Zambia popular privately owned television channel Muvi TV this evening launches its widely anticipated presidential live TV debates kicking off with presidential running mates.
The debate will be held at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre starting at 18 Hours and are a partnership between Muvi TV and the BBC Media Action.
The debate will kick off this evening with the first one featuring presidential running mates.
The final leg of the debates will be held on the 3rd and 4th of August for all presidential candidates.
The debates will be moderated by seasoned broadcaster and Muvi TV General Manager Costa Mwansa.
And the UPND has announced that its presidential running mate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba commonly known as GBM will not feature at this evening’s debate.
In a statement, UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka said, “regrettably, UPND Vice-President for Administration Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) will not be attending the running mate debate on 26th July at 1800. This is due to shifts in his programme for Northern and Muchinga Provinces following the announcement of President Lungu’s travel in the area. Unfortunately, the party has been unable to obtain the necessary permits for GBM to hold events in Lusaka this week as an alternative.”
But Mr Katuka has confirmed that UPND presidential candidate Mr. Hakainde Hichilema is set to participate in the live presidential debate on Muvi TV scheduled for 4th August.
Mr. Hichilema has welcomed the opportunity to join the proceedings, commenting: “This is an chance for us candidates to lead by example and show that competition in a democracy is all about the exchange of ideas and civilised discussion, not violence, slander and intimidation.”
“This is an excellent opportunity to focus on the issues that are impacting the daily lives of our people, such as joblessness, rising food prices and the difficulty of accessing even basic health services. It is a chance for us to educate voters on the choice they face on 11th August 2016.”
Please just tell us the truth that GBM has no capacity to articulate comprehensive development and economic programmes. The debate would have shown him up.
All he is good for is beating his wife.
It’s fair enough. GBM has respect for Ba Inonge, he can’t go there to embarrass her like nobody.
If Inonge attends, then Lungu should attend and face Kabimba.
@ Nostradamus
You know lungu only debates ku tarven pa chikopo, sober! Awe shuwa his tongue misses words!
And ba PF should know this not a debate of lungu vs HH,,, its for all presidents in zambia, my cousin president mulyokela has confirmed he will attend, I want to believe that lungu is not afraid for him!
Us from the green party will attend high in spirit with a green agenda, we will “make zambia a paradise again”
GBM must stay away for good. HH must be out of his mind to pick him for a running mate. How will he put an Agenda forward to stop domestic violence when GBM is the chief wife beater?
Zambian women stand up for your rights and root out domestic violence. How many daughters, sisters and mothers are you going to lose before before you wake up?
Say no to domestic violence, say no to GBM.
GBM stayed away because he cant articulate issues. Wages of having a moneyed Kaponya as running mate. All money and no substance.
They should have had enticed GBM with a promise of being given a chance to beat up someone or to insult for one hour unabated.
Okay, now this is ridiculously embarrassing. It’s UPND that was calling for debates, and progressive Zambians everywhere supported the idea. Now that Muvi Tv has decided to call their bluff, GBM decides to chicken out? I mean HH didn’t know that his running mate cannot articulate himself? And this is a guy that’ll be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Lesson here is when running for president, pick a running mate that is as good as you’re, if not better. Picking an unqualified and dumb guy creates problems for the country, once the circumstances call for them to take over the office.
@ MyZambia
Thanks for the clarification.
Now I understand why ECL is chickening from Presidential candidates debate!!!
Afraid to answer questions about his CONVICTION FOR EMBEZZLEMENT, PARDONING OF CONVICTED RAPIST and CHILD MOLESTER and KILLING OF UNARMED GIRL!!!
Agree with you dude. GBV has no capacity to debate intelligently.
We will copy and paste the pattern of voting for southern province, why should we vote for HH when tongas don’t vote for us? we can’t accept a situation where nega nega 18,000 and Lungu 0 Hmmmmmmmm olo ni tribalism nifi kwena, chachilamo this time it’s nega nega formula all the way mwana
Will Edgar Lungu attend the interviews????????????????????? Maybe then we should be soft on GBM if someone who already has the power is dead scared to be asked questions about what he will continue doing for the masses?
And Where is Inonge? will she participate? I don think so…ruling parties don’t participate at Presidential level of debates that is all I know because its Easier to promise as an Opposition (90 days and all that nonsense) than to account for your performance as a ruling Party (high cost of living, unmanageable debt, high inflation etc)
Why waste time on a debate when you are busy (UPND) saying that the election will be rigged. What will change after the debate. I am just asking
Nice move ba MUVI TV and the partners
GMB knows his lies have caught up.
GBM is about to be exposed and disqualified from being running mate having forged certificates.
The evidence has been found. So GBM do yourself a favour. Pull out before we undress you in public and don’t let HH have a heart attack.
Kaponya (HH) musa taniyo ko and his stooges have realized their campaigns are yielding nothing. Hence their desparate attempts with Muvi TV.
We will give you Tasila Lungu so that she can knock some sense into your A4 sheet of paper you call a 10 point plan.
We don’t want you to die of shock when his Excellency ECL shows you what the PF has delivered in 5 years. Our chosen one Edgar Lungu is above these petty debates championed by Boer thugs and privatization charlatans.
Panyo pa maiwako kukula. Chagwa azagwa
It seems Tasila are the new found brains of the PF after years of searching for some gray matter 🙂
GBM did you think you could fool Zambians. You may have intimidated to make you running mate??
However, you are about to be flashed in the loo.
Scared to answer questions about your qualifications. You cant run anymore. The truth is about to come out.
HH… sorry you should have used your head and not your emotions from your heart. This will go down in the history of Zambia.
This is where GBM finishes your political career.
So you know your only hope to win is disqualifying HH? that will put Zambia in flames, tell nabasula banobe atii that plan won’t work. It’s over for Lungu
The Presidential debates globally involve the Candidates themselves and not the Running Mates. GBM is out of town for good reasons created by ECL. The Northern Provinces are crucial to UPND’s win so GBM must complete his campaign schedule in those areas. In any case HH who is the Presidential Candidate for UPND will attend the Debate and articulate the Ten Point Plan on 4th Agust 2016. We hope ECL will grace the debate for a change. We look forward to these debates.
These people have access to helcopters…so you mean addressing the nation and selling your manifesto for free live on TV is not priority. Lazy Lungu is not obligated to attend…the problem with the opposition is that the lack foresight…they expect others to do things they cant do themselves!!
@ Jay Jay
Who gives permission for Helicopter to fly?
Short memory?
GBM can not hold his temper or his tongue on TV….even when debating with old Grandma Bo Inonge…he knows that. But this will simply backfire on this UPND as Lazy Lungu will use the selfsame excuse.
If you are desperate to hear GBM and Inonge Wina debate boringly, thats your own problem. As for me, I am only intrested in Lungu-Nawakwi-Hakainde and those otthers I dont know debate
Mr Kudos and your friends are so interested in what GBM does and yet your own president has chickened out like a whimp.
Debates are a share waste of time among niggaz!
Inonge must not waste time with this rubish. She shld let losers b. The upnd campaigns ve floped, so why waste time with losers
Ba Lungu umwenso wama debate, chansoni sana.
Temwenso his busy but we can give you Tasila she is equal to the task!
Who z tasila wechipuba we? u think this z a joke,or we are talking about real issues here
Lol ,TV debates on serious issues is a good start but lets face uncomfortable realities. Zambian elections are decided by tribe,regionalism,political lies ,threats to with hold development and chitenge+ubunga bribes.
I hope Lungu will be there for the debate which is not likely and fools talking about GBM will shut their ***** up knowing how dull they are
Cheap and free publicity for UPND, after their campaign has been turned upside down by sontapo and HH’s myopic misjudgement like he is an.illiterate
No bemba vote, Kopala has returned to no go area for UPND despite all the atrempts by GBM and HH, things are just not going well for HH except in his home county, chipata is swaying to Lungu so is Muchinga Northern Luapula
Terrible have you seen HH’s rallies they are way bigger than lungu. PF is now desparate flying chopper at UPND rally, and this attending debate is a shock and clear sign of desparation. Inonge is failing badly to pull crowds and I just seen one vehicle announcing for people to go see JK, mampi, chesta and ngosa instead of honestly telling people it is a PF rally. Jean kapata, kambwili and lubinda were recently talking about how HH is pulling crowds.
You gotta wonder at the state of this Terrible chap’s brain. Ati no go area when PF has only managed community meetings on the copperbelt compared to UPND mammoth rallies on the same copperbelt. SO what logc are you using, one has to wonder but I say to people wonder no more, being PF means being dull and illogical, your comment is the perfect case study my delusional friend. 🙂
Tasks, get your papers together, there comes your oponent hhtechilema
Articulating issues of any kind well is not a guarantee that one deliver, Its one thing to articulate and to deliver is another. Even in the bible, Lucifer was the best singer but was the worst sinner, so don’t be misled with the debates!
Meantime the ballot printing went superbly well despite futile attempts to discredit the printer and ECZ by the boy HH and his uncle Mwaanga the old idoit.
The ballot papers are arriving on Thursday to await the final armageddon, waterloo and retirement for HH.
Tasila here comes your job
A well contrived and calculated move by GBM. The guy is crude and brash. His animadversion attitude would have embarrasses UPND. I think HH and his advisers were instrumental in keeping him out of the public’s view. Vote wisely guys…PRESIDENT ECL DESERVES A SECOND TERM
Then advise him to attend the debate so he can convince the undecided voter why he deserves a second term.
…I hope PF sympathisers condemning GBM for not attending shall say the same about ECL when he absconds presidential debate….
Developed countries discuss issues and ideas ,developing countries discuss personalities and events.Zambia is a great club member in the latter.
I don’t see anything positive to excite some people with the useless debates by Muvi tv?? Some people have shan ZNBC TV sponsored programmes only their advts. In short, Inonge and Ecl should not waste their energy and time to attend such events when others have shanned very important events like National Prayers for peaceful elections.
Jon inonge and ECL are visionless maybe they can go there and learn something. There rallies have shrunk from last year and with so much entertainment it is hard to tell if people are there for music or not.
Ba Gbm zoona, mwatina, I think English is a problem, he can’t speak it for half an hour without using bemba, hahaha, Ati running mate lol ?, choose your work mates wisely Mr HH, this is the end of upnd
Presidential debate is for the presidential aspirants including Lungu!!! not running mates or tasila. We want to see them go head to head so we can decide who to vote for.
Fire questions for Lungu PF to Sontapo at debate:
1. Unprecedented corruption and grand thief
2. Price increases in mealie meal, sugar, saladi compared to wage rise
3. Salary increase for Edgar and account for wealth rise since leave Chawama
4. Rise in inflation and debt
5. Level of job losses compared to 500,000 jobs he promised to create.
Articulating issues very well in English is not a matter but the way one understands these issues is the most important thing in this world
Remember English is not our mother tongue ,take Tanzania as an example.No wonder Tanzania has progressed
muvi tv debates are a sham! period!
No need to force people to go for these debates, it is not one of the requirements in our constitution. Muvi TV covers upnd so let hh go and debate. Problem with upnd they want to call the shots, i.e don’t give your husbands conjugal rights if they don’t join upnd, meantime hh is enjoying his harlem. Wonder what will happen if they are given a chance to rule this country.
So GBM is the only one who deserves being castigated for not attending the debates? How about the old witch Inonge, was she there? At least UPND sent an apology for the absence of their VP, which same cannot be said about PF. It is highly unlikely that ECL will attend the presidential debates while HH is looking forward to go and sell himself and his party. So what does that say about Team PF? Kuwayawaya fye.
All you guys who have commented on this story tamwaba bwino.I mean all of you!Unless you have not commented.Just come and help me finish smoking three 50kg bags of Kanja and forget about commenting on some issues.But guys,what is the point of commenting on some of these issues?Pantu tutalikanafyee.We only waste time guys,heeh,let us just stop it,ok?We don’t even get paid.Uuli apa ati:HH,uyu naye ECL.Bena baleelya.Your vote is your comment.Go and comment through your vote.Debate,debate;watulumuna na menso pakuleemba ifileembo pa foni nangu pa computer pakutiila uko mente?No one is making sense out of his/her comment.Juuuuuglees lar maeria la leeeriah!
I would urge Mr. Lungu too not to waste time with this desperate guys! Just whoop ’em clean during the elections, Sir!
Thy have failed to compain ba kolwe.Under 5 politics awe bane,HH calls himself un ecconomic manager n whn ECL brought the open door policy to state house in order to hve anyone with a solution to different problems zambia ws facing,HH ddnt go there to offer solutions and this ws de tym all zambians wantd HH to come forth and zambians wldve benefitd a lot.Now wht ar we going to benefit 4rm thz debates and wht ecconomic solutions is it going to give us?
el do not waste time the debate is organised by chi hh+muvi its rubbish
Muvi TV after that bring us a debate between mushota, ndobo saulosi nostradamus and jay jay
and between chintomba and his wife