone translate the Bemba please thanks
Being a public figure requires thick skin. If I where Lungu this song would not faze me in the least. Moving on…
This song is very different from “Imisango…”. It is a copy of N. Kazembe. Pilato has distorted a very good composition by Kazembe into something dirty. He is not doing justice to a fellow and distinguished Musician. He will make people confused and deny the family of Kazembe some income. He has not damaged EL but the Kazembe family and legacy of a fellow musician. If he had clear different composition with instruments it would have been something else.
But this is what those who to bed with HH can do. Exactly what HH did. Plagiarise other people’s ideas and distort them. This song will surely do more harm yo UPND and HH than EL. Wait and see. HH sleeps with wrong people.
He has defamed the President, but Edgar should leave this dog alone lest he become a champion. What Kupyana should Edgar follow, freezing of salaries, tribal appointments etc.? Edgar is President and must have his vision otherwise he will be following a dead mans legacy that will take us nowhere.
Just because everyone appears to do it doesn’t mean its good…
The Police should be ashamed of themselves. You are investigating Pilato, when there are PF Cadres at the Bus Stations with GUNS! When are you going to inform us that you are investigating those? There is nothing wrong with Pilato’s song. That is how he sees things. By the way, he is not the only one who sees things that way.
Let’s “investigate” more serious things.
Don’t let this dirt ***** be a champion over a meanless song.only insane dagger smokers like pilato wil find joy in such stupidness and opposition don’t encourage such immorality becouse if you let loose this dog tommorrow it wil bite you coz at one time or another you wil also be in power and you wil need the same respect you want to destroy to day
Pilato’s theft of Kazembe instruments will not make your under five HH win in 2016. This song will backfire on your HH. EL is getting more popular with Zambians because he is doing his politics quietly and maturely. He is not stepping on people toes like your UPND and HH. You think by talking loudly and insulting you are creating a following. HH and UPND leadership are only showing us how primitive they are.
UNPD is so childish to be given the right to rule. HH is a boastful man who cares only for himself. He behaves like a badly brought up child, who had no parental guidance. That is how may of his supporters behave too.
May be he should have a hair cut, he may begin to reason better and mature.
much has we would like the state to spend time about such musicians, I still feel law must just take its cause over such matters so that others must not follow suit. That I think wont make a hero out of him, who would love to be called a hero out of nonsense?
this bad spirit which has prevailed in our beloved country Zambia, should be sorted out for the sake of peace and the future generation. Its not true that for one to be heard one has has to insult or use bad language no.i can give a good example of musicians like late lucky dube,may his soul rest in peace, he championed the fight against apartheid, but did he insult anyone or used bad language?no.even our own pk chashala,we some of us have listened to his song like common man good and straight to the point, no insults.
It is called satire and subject to all kinds of interpretation. Those who think it is president lungu, that is their own wrong opinion. Artists have the right to use this. In victorian era there was a clown at court who mocked the royalty in order to get their attention. Pilato, that is one good work of art. Similar to what Rushdie did in Satanic verses
This is no satire, it is direct infliction of injurious venom on one man, Edgar Lungu who is our Republican President! Satire is indirect… I have no remorse what consequences this musician faces.
Bantu Batotwe obviously you have no idea of the law. A small quiz for you .. is this the first time we are having a defamation of the president case in Zambia? If you can tell me one person who was sentenced for this alleged crime and actually jailed and served a sentence I will be shocked. Otherwise its just political noise nothing else. It will end nowhere, remember Chanda Chimba? His cases are nowhere!!! and he did worse things with the RB you are now in bed with today.
It is not satirical. Do you what you are talking about. Pilato made a direct mention of the President in manner meant to damage his image. He also stole the instruments of a very respected Zambian muscian and tuned it into a political weapon of insult.
If you support this, you and HH have no heart for the family of Kazembe and what Kazembe stood for. UPND also do not care to protect the music industry and the people who worked so hard to produce good mature music like Kazembe.
This is not responsible leadership by HH and UPND. HH is hurting the music industry just because he hates EL so much that he does not care whether the whole Zambia burns. What a selfish and useless man he is.
am a big fan of pilato but iyi azitaya ,directly mentioning the head of state name and the party name ,bazagwira iyi it tantamounts to defamation of head of state
In Civilised societies, this is known as Freedom of speech, & democracy.
It only becomes a crime if the artist/ musician incites harm/ violence towards the person / leader.
So if P.F believe they are a democratic party, which they always say they are, its time to grit the teeth, & move on.
The song has a good message. I dont see any defaming of the President..To me it seems the PF are no longer following priciples but following votes. The people they took to court for corruption are the same people who have stood on the PF ticket as MP’s..These are facts..The PF should put its house in order..
Pilato is UPND he was in part of the January 20 election campaign with HH and the team. He suffered an electoral nightmare, and they still do not believe that Lungu and PF are in control.
Anyone against Pilato s message might be a cadre eating little from them and honestly they can’t blind everyone on issues which are crystal clear ,look at the hardships Zambians are going through out of lies made by politicians . God help us as a country not forgetting Pilato
Don’t worship a human being, worship only God. Every human being squats when doing kaka. This habit of worshiping presidents was inherited from KK & his UNIP party who copied from Kim Il Sung of North Korea.
Each time you worship a fellow human, it makes you less of a human. Its actually a sin.
Today, ask any of these UNIPists if they can hero-worship KK. In 10 years, no one will even remember Lungu.
I think pilato didn’t hve things to sing that’s why he Dreamed of insulting the president hahahahahahaha let him aka kambile kusogolo
Haters will hate
Zambian Politikisi someone is called ‘Bakachema’ no crying nomba Pilato embeko akalwimbo ati mulandu.Anyway, iliko bad coz he mentioned some names…Kaya.
To tell you the truth, 85% of Zambians have welcomed the song with only 15% of the corrupt individuals pretending not to like it. You will be supprised that Edgar Lungu’s HIV Positive daughter (TASILA LUNGU) also enjoys the song. Even police officers who will be questioning Pilato also have the song in the phones and play it using head phoes. Currently, it is the most liked song in Zambia. Edgar Lungu has sold PF to Rupiah Banda with few bottles of Kachasu.
There is no single defamation of the president in that song.
it is a wonderful song indeed.
keep up Pilato.
No 85% of UPND cadres like the song!
Let people express themselves. What good is it to muzzle a person’s thoughts under the guise of out-dated laws that even your colonial masters from whom you borrowed have since trashed? What is wrong with us Zambians??? Look at swimming pools in South Africa being defended as fire-pools! That is how useless we become when we begin to defend the indefensible. Burundi is also creating a new definition on third-term and taking their society right back to the middle ages! What a useless continent!
When did Jameson become an insult? Please help!
That’s just creativity and there is nothing to apologize for. We need such musicians to spice up our lives. Pilato also you should stop dobo!
I think it will be unwisely for president starting following behind Pilato over a song. The wise response should be a “silence”, the head of state has a lot of things to do, more than wasting time over this simple and illogical issue. To those who are putting on fire and bringing up the issue of defamation, they are the job seekers.
Leave the dog alone and the song will die a natural death. What is there to worry about?
Arest pilato mwebantu!he should respect the head of state.
I hear Chishiba Kambwili has saved the same song on his phone as the ring tone, are they going to arrest him as well.
What is wrong about the song? Wasn’t Lungu dacing to this classic Zambian A phiri Anabwera song when he was under the influence of kachasu? When did this song become an insult? In 50 years no one has ever said that it is a deamining song. So why now? Plato is telling the truth about Changwa whom I respect. instead of wasting money harassing Plato, police are supposed to fight criminals. Why should Chagwa be bothered by this song. Le him prove to the Zambian people by he has come to change the lives of Zambians and that the Chawama Lungu of Kachasu no longer exist. Most of you and the police called Mwanawasa as cabbage, FTJ as kafupi, RB as Nyama Soya, HH as U5 and sata as cobra. So what is so special about Chagwa. The more you harass plato the more you make him a musical Mandela icon.
Wish this scumbag was born in Egypt
Pilato should not apologise nor stop the song playing. We need it to use and de-campaign HH and UPND for their hate speech.
It is a song that shows the caliber of people and leadership in UPND. Full of insults and disrespect. It will only work to paint a bad picture of HH and UPND.
Please let the music play. It is a tactical error for HH and UPND. We have always said HH is a political amateur. The song will only add numbers of sympathy to EL.
Isuses, issues, Issues, is what is lacking from HH and UPND. Insults, insults, insults, is what is in abundance in UPND.
You people please understand the president is not our god, he is our servant. We pay for everything using our hard earned money. Even Pilato pays for the extravagant lifestyles our politicians live. If you don’t want to be ridiculed and insulted don’t become a public figure full stop, it’s simple. Just because some of you worship men doesn’t mean you should ask others to do the same. If the man is not being paid by me through my taxes then I won’t condemn him he can do what he pleases. But you come and ask me for a vote and I put you in power then you say I shouldn’t criticise, that is hogwash. We are the masters not the slaves.
@Mervis-Gone are the days when primitivity & gullibility were among the majority citizenry! Do not use the Holy Bible to justify diabolical distasteful hellish absurdities & unjustifiable evils! Grow up & speak out for the poor masses,not supporting these *****s of yours in PF! You can’t see what they have brought in Zambia. Silly illiterate & irrational adult of the 21st century! A spade must be called by its true name as a spade!
This kind of amature political analyst populism can be dangerous. There is no depth to the argument. There is just cheek, and a few statements that just touch the surface of things but do not really talk about anything. There is nothing wrong with talking, but is it necessary to be rude? Shock effect sensationalism? This is shallow sensationalism which, just because tghe so-called musician has a medium of communication with a wide majority, thatg should come with some responsib ility. Not every kunt who can attacks leadership has a point or is being productive.
i am not concerned with the musician so called pilato, my concerned is the way the issue of these so called musicians almost every one to me they are adding less value to the society than the harm they are bringing. what i mean is that their messages is all about insulting. what our musician are now competing for is insults. the more you insult the more you expect to be known. the more you strip necked when singing the more you are known. gone are the days we hard PK, Paul Ngozi Mulemena and the recent Glorious band who could educate the nation and the generations to come.
“He complained that the article is demeaning to the head of state and also about Pilato’s song, which he produced before the police,” she said.
this piracy. where did this person buy the copy of the song? can Pilato also sue these complainants for piracy so that they pay him.
DEC please follow this chap he always move with malijwana in his bombasa, even in his wig you must seach you soon catch him and put him behind bars
Though the language used appears foreign to me, lets give the president his due respect. Why misuse the freedom of expression defaming the president( in his personal capacity) to please a certain lot and to make money? If it specifies on certain issues ( persie ) which seem going astray, then there should be no cause for alarm, the govt should rectify. Equivocally, the police should not appear busy molesting the artist to please the president as the big fish roam around talking anyhowly concerning the same president yet you have no guts to arrest them. First deal with those untouchables before you go for the small fish.
but pa zambia paba abawelewele, does it mean tt wen someone is not your god u a supose to insult that person, do u insult yo parents cos they a not yo God? b mature and u a jst making Edgar more popular u ask chanda chiimba will tell u wat he reapt in de capaigning sata.
Yes if he is against the president.
The problem in Zambia, we always think that the dead had a solution. life is about the living. The dead have played their part. I encourage the President to rule the country according to what the living Zambians want not what the dead wanted.King David was once told not to cry for dead son but to think of the living son.So people of Pilato’s type are not progressive.
@ba starnely i like your level of ignorance while trying to come out as an enlightened person. i personally know more than fivepeople who have served jail terms for defaming bakateka. mind you its acriminal case to defame bakateka, while defaming you is a civil case where if you win you get just anything less than K1,000
Can the Bemba’s translate what the late president Sata was saying please ? Thanks in advance.
Theres no defamation in the song Am sure the president should take leaf from it.What he has put in the song are words of many people on the streets.
Awe kwena iyi ninyimbo sana.
if u arrest pilato u should also arrest the post,dont take advantage bcoz he is poor,while the post are always campaigning pf..!!
Are you saying he has the right to demean other people just because he is poor? Are you saying that Pilato is immune to proceeds of the law. The Post only reported what Pilato did.
He is a useless dagga smoking fella. He is not an artist but a copyist. He copied Kazembe’s song and completely distorted it into something unpalatable.
When the law turns screws on him, he will become even more poor because his sponsors will desert him when things turn sour.
He knows what he was doing and deserves whatever comes to him
if u arrest pilato u should also arrest the post,dont take advantage bcoz he is poor,while the post are always decampaigning pf..!!
Laws make our country North Korea
• You can be judged without presence of you or even your lawyer.
• You can be punished by 2 years of jail for “defamation” (what is defamation and what isn’t – it is decided by our corrupted judges).
• It is a crime to insult a judge or a policeman, also it’s illegal to collect information about policemen and judges (it is because we protesters collected information about policemen that beat people and judges that made unlawful resolutions in order to punish them (in legal ways only)).
• Blocking of entrance to house (3 years of jail), blocking administration buildings (5 years)
• It is now illegal to use helmet, hard hat, mask or even scarf on your face when you gather together
• Huge Internet restrictions, complete Internet censorship…
Comment:edgar has just failed to to b a leader.let HH rule us please