PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has said it is unAfrican and abnormal for people to discuss other peoples’ health in public.
Speaking on arrival from Livingstone at Lusaka International Airport yesterday, Mr Banda said every person was entitled to their privacy.
He was responding to questions by journalists who wanted him to comment on Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata’s invitation to him and Vice-President George Kunda to undergo medical tests.
“It is unZambian for people to talk about another person’s health in public. How can I start talking about his health?” he asked.
And Patriotic Front Bahati Member of Parliament Besa Chimbaka has backed National Democratic Focus president Ben Mwila’s appeal to Mr Sata to withdraw his candidature for the presidency because of health concerns.
Mr Chimbaka said the office of president was a demanding job and a person vying for the position must be able to handle the pressures that go with it.
He said voters should not aim at satisfying an individual candidate but consider the high cost involved in organising a presidential by-election in case of anything.
Mr Sata was not reachable by press time but his vice-president Guy Scott said Mr Mwila was speaking from a position of ignorance because it was normal for anyone to become sick.
Dr Scott urged Zambians to stop listening to people like Mr Mwila because he was not a cardiologist.
“You the Press must also list the diseases that Mr Mwila has so then we will see who will contest,” Dr Scott said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday.
Forum for Leadership Search executive director Edwin Lifwekelo blamed Mr Sata for starting the debate by talking ill about Vice-President George Kunda’s trip for medical reviews in South Africa.
The PF leader was accused of having made telephone calls to South Africa seeking confirmation that Mr Kunda was dead.
Details emerged later that Mr Sata was also diagnosed with some
diseases including a heart condition. Mr Sata said the diseases were ‘minor’ and had been treated.
Matero MP Faustina Sinyangwe and Luapula MP, Peter Machungwa said Mr Sata was at liberty to aspire for any leadership position whether or not he was unwell.
Dr Machungwa said politicians should not stop others from contesting positions available for any Zambian regardless of the medical condition.
Mrs Sinyangwe said in a separate interview that the debate about illnesses was unhealthy and did not reflect the African culture that did not encourage discrimination based on sickness.
Independent Churches of Zambia president Reverend David Masupa urged politicians to concentrate on development issues instead of illnesses.
Rev Masupa said everybody was potentially ill and urged all those who had been accused of being unwell to remain steadfast in their political activities.
Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia (FFTUZ) president Joyce Nonde-Simukoko said politicians should not deviate the citizens from real issues.
Ms Simukoko said the debate and insults about illnesses did not add to the well-being of the people.
[Times of Zambia]
Yangu tata pa Zed ubusushi bweka bweka 😮 For goodness sake, cant our leaders grow up?
His Excellency President RB Banda should understand that Sata’s uncultured behavior is worsened by lack of education. Even myself I have never seen before an aspiring republican office candidate who builds his political stamp on malice, stigmatization, segregation and xenophobia of citizens of mere perception that they are sick even when empirically himself is a moving coffin with many terminal diseases. In a country littered with mourning widows, orphans and the sick who practically are another constituency, where does such insanity of stigmatization and xenophobia take Sata? His is a violation of the UN charter on rights of citizenry.
malice, stigmatization, segregation and xenophobia of citizens oo mere perception that they are sick
Stigmatization, segregation and xenophobia of citizens on mere perception Sata has instead exposed his lack of wisdom, leadership and strategy. He has trapped himself in a moral, spiritual and cultural war against Zambians. His xenophobic politics is no soul winning strategy but disquieting one that has left the sick in the country see their extermination at the hand of Sata regime God forbid if as a people we were to commit treason by making a mistake to risk with him when its plain clear that Sata’s none saleable hegemonic discourse is at variance with a moral and just society.
For the first time balanda ko ifya mano !
Thanks RB for this, timely. While I know there is nothing you can do to discipline Sata… You can atleast discipline Mulongoti for joining in the arguments,and actually discussing other people’s medical conditions. I know Senoir Citizen would rather concentrate on Sata – he can’t condemn those who give him his daily bread and butter even when they also act stupidly.
Ba Senior Citizen, by the way, make sure you got yourself ka plot pa Zed coz tables will be turning come 2011. Kuya bebele. Tukesamonana bwino ku Chibolya. Ikawama sana ilyashi while sipping on some kachasu or is it utujilili baeba :)>-
Ba Senior Citizen,
Is MCS so much a threat for your continued stay at the Zambian Embassy in US? Your continuous pouring vernon at him is becoming sickening and making some of us put our weight behind him. Just concentrate on advising your people on how to save the last coins for the administration is coming to an end in 2011, Pact or no pact
Mr President, For the first I agree with you on your statement and many bloggers have already condemned the irresponsible behaviour of your VP Kunda who started it all. Now Mr RB go a little further and slap punitive measures on Mr Kunda by sacking him for his shameful utterances at the airport. This will send a clear message to all and sundry. Let the clean-up begin. Enough is enough.
As for Senior Citizen #2, I don’t understand why he always chooses to be irrelevant on issues, now he is talking about Sata and cunningly avoids commenting on Kunda the real culprit. Senior Citizen, you are brain-washed beyond redemption.
Too bad our political leaders are still debating no sense.
When you look at people like Chimbanka-they are useless to the political arena–they always want to go ukwakaba where there is lye…..I pity his useless political career
Let us discuss other sensible issues not health matters of politicians putting in mind that Mr Banda should be red carded and if MMD puts him as presidential candidate then they will confirm their depature
Imwe ba Banda,we have tackled this one already.Where have you been?Travelling?
We discussed this and came to a solid conclusion,check our blogs iwe chi Rupiah!!
I don’t know what RB is talking about it is wrong white or black to talk about some ones illness not that is unAfrican that nonsence just grow up you leaders in Zambia and provide food for the people, you know the new prime minister and his deputy here in the UK are both 43 years old so imagine how the can mix with the like of RB and his clowns.
You guys what are you talking about? A public figure like RB and his Vice president Kunda’s health should not be kept in secret. These people are our employees and as an employer, all zambians must know if our president is fit to work. You Zambians, don’t forget that, we just lost our President Mwanawasa. People who surrounded him including the so called doctors didn’t advice him to step down on health grounds. You may condemn mr. Sata for everything but on this one, I would advise you to think twice before you throw your stone on him.Second, all those who are going to stand for the highest office in Zambia come 2011 must go through medical review to make sure they are fit to perform the national duties. It is not the duty of Besa Chimbaka to declare one un fit to stand as a president.
Illnesses experienced by politicians should be known so that Zambia does not encounter another presidential death. If you keep electing sick people, you’ll spend loads of money on by-elections instead of development.
The questions are;
Is it possible for healthy people to crack down under demanding jobs and pressures that go with it?… Are all men above the age of 70 terminally ill?… Can men over the age of 70 with curerable ailments manage pressure and stress that go with demanding jobs like that of president?…
No, sir. The nation has an interest in the health of public figures. I mean i want to know how your knee is doing, or how Kundas general health is, yes and how Mr Sata’s heart is pumping lately.Not because of petty interest but out of knowing how stable the top is. Leave office if you want your health to be purely a private matter
Someone is afraid,i think the issue(Medical Test Challenge) is too too big for the MMD to handle that’s why they are softening.They have realised that there are more Points to lose than Score Politically.they know that GK,Mr Chipute V.J,Alla B,Damewit..Arial,etc are all victims.the Questions….Where is The Person who Started the Fire??? and why is he quiet???
what is african? stealing from the people? mismanaging the affairs of the country while the docile majority live in abject poverty? all you guys are sick both mentally and physically! why dont y’all do us a favor, die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#12 Imwe ba London, neither the British nor the Zambian constitution currently stipulate age limits for leaders. Are you suggesting that in your family, you cannot discuss issues during insaka with your father, mother, siblings, uncles, aunties, grandma and pas, etc? In my family we do discuss family matters among those who qualify, if you know what I mean, I would encourage you to do the same and share family burdens.
Please let’s discuss issues, fellow Zambians, not gossiping about who has what illness, unless of course if that is what puts food on your table, like mmembe.
No 5, he knows, that from Sata it will b me. Remember his knee oprt. lol
Nankale tyala ove a Banda
These guys want to hold on to power at the expense of their health. look at the Nigerian late president, and what is going on in Zambia. This is the same story about Africa Rupia is talking about. Only the sick needs a doctor and the fact that Kunda went to SA for medica review, tells volumes about his poor health. All of us are going to die at one time and we shouldn’t pretend to be well when in actual fact we are sick. My Christian ethics tells me to be frank with myself and my body. When I am sick, I get a sick leave so that I can recuparate.. There are too many sick people in MMD government this is the reason why the work is not being done. We need to know the health status of our leaders so that we can give them sick-leaves.
president Jacob Zuma and his entire cabinet underwent an HIV test without any quarrel.Why cant we do like wise so as to know who is sick.Its time for our leaders to show leadership by getting tested …those sick put on medication …test results are highly confidential but its entirely up to them to come out in public and tell us their status.This will surely reduce the so called evacuations at the tax payers expense…be reallistic
Mwe bantu, its good to know that people who want to lead the country are sound and healthy because of the nature and demands of the public office. The problem is the manner in which politicians/people are carrying out the right to know, its with malice and people seem to be happy that a certain person is ill or wish they are ill, this breeds stigmatisation to those that are sick and cannot live happily even in their illness, a tough one though. Every soul is worth protecting regardless of who they are.
Guys, there’s no way this Senior Citizen could be Ben Kangwa. He’s a bootlicker, of course, but Ben simply CAN’T write like this guy. You’re giving him him too much credit. Those who know him say he simply can’t express himself in writing the way Senior Citizen does. So, who’s this guy? One on the redbrick payroll, of course.
Or maybe his wife, who has a good education, writes for him? Maybe.
wangala waya stop the nonsense we are tired of the same story talk about how you are going to solve the fuel crisis not ama rubbish muletweba :)>-:)>-:)>- n :x:x:x:x fellow Zambians tuletemwana fye noti ulubululi
Moderator #1 wherever you are lets team up and go and start a party in Z. These are not the kind of politicians we need to lead us!
Ba # 19 don’t pick on people i have spent time in shool than you can imagine find something else to write about? DR.
Disgusting health talk.If medical personel involved need to be struck off from practice.Fact nobody above 70 years could be healthier for Presidency.So the bickering is a worst of time.
Viva Atase #11 Perhaps Dickson Jere his Press Secretary is not helping him by reading the blog for RB